Walvis Bay (now part of Namibia)
Listen to our RECENT WEBINAR where our two British nationality experts - Philip Gamble and Mishal Patel - discuss a family birth in South West Africa and its implications for claims to British nationality in the modern day.
You could be eligible for British citizenship if you were:
- Born to a parent (a father or mother) who was born in the UK before 1983.
- Born before 1983 to a parent who was born after 1949 – as long as that parent a) was a British Citizen, or b) had a parent born in the UK.
- Born after 1948, and your parents were married before 1949 and your paternal grandfather (your dad’s dad) was born in the UK.
There are hundreds of other ways to qualify. As a general rule, if you were born in a country that is different to either parent or any of your grandparents, or you have a connection back to the UK, Ireland or a former British Territory, then you might have a claim.
Expert UK immigration and nationality advice
We are the world’s leading experts in UK immigration and nationality. For over 22 years, we have been helping thousands of people navigate the complex path to British citizenship.
Some claims to British nationality are relatively straightforward and can be completed quickly if you meet the above requirements. Other claims can be extremely complex and can only be determined by researching old nationality laws.
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To find out whether you or your children might have a claim, take a couple of moments to complete our FREE online passport assessment.
STATUS OF WALVIS BAY (now part of Namibia)
From 1878 until 13.12.1948, Walvis Bay was within the British Crown Dominions.
Between 01.01.1949 and 30.05.1962, it was part of the independent Commonwealth country.
From 31.05.1962 until 28.02.1994 it was considered a foreign country (as part of South Africa).
From 01.03.1994 until the present day, it is part of Namibia.