Guidance on the France-UK school trip travel information form now says how a child with British or Irish citizenship in a French school group can prove it, from 5 June 2026.
Key facts
- Who: Head teachers and children in groups of 5 or more, aged 18 or under, travelling from a school in France to the UK on the France-UK school trip travel information form, where a child is a dual citizen with British or Irish citizenship
- From: 5 June 2026
- Source: Visit the UK as part of a French school trip
The guidance now has a section for dual citizens. It says a child who is a dual citizen with British or Irish citizenship can prove their citizenship using one of three documents:
- a valid British passport
- a valid Irish passport
- another valid passport containing a certificate of entitlement
The guidance also links to further information on travelling to the UK as a dual citizen.
The guidance describes the form as allowing a group of 5 or more children aged 18 or under from a school in France to travel to the UK. The school must be registered with the French Ministry of Education, and every child and adult in the group must be included in the form. It is free to enter the UK with the form.
Children in the group do not need a visa or an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), whatever their nationality. Each child must have an authorisation to leave the country (AST) signed by their parent or guardian, and a copy of that parent or guardian's identity document. Children who are nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein need a passport or national identity card. Nationals of other countries need a passport.
The head teacher must fill in the form and send it to the prefecture at least 15 days before departure, with the children's signed authorisations and the copies of the parents' identity documents. The prefecture checks the documents and sends them back to the head teacher.
All adults must bring their passport. Depending on nationality, each adult will need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa, need to apply for an ETA, or be able to visit without either.
At the UK border, the group must show 2 copies of the form to a Border Force officer, who checks it is correct and that everyone in the group has the correct documents. The officer keeps one copy.
What this means for applicants
Where a child in the group is a dual citizen with British or Irish citizenship, the guidance says they can prove it with a valid British passport, a valid Irish passport, or another valid passport containing a certificate of entitlement. Head teachers filling in the form can check which of these applies to each such child. A Border Force officer checks at the border that everyone in the group has the correct documents.
Related guide: Child visitor visa UK