Registration of a Child as a British Citizen
There are different sets of requirements whereby a child may be registered as a British Citizen. Listed below are some instances whereby a child may apply to be registered as a British Citizen. If your situation is not listed here, please contact our consultants who will be able to provide you with further information with regard to matters relating to adoption, parents in Crown Service, designated or Community Institution Service, Legitimacy, and discretion of the Home Secretary.
1. The child was born in the UK on 1st January 1983, or after.
One of the child's parents has, since the child's birth either become a British citizen, or has become settled in the UK.
The application is made before the child's 18th birthday.
2. The child was born outside the UK on or after 1st January 1983, and one of the child's parents was a British citizen at the time of the child's birth.
To be British by 'descent' means to have been born abroad, obtaining British citizenship by way of one or both of the parents being a British citizen.
Alternatively, the applicant's father or mother was a UK & Colonies citizen born overseas obtaining the Right of Abode by virtue of living for five years in the UK prior to 1st January 1983.
Or, furthermore, the child's father or mother is a British citizen who themselves have a parent as previously listed above; the child's parent's have spent at least three years in the UK prior to the child's birth. In this instance there is the right to register the child as a British citizen within a year of birth.
In addition, the parent was born to a British Citizen, 'otherwise than by descent,' or, if it was before 1st January 1983 to a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies who became a British citizen otherwise than by descent on 1st January 1983. The parent also to have at any time before the child's birth lived in the UK for a period of three years without having spent more than 270 days outside of the UK during that time.
To be British otherwise than by descent is to acquire British citizenship by birth in the UK via registration/naturalisation or by being a UK & Colonies citizen with five years residence & settlement in the UK before 1st January 1983.
The application is made within twelve months of the child's birth.
3. The child was born outside the UK on or after 1st January 1983.
One of the child's parents was a British citizen by descent at the time of the child's birth. The child, & his or her mother and father were in the UK during the three years immediately before the application, without any of them being absent from the country for more than 270 days in that period. The child's mother and father consent to the application for registration of the child, and the application is made before the child's 18th birthday.
4. The child was born outside the UK before 1st January 1983.
The child's mother was a citizen of the UK and Colonies because she was born, adopted, registered or naturalised in the UK and became, or would have become a British citizen on 1st January 1983, and the mother has not renounced British citizenship. The child's father is to consent to the registration, and the application is made before the child's 18th birthday.
For further information with regard to issues of obtaining Child Registration, please contact our consultants who will be most happy to assist.