United Kingdom - Passport & Nationality - British Citizenship by Triple Descent (48-5(1)a)

This British nationality solution relies on a UK-born great grandfather. Solutions rarely pass even two generations, so this is one of only a handful of such potential registrations that occur by Triple Descent, where nationality can be passed down three generations. It arises in this rare set of circumstances:

• Candidate born between 1 January 1949 and 31 December 1982;
• Candidate born after the independence of a parent's country of birth;
• A parent born in a former British Protectorate, Protected State, UK Mandated State or Trust Territory, including those countries where the British Crown exercised Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (or ETJ);
• The parent's father born outside of the UK;
• The parent's paternal grandfather born in the UK; AND
• The candidate having the Right of Abode.

The Right of Abode typically comes from a UK-born grandparent. It can also be gained by woman if they were married to a British husband before 1983.

Where the claim comes down the paternal line (i.e. through the father's birth in one of these territories), then the candidate should already be British. If the claim comes down the maternal line (i.e. the mother's side of the family), or it involves an illegitimate birth, then the candidate must register as a British citizen first.