United Kingdom - Passport & Nationality - British Citizenship by Double Descent (Romein Wedlock)

Legislation was passed in 2002 to address the gender discrimination in the old British nationality law. However, elements of gender discrimination still existed and the law did not go far enough. A recent Supreme Court Judgement in the UK has made it clear that it is unlawful for the UK Government to impose a requirement from the past on new applicants for citizenship where it was not lawfully possible for that requirement to be met at the time.

That's the theory, anyway. In practical terms (though there are circumstances where these won't apply), this should benefit those in the following situation:

 a) born in a foreign country (which includes South Africa from 31 May 1962, the United States and most European countries);

 b) born between 1 January 1949 and 31 December 1982;

 c) your maternal grandfather (i.e. your mother's father) was not born in the UK or Northern Ireland.; AND

 d) your paternal grandfather (i.e. your father's father) was born in the UK or Northern Ireland.

The final - and key - requirement is that your father must not have had the ability to register you as a British citizen. This would have occured if your parents were not married at the time of your birth.