Family holiday nightmare after baby barred from flying home to Scotland

An Aberdeenshire family’s baby has been denied entry back to Scotland after a holiday in Spain because of new travel rules.

Sarah Rodgers and her husband Philipp flew to Alicante with ten-month-old Lily and their three-year-old on Thursday, April 23.

Both of the children are dual British/Austrian nationals born in Scotland.

Last week, the family were about to board their Ryanair flight home when Sarah and Lily were stopped at the gate and told they couldn’t fly.

Sarah says she was told she and her baby could not fly, as Lily only holds an Austrian passport.

They visited the British Embassy in Alicante the following morning where they say they were told to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to fly home.

However, the family say this was quickly rejected.

Changes to the UK’s border system came into force in February, requiring visitors to the UK to obtain an ETA.

Sarah and her family from Aberdeenshire. Supplied

Lily’s parents knew that she didn’t require an ETA because she’s a British citizen.

However, the new rules include a requirement for dual nationals to have either a British passport or a special £589 certificate to get into the UK.

Lily has neither.

Dual nationals have previously been able to enter the UK using their non-British passport without cost.

“At first I was so stressed, worried and confused,” Sarah told STV News.

“Now, after speaking with so many people on the phone, I just feel shocked. It feels like a joke.

“I don’t understand how they can refuse a baby returning home to where she was born, where she lives.”

The family paid £180 for a one-night stay in Alicante before flying to Austria to stay with relatives. They’ve been in contact with British authorities but face a wait of up to ten weeks for a solution.

They said an option may be travelling to the Republic of Ireland and then onward to Northern Ireland.

Sarah told STV News: “We’ve applied for a British passport for her from Austria, which we’ve been told can take up to ten weeks.

“I am not allowed to stay in Europe for ten weeks because of the 90-day allowance.

“If it does take ten weeks, I would have to leave at some point.”

Sarah says the family will have to wait and hope for the best.

She says the family were aware of the new ETA rules for EU nationals entering the UK, but that they didn’t think it would be an issue for Lily as she is a UK citizen.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “From February 25, 2026, all dual British citizens need to present either a valid British passport or Certificate of Entitlement when travelling to the UK.

“Without one, carriers cannot verify British citizenship, which may lead to delays or refused boarding.

“Public information advising dual nationals to carry the correct documentation has been available since October 2024, with a substantive communications campaign on the introduction of ETA has been running since 2023.

“This requirement applies to all British citizens, regardless of other nationality, taking the same approach as other countries including the United States, Canada and Australia.”