Police have charged a British citizen with a number of people-smuggling offenses.

The 63-year-old man allegedly allowed a Sri Lankan national to use his airline boarding pass to gain entry into Australia on Monday.

He is also believed to have helped two other Sri Lankan nationals to enter the country using the boarding passes of other passengers.

Police arrested him on Monday (June 29), when he arrived in Darwin on a flight from Singapore.

He has been charged with three offenses and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars if found guilty.