Dual citizenship -Ownership and authority over a UK passport
Posted on March 8th, 2026
Dr Sarath Obeysekera
A UK passport is issued by the HM Passport Office under the authority of the UK Home Office.
Legally:
- The passport remains the property of the UK Government.
- Only UK authorities can enter official endorsements about nationality or citizenship status in it.
What foreign immigration officers are allowed to do
Immigration authorities in another country (including Sri Lanka) may only place standard immigration markings, such as:
- Entry stamps
- Exit stamps
- Visa or visa-cancellation stamps
- Temporary admission or landing endorsements
These are not statements about nationality. They simply record movement across that country’s border.
What they cannot legally certify
A foreign immigration officer cannot legally endorse in a UK passport that the holder is:
- A dual citizen
- A citizen of another country
- A resident or national of that country
That type of endorsement would be considered an alteration of the passport’s official content, which only the issuing country may do.
How dual citizenship is normally recognized
Instead of stamping another country’s passport:
- The second country issues a dual citizenship certificate or national passport.
- Immigration records it in their internal database.
In your case, Sri Lanka records dual citizenship in the Department of Immigration system and in the Dual Citizenship Certificate, not in the UK passport.
- Sri Lanka can stamp entry/exit in a UK passport.
- Sri Lanka cannot legally certify or endorse dual citizenship status in that passport.
- Only UK authorities could make official endorsements relating to UK nationality.
Regards
Dr Sarath Obeysekera