How to travel with two passports and UK immigration permission

Katerina Galkina · EN · 07/10/2026

Check every part of the itinerary

Dual nationality, a second valid passport of the same nationality and an old passport containing a visa are different situations. Make a table covering departure, transit, destination entry and return to the UK. Identify the document, nationality and permission needed for each stage.

Check destination requirements through official sources and carrier instructions. UK residence does not replace another country’s visa. If a country requires its own nationals to use its passport, assess that separately from UK entry checks. Disclose other documents accurately where information is requested.

Link the travel passport to the eVisa

UKVI allows more than one passport ↗ to be added where you have multiple nationalities. The passport used to travel to the UK must be valid and added to the account. Personal details must match the information given to the carrier.

Do not rely solely on a new number appearing in an application: check the current UKVI account and eVisa. Update documents ahead of travel. If passport names differ, prepare name-change evidence and ask the carrier how passenger information should be recorded.

Check a UK visa in an old passport

GOV.UK explains ↗ that a valid visa vignette in an expired passport can be used with a new passport, with eVisa use also available in the circumstances described. This concerns valid permission, rather than an expired visa or any historical passport entry.

Check validity, visa type, document condition and changes in personal details. For a lost or stolen passport or changed details, follow the relevant official process. A photograph does not replace the original where the actual document is required.

Coordinate booking and boarding checks

If different documents are needed for different stages, explain the situation to the carrier in advance and check which number belongs in passenger information. Keep written instructions. Carry both original passports and evidence linking names where necessary.

British or Irish dual nationals have specific rules. Do not obtain an ETA as a substitute for evidence of citizenship. Check the dual-nationality travel guidance ↗, including its particular exceptions. Ordinary eVisa advice for a foreign resident cannot simply be applied to a British citizen.

Before returning, recheck the UKVI-linked passport and access to a travel share code. Having two passports only helps when the permissions and documents work together; it cannot make an invalid visa valid.