British schoolgirl, 16, stranded in Denmark after new UK passport rules introduced

A 16-year-old school girl has been stranded in Denmark for two weeks because of a new change to UK passport rules.

Hanne, a dual British-Norwegian national, was stopped from boarding a Norwegian Airlines flight from Copenhagen to London because she did not have a British passport, as reported by The Guardian.

Before heading to Copenhagen with her Norwegian-born mother, Hanne, whose real name hasn't been used to protect her identity, had applied for a British passport.

Because she's missed two weeks of school and is set to sit her GCSEs in May, her mother was forced to fly back to collect her revision material and return to Copenhagen where she was staying.

The new passport rule, which came into force last month, requires all British nationals with dual nationalities to hold a UK passport.

This wasn't the case previously, as dual nationals were able to travel in and out of the country with a foreign passport.

Hanne, a dual British-Norwegian national, was left stranded in Denmark because of new rules that came into effect last month (Getty Stock Images)

Although Norwegian Airlines informed the British embassy of Hanne's situation, they were unable to help at the time.

The Passport Office were forced to cancel Hanne’s previous passport application because she was abroad and it was unable to get processed.

While her mum has applied for another passport, the Home Office has now stepped in to take a look at the situation.

A spokesperson said: “We are aware of this case and are working at pace to provide assistance.

“Public information advising dual nationals to travel with a valid UK passport or certificate of entitlement has been available since October 2024, including official guidance on gov.uk.

“Guidance for dual citizens was also included in our ETA communications campaign, which has been running since 2023.”

The Home Office adds that British nationals can use an expired passport but acceptance as proof of nationality was at the discretion of the airline.

James MacCleary, Hanne’s Liberal Democrat MP, told The Guardian that the rule change is causing 'heartbreaking situations' for dual nationals.

The new passport rule, which came into force last month, requires all British nationals with dual nationalities to hold a UK passport (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

“The government’s hopeless planning and communication of its changes to entry requirements for dual nationals has caused an untold amount of chaos and stress,” he said.

“Too many dual nationals have found themselves stranded abroad in heartbreaking situations, missing funerals, weddings, or in the case of my constituent, an absolutely crucial time in education.

“The home secretary needs to pull her finger out and urgently provide a low-cost and quick alternative for dual nationals stuck abroad.

If she fails to act the prime minister must step in to bring an end to the chaos, otherwise more children and families will pay the price.”

It comes after Hanne's head teacher urged the Home Office to help bring her home.

A letter to the department read: “Hanne is effectively prevented from re-entering the UK despite being a British citizen and having a permanent home and school placement here.

“She is currently missing taught lessons across all subjects and is at risk of missing important assessments, including GCSE exams.”

LADbible Group has contacted the Home Office for an update.