The United Kingdom’s new passport laws came into effect this week, meaning any dual British citizen must either hold a UK passport, a certificate of entitlement, or fully renounce their citizenship before they can now enter the country.

The change was first proposed in 2023 and was passed last year, but many say the UK government did not give proper warning before the change came into effect on February 25.

“I was just surprised that it happened so quickly,” says Susan Hitchcock, a dual citizen who was born in Australia, “I was told it happened a year ago, but I was in Britain a year ago and I heard nothing about it.”

“I’ve never felt British, I’ve never wanted a British passport, I’ve never felt that my Australian passport wasn’t enough to go anywhere in the world.”

Some other dual citizens feel a similar way.

Anelise Chicherio was born in Australia, but her father was born in the UK.

“I don’t feel a strong connection to the UK. I mean, I spent time there when I was young, but I haven’t been there in over 10 years,” she says.

Ms Chicherio says the sudden change interrupted her plans to visit Britain later this year, due to the added cost of a passport.

“It’s not worth the extra $200 cost, not to mention all the paperwork you need to go through beforehand,” she says, “and I’m not prepared to spend $1000 to renounce citizenship.”

For some, an additional cost of $200, or even $1000 isn’t a big deal, but for university students and dual citizens Shreya Hirani and Isabella Beaumont, the price is more significant.

Ms Hirani says she feels a connection to the UK, but is still upset with the way it was handled.

“I think the fact that giving it up is a grand is insane to me, then it forces you to renew because it’s cheaper,” she says, “even though the UK is special to me, the passport isn’t.

“At this point I might as well plan to meet my family at another place. You know, it’s just discouraging. It’s sort of pissing me off.”

Curtin University sociologist Dr Cathy Martin, also a dual citizen, says although national identity is imagined – meaning it comes from cultural signifiers such as flags, passports and shared rituals – it is still powerful.

Dr Martin says a rule change like this by a country you feel no connection to can be “jarring” and “personally disruptive in terms of the sense of self.”

“My mum was born in India, but I don’t feel any connection to India. If I had the Indian government telling me to get an Indian passport, I’d be like ‘But I’m not Indian!’,” Dr Martin says.

She says the lack of forewarning, the requirements, and the costs of getting a new passport – including sending every page of your Australian passport to the UK – is “suspicious”.

“This is a very strange thing to ask for. Are they going to refuse to give passports to people who have travelled to certain countries? Are they going to use it as a way to screen people when this is something they should be legally entitled to?” she says.

But for Nicola Hudson, it’s about her kids.

Ms Hudson had planned a “once in a lifetime” trip to the UK to take her children to see where she grew up.

She says she had “just pulled the trigger,” on tickets, only to find out about the new restrictions the same week.

Ms Hudson says it feels like an imposition, especially on her children, who were not born in the UK and feel no connection to the country.

She says her daughters were surprised to find out they were UK citizens.

Ms Hudson says because her children are under 18, they are only eligible for child passports which last just five years, meaning an even greater cost.

Her solution is to get a British passport, giving up money and part of her Australian identity in the process.