United Kingdom - Passport & Nationality - British Citizenship by Registration - Resumption Section 13

An application can be made to Register as a British Citizen in the modern day where a person held (but later renounced) British nationality or any one of the previous statuses of British nationality.

If this renunciation took place before 01.01.1983 (at the time when the main British Nationality status was Citizen of the UK & Colonies, known as a CUKC), then Section 10(2) applies. If the renunciation of British Nationality took place after 01.01.1983, then Section 13 of the British Nationality Act 1981 will apply (at the time when the main British Nationality status became British Citizen.

For renunciations that took place before 01.01.1983, the registration is a discretionary decision (made by the Secretary of State) if:

• the candidate has an appropriate connection with the UK; OR
• the candidate has been married to a person who has (or would have had if they were still alive) a connection to the UK.

The "appropriate connection to the UK" is taken as:

• born in the UK;
• Naturalised in the UK; OR
• was registered as a citizen of the UK and Colonies in the UK or a country mentioned in section 1(3) of the 1948 Act.

In practice, the applicant should demonstrate that they had a reasonable belief that the renunciation was a result of being deprived of citizenship of another Commonwealth country.

For renunciations that took place after 01.01.1983, the applicant does not need to demonstrate an appropriate connection with the UK.