A Scottish mother has been left stranded overseas after her 11-month-old baby was denied boarding on a flight to the United Kingdom because of documentation requirements affecting dual nationals.
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Sarah Schloegl, from Aberdeen, said airline staff prevented her baby from boarding a Ryanair flight from Alicante last week after officials determined the child lacked the documentation now required for entry to the UK.
Schloegl had travelled to Spain for a short holiday with her Austrian husband, Philipp, and their two children — a three-year-old and an 11-month-old baby.
Baby barred from flight in Spain
Under rules introduced in February, British citizens who also hold another nationality must present either a British passport or a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode when travelling to the UK by air, rail or ferry. The certificate currently costs £589.
Schloegl said she was unaware of the requirement until she reached the departure gate. Her husband, who holds settled status in the UK after Brexit, and their older child, who has both Austrian and British passports, were allowed to board. Their baby, who only carried an Austrian passport, was refused.
“I feel it’s ridiculous,” Schloegl said, noting that the child was born in Scotland and lives in the UK. “My baby was born in the UK and lives there, but she’s not allowed to enter the country even though I’m British.”
Concerns over communication of new rules
Schloegl said she had followed news about travel rules but believed authorities should have provided clearer warnings at airports and on airline websites before the change took effect.
She said the first indication of the policy came when airline staff informed the family at the departure gate.
Campaigners say Schloegl’s experience is not unique. Hundreds of dual nationals have reportedly contacted advocacy groups in recent months complaining that the requirement was not widely publicised.
Monique Hawkins, head of policy and advocacy at the campaign group the3million, said the case raised concerns about how the rules were being applied.
“The Home Office said they would take a compassionate and pragmatic approach to travellers who experience genuine difficulty,” she said. “We cannot see the compassion in refusing boarding to an 11-month baby.”
The Home Office has previously rejected criticism that the change was poorly communicated, saying details were published on the government’s website.
Family seeks temporary solution abroad
At Alicante airport, Schloegl said airline ground staff attempted to help the family find a solution. Airport officials contacted UK authorities while Schloegl obtained a scanned copy of the baby’s birth certificate from the registry office in Scotland.
She said the document confirmed the child was born in the UK and that the Austrian passport had been issued by the Austrian embassy in Britain. However, officials reportedly told airline staff the evidence did not meet the entry requirements.
Schloegl was also unable to obtain emergency travel documents for the child. According to the Home Office, such documents are generally issued only to travellers who have previously held a passport, though some exceptions exist for urgent circumstances such as medical emergencies or attending a close relative’s funeral.
Facing the possibility of a delay lasting several months, the family decided to stay temporarily in Austria with relatives while they attempt to resolve the issue.
Advocacy group the3million has written to the UK’s European affairs minister, Nick Thomas-Symonds, and to European Commission official Maroš Šefčovič, urging action to address the situation of dual-national children whose parents hold British citizenship or settled status.
The group has called for provisions of the Brexit withdrawal agreement to cover children who automatically acquire dual nationality at birth.
An Austrian embassy spokesperson said officials were aware of the case and that the embassy in London was in contact with the family and UK authorities to explore ways to speed up a resolution.
The UK Home Office declined to comment on the individual case but said information advising dual nationals about the documentation requirement had been available on its website since October 2024. It added that a wider communications campaign about the new Electronic Travel Authorisation system had been running since 2023.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 7 May 2026
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