United Kingdom - Passport & Nationality - British Passport by Birth

We look at three scenarios:

• Children under 18 born in the UK
• You are over 18 and born in the UK after 1982
• You were born in the UK before 1983

Children under 18 born in the UK*

A claim for a British Passport 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 a British Passport.

You are over 18 and born in the UK after 1982*

A claim to a British Passport 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 a British Passport.

You were born in the UK before 1983*

You would have a Standard claim to a British Passport 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 a British Passport?

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

 

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

 

BIRTH BEFORE 1983

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

 

BIRTH AFTER 1983 TO EU PARENT

British Passport 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 Passport 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 Passport 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 Passport 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 Passport 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 Passport 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 Passport Assessment.

Key Terms

British Passport by Birth
Birth in the UK