A baby born in the UK has been stranded in a foreign country due to new travel regulations preventing her from returning home after a family vacation in Spain. Sarah Rodgers, 30, and her husband Philipp, 34, from Ellon, Aberdeenshire, were shocked to discover that their 11-month-old daughter Lily, born in Scotland, did not have the necessary documentation to board a flight back to the UK from Alicante.
The family was caught off guard by recent Border Rules affecting dual British Nationals, leading to Lily facing a prolonged stay in Europe while awaiting approval for a British passport. With no option for emergency documentation or expedited passport processing, the family had to travel to Austria, Philipp’s home country, to navigate the bureaucratic process.
Sarah and Philipp shared their harrowing experience with the hope of raising awareness and preventing similar situations for other families. They were informed that Lily, holding an Austrian EU passport despite being a UK resident, could not enter the UK without a British passport or emergency travel document, which was denied to them.
The couple, faced with uncertainty and financial strain, had to find temporary accommodation in Alicante and were informed that Lily’s passport application could take up to ten weeks, with no fast-track option available for a first-time British passport applicant.
The family explored alternative routes, considering traveling to Ireland, but faced challenges due to Lily’s citizenship status. They eventually decided to fly to Austria, where they could stay with someone they knew for free, as they awaited the passport processing timeline.
Sarah expressed concerns about potential breaches of EU travel regulations if Lily’s passport was not processed within 90 days. The family criticized the UK Government for the lack of support and the distressing situation they were left in, emphasizing the difficulties faced by UK citizens in similar circumstances.
According to a Home Office spokeswoman, dual British citizens have been required to present valid British passports or Certificates of Entitlement since February 25, 2026, to ensure smooth travel to the UK. The spokeswoman highlighted that information about the new regulations had been available since 2024, aligning the UK with other countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia in enforcing similar documentation requirements for dual nationals.