United Kingdom - flag United Kingdom - Passport & Nationality - British Citizenship by Birth

We look at three scenarios:

  • Children under 18 born in the UK
  • You are over 18 and born in the UK after 1 Jan 1983
  • You were born in the UK before 1 Jan 1983

Watch this SHORT VIDEO by Philip Gamble on the principles behind "British by Birth":

 

Children under 18 born in the UK*

A claim for British citizenship can be made in the following circumstances:

  • Child is over 10 years old and been resident in the UK since birth - read more
     
  • A parent was a British Citizen at the time of the child's birth - read more
     
  • A parent had "Settled Status" (ILR or the Right of Abode) at the time of birth - read more
     
  • A parent was an EU/EEA National and had Permanent Residency at the time of birth - read more
     
  • A parent acquires "Settled Status" (ILR or the Right of Abode) before the child turns 18 - read more

In all other cases, an assessment of your parents' nationality status at the time of your birth must be undertaken in order to determine whether you have a claim to British Citizenship.

 

You are over 18 and born in the UK after 1 Jan 1983*

  • A claim for British Citizenship can be made if a parent (mother or father) was born in the UK before 1983 - read more
  • In all other cases, an assessment of your parents' nationality status at the time of your birth must be undertaken in order to determine whether you have a claim to British Citizenship.

 

You were born in the UK before 1 Jan 1983*

  • You would have a Standard claim to British Citizenship by Birth - read more

 

* Exceptions apply:

  • if your parents were resident in the UK at the time due to Diplomatic Service
  • if your parents weren't married at the time of your birth
  • you were adopted

 

How do I find out if I can claim British Citizenship?

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

Step 1: Determine 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 Citizenship Assessment
Step 3: Order a free Status Trace
Step 4: Conduct a Citizenship Report

 

Click here for more general rules on British Citizenship.

The solutions that WhatPassport.com have discovered under this category, including the criteria and requirements for British Nationality by Birth in the UK, are:

 

BIRTH BEFORE 1983

British Citizenship by Birth (in UK before 1983): Applicant born in UK (including Northern Ireland) before 01.01.1983.

 

BIRTH AFTER 1983 TO EU PARENT

British Citizenship by Birth (1981-1-1c) EEA National Parent: Applicant born in UK (including Northern Ireland) after 01.01.1983 and before 02.10.2000 to an EU National. EU National must have been ordinarily resident and from "old" EU countries. Birth after 02.10.2000, EU parent must be "settled" or become "settled" after the birth. 

 

BIRTH AFTER 1983 TO "SETTLED" PARENT

British Citizenship by Birth (1981-1-1a)-British Parent: Applicant born in UK (including Northern Ireland) after 01.01.1983. to a parent was British Citizen at time of birth. 

British Citizenship by Birth (1981-1-1b)-Parent Resident: Applicant born in UK (including Northern Ireland) after 01.01.1983. to a parent who was "settled" in the UK at time of birth. This includes Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), Armed Forces Exemption, or Right of Abode. Applicant under 18.

 

BIRTH AFTER 1983 AND UNDER 18

British Citizenship by Birth (1981-1-3a)-Parent becomes Settled: Applicant born in UK (including Northern Ireland) after 01.01.1983. to a parent who is ordinarily resident. Applicant must be under 18. 

British Citizenship by Birth (1981-1-4) Child Residency: Applicant born in UK (including Northern Ireland) after 01.01.1983. to a parent who was "settled" in the UK at time of birth. This includes Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), Armed Forces Exemption, or Right of Abode. Applicant under 10. 

British Citizenship by Birth (1981-1-2) Abandoned: Child found abandoned and born after 01.01.1983. If parents are not found, the child is classified as British.


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

 


Key Terms

British Citizenship by Birth
Birth in the UK

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Ask Philip Gamble whether you (or your children) have a claim to British nationality.

ASK PHILIP GAMBLE NOW!
Learn more about these routes to British Nationality:

WhatPassport.com is a specialist UK Nationality and British Citizenship site offering an online search and assessment. Claims to hold a British Passport can be complex and the site offers a quick, simple search to give you the answers. While many people qualify for the UK Ancestry Visa based on holding a Commonwealth passport with a UK born grandmother or grandfather, we have found that if you have a grandparent born in the UK, or if your mother is British or your father is British, then there are several scenarios where you can claim British Nationality and the right to hold a British Passport. This stems from Britain’s collection of British Colonies, British Protectorates and British Protected States in the middle of last century and the Nationality rules concerning what are now the countries of the Commonwealth.

WhatPassport.com is a subsidiary of Sable International.

Sable International offers a range of services relating to UK and Australian immigration. For over 20 years, we have been helping people with their UK and Australian visa applications. We assist with applications for Ancestry visas, spouse visas, work visas, Tier 1 visas, UK working holiday visas, UK dependant visas, Tier 4 visas, UK Visitor visas, sponsorship visas or UK permanent residency or indefinite leave to remain. We also specialise in UK visa extensions. If you’ve overstayed your visa, our Overstayer Status Trace service can assist to regularise your visa status.