Bermudian travellers are effectively exempt from stricter passport rules for Britain that come into effect next Wednesday.

The Electronic Travel Authorisation programme, which the British Government gradually imposed from 2023, does not include British Overseas Territories Citizens, the Bermuda Government stated.

The British move, as of February 25, affects 85 visa-free nationalities, including the US, Canada and France.

Airlines and carriers will be required to confirm that travellers have permission to travel before departure.

The added restrictions mean that British dual citizens will be denied entry if they attempt to arrive using only a non-British passport.

According to the Home Office, because the Britain does not maintain a central register of BOTCs, “confirmation for BOTC passport holders will be carried out on a case-by-case basis, rather than automatically”.

Under present British law, BOTCs who are not British citizens or who cannot present evidence of British citizenship, remain subject to UK immigration control when seeking to live, work or study in the country.