Certificates of Entitlement – What You Need to Know
Although they have been around for many years, Certificates of Entitlement to the Right of Abode (commonly referred to as just Certificates of Entitlement or CofE) are making headlines in the wake of the UK government’s announcement that dual British citizens who do not hold a British passport will not be able to access Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETA), and instead must from 25 February 2026 obtain a CofE as proof of entitlement to enter the UK.
These documents hold a special place in my career journey – my first posting as an official in the Home Office was in a part of the B2 Policy section called BOCRA – British Overseas Citizens and Right of Abode. My first job was assessing and issuing CofE – previously Certificates of Patriality – to foreign nationals with a claim, either to a right of abode, or British citizenship. The distinction now is not as significant as it once was – there are some Commonwealth citizens who have a right of abode, but are not British citizens under the British Nationality Act 1981. They include certain women married to British men before 1 January 1983, or descendants of British women born before that date.
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The current furore has arisen because – unlike an ETA, costing £16 – a CofE is quite an expensive proposition, currently costing £589. The application process is also rather more involved than the few clicks needed to obtain an ETA, with supporting evidence of birth, registration, naturalisation or descent needing to be uploaded to a government portal. A person with a right of abode in the UK, which includes all British citizens, is not in law entitled to an ETA because they are not subject to immigration control here. This means a border or immigration official has no power to examine them for the purpose of establishing admissibility to the UK.
The vast majority of those with a right of abode choose to hold a British passport as evidence of their status, but there is a sizeable minority who do not. This may be for a variety of reasons – the cost of a passport, or perhaps most commonly because their other – usually birth – nationality does not permit dual or multiple citizenship.
The UK government has, from 26 February 2026, introduced a digital-only CofE, which importantly will not expire with the holder’s passport. So, the £589 (or whatever this increases to in future years) is a one-off cost. Those already holding vignettes (or stickers endorsed in their foreign passport) can keep them – there is no need to have them cancelled. Contrast this validity with the 2 years (or expiry of your passport) for an ETA, and it begins to sound like a better deal.
Holders of certain other nationalities have complained about the bureaucratic application process for a CofE, including the need to dig out long-forgotten birth certificates of dead relatives. It is worth remembering that British-issued documents can be obtained in certified copy form from the General Register Office in Southport, a relatively quick process. Note that in some circumstances it is still necessary to prove legitimate descent from a male relative, so marriage certificates may be required too.
Some have suggested renouncing British citizenship is an easier way forward. While a possible (if drastic) solution, remember this cannot be done for children under 18 or those not of sound mind. It will also mean the individual will not be able to live in the UK in the future without meeting UK immigration rules.
And finally, it has been reported that women who have naturalised as British following relocation and sometimes marriage in the UK may be prejudiced because – if they decide not to hold a British passport – they will only be able to obtain a CofE in the name in which they naturalised. This may differ from the name on their birth certificate, or their overseas passport, with some countries such as Greece only allowing a woman to hold a document in her birth name.
It is true that the Home Office – which issues CofE – will only normally do so in the name on the applicant’s citizenship certificate or expired British passport. Exceptions can be made, but guidance on this is complex.
If you are affected by any of the issues in this piece, expert legal advice is available from the Latitude Law team; call us on 0300 131 6767 or get in touch via our website.
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Securing Your Right of Abode with Latitude Law
The application for a Certificate of Entitlement is a high-stakes process involving complex evidence of ancestry, marriage, or naturalisation. Latitude Law provides the specialist expertise needed to navigate these bureaucratic requirements, ensuring your right to enter and reside in the UK is clearly documented and protected.
