How to apply for British Citizenship by Birth
Citizenship by birth is not always possible through the status of one of the parents. Furthermore, under UK immigration law, any child born in the UK is no longer considered a British citizen.
As a result, children can only be granted British citizenship by birth if certain conditions are met. When both parents are settled in the United Kingdom, for example, British nationality is automatically gained. Children of British citizens born overseas, on the other hand, would be required to apply for citizenship.
You could contact our Rubens Immigration team to learn more about your choices for registering your children for British nationality.
Page Contents
- How to register your child
- UK Nationality for children born abroad
- How to register children born in the UK
- British Citizenship by Descent
- Can you get British citizenship through adoption ?
- How can my child get a British passport ?
- British Passport for Children
- Required supporting documents
- UK Citizenship Application Form
- Nationality for a child born through surrogacy
- Dual Nationality for children
- What is the Citizenship by Birth fee ?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How can I get help from Rubens Immigration
How can I register my children for British citizenship by birth ?
Naturalisation as a British citizen is only applicable to those who are 18 years old or older. You must apply for registration if your children are under the age of 18. They must, however, have Indefinite Leave to Remain until they can be included in the citizenship application.
Children over the age of 13 can be eligible for Naturalisation only if they have resided in the UK for a minimum of two years prior to submitting their application.
Children of non-British nationals born in the UK will be able to apply for citizenship as soon as their parents obtain ILR or Settlement Status. Children of non-British parents who are already living in the UK, on the other hand, would automatically gain nationality at birth.
You can use the online form to register your children for British citizenship. After that, you will be asked to schedule an appointment at a UKVCAS service center near you to provide your biometric data.
At one of these locations, you can also have your application documents scanned and copied.
Do children of UK nationals born abroad obtain British citizenship by birth ?
Children born outside the UK to British citizens may obtain British citizenship “otherwise than by descent.” This ensures that he or she will be able to pass on this status to future generations, whether they are born in the UK or abroad.
A person born outside the UK can become a British citizen if either the father or the mother was a British national at the time of birth, as stated in the 1981 British Nationality Act.
For British citizenship, children under 18 years of age may apply if they meet the following criteria:
- On the date the application is submitted, both parents have lived in the UK for three years.
- The application must be signed by both parents as an act of consent.
- The child must be of good character whether he or she is 10 years old or above.
The child would naturally become a British citizen, if both parents were born in the UK. Children of the British nationals who were born abroad, will be required to apply for British citizenship. For the children born abroad but adopted by British nationals the same applies.
Do children born in the UK automatically acquire British citizenship ?
If you were born in the UK, your eligibility to apply for British citizenship is based on your circumstances.
Children born on or after 1 January 1983
You or your children may be qualified for British citizenship if you or your children were born in the UK on or after 1 January, 1983. To be considered, you must either:
- Be below 18 years of age.
- Born in the UK and resided there until you were 10 years old or above.
Only when at least one of your parents becomes a British citizen, or when you are granted permission to remain in the UK permanently on ILR or EU Settlement Status, will you be granted nationality.
Children born before 1983
Unless your father was a diplomat working for a non-UK nation or you were born in the Channel Islands during World War 2, you are automatically a British citizen if you were born in the UK before 1 January 1983.
You may request a letter of affirmation of your status to ensure that you are a British citizen.
How do you acquire British citizenship by descent ?
Individuals who were not born in the UK on the basis of their parents or grandparents nationality status can naturalise in the UK.
To be eligible, the child’s parents must be British citizens who have lived in the UK for at least three years continuously, with days of absence from the country no more than 270. British citizenship status should have been obtained by one of the parents otherwise by descent.
This status cannot be passed down to the future generations overseas, if the child is a British citizen by descent.
In certain cases, qualifying children are not automatically citizens of the UK and must apply for citizenship. The following is how the legislation is applied:
- If one of the parents was a British citizen at the time of birth, children born on or after July 1, 2006 are automatically British citizens.
- If one of the parents was a British national at the time of birth, a child born between 1983 and June 2006 may obtain UK citizenship.
- If the father is British or a resident of the UK and Colonies and is not married to the mother, children born before 1983 are automatically British citizens.
You may apply for citizenship by descent either online or by filling out Form MN1 on paper. From within and outside the UK, the application can be submitted.
Get in touch with our expert immigration lawyers to learn more on British Citizenship.
Can you get British citizenship through adoption ?
Children adopted on or after January 1, 1983, gain British citizenship automatically if one of the adopters is a UK resident, according to the 1981 British Nationality Act, as amended by the 2002 Adoption and Children Act.
If at least one of the adopters is a habitual resident of the country or one of the specified territories, a child who is not already a British citizen acquires British citizenship.
If the person who makes the order is a British national, children who are subject to a parental order made in a UK court may become British citizens.
If the adoption or parental order is no longer in force, the British citizenship gained through adoption is not lost.
It is important to remember that children adopted before June 1, 2003 are not automatically eligible for a British passport.
How can my children get a British passport ?
If your children are 16 years old or below, you may apply for a passport for them. A child passport can take up to three weeks to be received.
You would need the information and signatures of both parents or some other individual with parental responsibility in order to apply for a passport for your children. If you are unable to provide this detail, you must write a statement explaining your situation. The application form must be signed by children between the ages of 12 and 15.
