Sarawak (now part of Malaysia)

Sarawak (now part of Malaysia)

You could be eligible for British citizenship if you were:

• Born in Sarawak after 31.12.1948 and before independence on 15.09.1963, and you have a grandparent born in the UK.
• Born between 31.12.1948 and 31.12.1982, a parent was born in Sarawak before 15.09.1963 and that parent had a parent born in the UK.
• Born after 01.01.1983, a parent was born in Sarawak before 1949 and that parent had a parent born in the UK.

There are hundreds of other ways to qualify. As a general rule, if you were born in a country that is different to either parent or any of your grandparents, or you have a connection back to the UK, Ireland or a former British Territory, then you might have a claim.

How can I find out if I can claim British nationality?

We suggest following our 4 STEP PROCESS, designed to simplify the complex laws of British nationality and to avoid uneccessary and expensive application fees, to find your answer:

Step 1: Dertermine whether you have a Standard Route (birth in the UK before 1983, or a parent born in the UK before 1983)
Step 2: If not, complete our free Nationality Assessment
Step 3: Order a free Status Trace
Step 4: Conduct a Citizenship Report

Complete our nationality assessment

To find out whether you or your children might have a claim, take a couple of moments to complete our FREE online passport assessment.
 

NOTE: Modern-day Malaysia is made up of several areas, all of which fell under the influence and control of the British before Independence. Almost 1.3 million Malaysians had claims to (a form of) British Nationality AFTER Independence due to inconsistencies and anomalies in UK Nationality legislation and the Constitution of Malaysia. It is critical to note the place and date of birth of BOTH parents and ALL four grandparents.

For more information on how British Nationality could be gained through your birth (or a parent's birth) in a British Protected State coupled with a UK-born grandparent, watch this short video by Philip Gamble:

Birth in Protected State and UK-born grandparent

SARAWAK

Between 1888 and 30.06.1946, Sarawak was a British Protected State.

From 01.07.1946 until 31.12.1948, it fell within the Crown’s Dominions.

Between 01.01.1949 and 15.09.1963, Sarawak fell within the UK and Colonies.

Click here for more information on the status of a British Protected Person (based on birth in a British Protected State).

Click here for more information on the status of Citizen of the United Kingdom & Colonies (CUKC), a status achieved by birth in the Colony.

MALAYSIA

The constituent parts of Malaysia are North Borneo (and Labuan),  the Malay States, Penang and Malacca, Singapore (at various times) and Sarawak. From 16.09.1963 until the present day, it is an independent Commonwealth country.