Brit girl stranded in Spain after being denied boarding over new passport guidelines
British-born Natasha Cochrane De La Rosa has been left stranded in Spain after an airline denied her boarding on a flight from Amsterdam to Luton due to new border rules
Natasha Cochrane De La Rosa has been denied re-entry into the UK(Image: Natasha Cochrane De La Rosa / SWNS)
A woman born in the UK has found herself stuck in Spain after falling afoul of new changes to UK border rules, which resulted in her being denied re-entry to the UK. Natasha Cochrane De La Rosa was barred from boarding a return flight from Amsterdam to Luton after enjoying a short holiday there with friends.
On the day she was scheduled to fly back to the UK on 6 April, the 26 year old managed to pass through check-in, security and passport control but was refused boarding at the gate, she claimed.
The Home Office implemented new regulations on 25 February stating that dual nationals can no longer enter the UK using solely a foreign passport. They must now present either a British or Irish passport or hold a digital certificate of entitlement.
Natasha, who was born and brought up in Islington, North London, has a British father and Spanish mother. As they were not married when Natasha was born, her father couldn’t automatically confer his citizenship, a situation Natasha says has left her in a ‘grey area’, reports the Manchester Evening News.
She stated that now, to get home, she must either fork out £589 for a digital certificate of entitlement or apply for a British passport. To do this, she said she has to ‘prove’ her mother had free movement rights across the EU when she was born – something she claims she never received paperwork for.
Natasha, a client success manager now residing in Haringey, North London, expressed: “I was born in Islington, I have paid taxes, I have voted. I am a dual national I do have British nationality but the government are saying none of that I have lived for 26 years matters anymore.”
Currently, Natasha is staying in Spain with a family friend, having booked a flight from Amsterdam to Seville when she found herself unable to return to London.
“Luckily I am privileged enough to have a haven essentially but if I didn’t have any ties to my country, didn’t speak the language or have anywhere to stay I would have been left homeless in the Netherlands”, she stated. “I feel the government have failed and they have a responsibility to dual nationals and the population of the UK that such dramatic and important law changes are effectively communicated.
“People are commenting on my social media posts saying they would be in the same position as me if they had not come across my story. While I do take responsibility for not having checked, why would I check something that for 26 years of my life I’ve never had to do.
“The system is poorly designed and offers no support or understanding for citizens like myself who do not hit the check box but are still a British citizen.”
Natasha initially departed from Luton Airport on April 2, enjoying several days in Amsterdam on a break with mates. On her scheduled return on April 6, she claims she managed to check in, pass through security and passport control, and reached her flight’s gate before being refused boarding.
She continued: “They [the airline] called immigration on the phone basically were saying these new laws had come in. I was showing my birth certificate, my national insurance, my P45, my dad’s birth certificate and was still denied boarding as I had not got the right documentation.”
Since her parents weren’t wed when she was born in 1999, Natasha’s father couldn’t automatically transfer his citizenship. Now, she must either apply for a passport which she claims risks rejection – as she maintains there’s no paperwork to demonstrate her mother possessed free movement rights – or shell out over £500 for a digital certificate of entitlement.
She continued: “There was not documentation, not to my mother or anyone with free movement rights in the EU given to them by the government. How do we prove that now?
“To prove it we’re having to find HMRC documents or find anything that proves she was here legally. It was 26 and a bit years ago so it’s been a nightmare finding the documents.” Natasha also revealed that following Brexit in 2021, her mother submitted an application for settlement papers, as did her younger sister who was born in Spain – both of which were approved, but she claims she was informed she ‘didn’t qualify’ as she was already a British citizen. She also mentioned she is currently unable to apply for the digital certificate of entitlement at present, as she still lacks the required documents from her mother – and said she’s been informed the process could take a minimum of three to six months, or potentially up to a year, to sort out.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Since 25 February 2026, all dual British citizens need to present either a valid British passport or Certificate of Entitlement when travelling to the UK. To prove citizenship and enter the UK legally, individuals can apply for a British passport or Certificate of Entitlement from abroad.
“Public information advising dual nationals to carry the correct documentation has been available since October 2024 and a substantive communications campaign about the introduction of ETA has been running since 2023. This requirement applies to all British citizens regardless of other nationality and is the same approach taken by other countries, including the United States, Canada and Australia.”