You must apply for a first child passport if your child has never had a British passport. You will then need to confirm your child’s identity with a person of your choice, after submitting your request. This person must be a British national who has known you for a minimum of two years and works in a career that is recognised. As part of the passport application process, the HM Passport Office will contact your referee.
A child’s British passport costs £49 if applied for online, or £58.50 if applied for in person at a Post Office.
What documents are needed to apply for a British passport for my child ?
You must have detailed documents to apply for a British passport for your child. Only original documents or official copies of certificates will be accepted by the UKVI. Photocopies and certified copies are not approved and will invalidate your submission.
You must also submit the following documents with your British passport application:
- The complete birth or adoption certificate of your child. You must have a signed letter from the person with parental responsibility acknowledging the name change, as well as at least one confirmation of the new name being used in official documents, if your passport name differs from the name on your birth certificate.
- Any previous valid passport for your child from a foreign country.
- Proof that your child is a British citizen.
You would need to have approved translations if your documents are not in English or Welsh.
What is the British citizenship by birth application form ?
You may use Form MN1 to register your child under the age of 18 for British citizenship by birth or adoption.
Applicants residing in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or any other British Overseas Territory may fill out this form.
The information of your referees must be filled out in Section 5 of Form MN1. These individuals must verify your child’s identity and be able to inform the Home Office of any circumstances why the applicant should be granted citizenship.
Both parents must provide their personal details as well as their consent.
A written statement in your application to clarify your condition, if you are a single parent or cannot provide information about your child’s biological parents, must be provided.
Those who were born before 1983 and wish to register must use Form UKM, which is a different form.
British Citizenship by Birth Application Advice
Our lawyers at Rubens Immigration will assist you and your family with every step of the British citizenship by birth application process. You may entrust your case to one of our best OISC certified practitioners by hiring our experts. Hire one of our immigration solicitors to learn how we can improve your chances of success.
To begin with your British Citizenship by birth application process you may have enquiries or need assistance for which you may contact us.
British Citizenship by Birth Application Assistance
Since obtaining British citizenship by birth can be a difficult task, it is recommended that you seek legal advice. Our solicitors have assisted a number of families in settling in the UK and they will be pleased to review your case and explore your options for registering your children as British citizens. Speak with one of our specialists to find out how we can assist you in completing your citizenship by birth application.
To begin with your British Citizenship by birth application process you may have enquiries or need assistance for which you may contact us.
Get in touch with our expert immigration lawyers to learn more on British Citizenship.
Will my child born through surrogacy be British ?
Surrogacy law in the UK is currently especially complicated, as each case is unique and can necessitate a different path to ensure that the child acquires British citizenship.
Surrogate children will be required to register for British nationality and subsequently for a British passport.
Your passport application form must contain information about your child’s situation.
Your child can obtain citizenship in the name of his or her parents, if a parental order was granted in the UK on or after April 6, 2010,.
When both parents are of the same gender, the parent whose information appears first on the parental order is referred to as “mother or parent 1.” Your child’s passport will not contain this detail.
Does my child need to be of “good character” ?
You must demonstrate your good character to be accepted as a British citizen, which means you must have followed UK laws since the day you arrived in the country.
All applicants aged 10 and up must meet the “good character” criteria, according to UK Nationality Law. Your children must meet the following requirements to be eligible:
- Always followed the rules and have never been accused of or convicted of any offences. War crimes, terrorism, and acts that are not in the public interest are included.
- Not having broken any immigration rules, such as overstaying a previous visa or status.
The Home Office will consider a child’s age and any potential special circumstances when determining whether or not he or she is of good character.
Will my child need to attend a citizenship ceremony ?
To obtain their citizenship certificate, only applicants aged 18 and up must take an oath. Children who wish to attend a citizenship ceremony would be required to take an Oath of Allegiance and pledge their allegiance to the UK. Then they will be given their certificate of naturalisation and will be able to apply for a British passport after this ceremony.
You may request the services of a trained translator if your child does not speak English or has special needs.
Can my children hold multiple or dual citizenship in the UK ?
You are required to check to see if registering your children for British citizenship would result in them losing their current citizenship. However, since UK law recognises the right to hold dual or multiple nationalities, you are not required to renounce your UK status in order to naturalise in another country.
It is important to note that if the country of which your children is at present the citizen, accepts dual nationalities, they may be subject to their citizenship obligations (such as military service) even though they are not in the UK.
What is the British citizenship by birth fee ?
The cost of registering your children for British citizenship is £1,012.
The additional costs such as the £80 fee for booking your citizenship ceremony, which is required only for applicants who are 18 years old or above are not included.
It is also possible that you may be charged £19.20 to have your fingerprints and pictures taken.
If you are applying from the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or another British overseas territory, the biometric information fee could be different.
What is a status letter ?
With a certificate of citizenship a status letter must not be confused. In fact, the UKVI’s assessment of a person’s nationality status is recorded in this document. Whether or not anyone is a British citizen will definitely be decided only by the courts
Depending on the situation, status letters can be used to gain verification of how you and your children can obtain British nationality. The Form NS can be used to request this document. If you want to conform, if you are already a British citizen, you can apply for a British passport or a certificate of right of abode entitlement.
