Registration of a Child as a British Citizen

What is Registration of a Child as a British Citizen?

Registration is the only way that a child under the age of 18 can become a British citizen if they are not automatically a British citizen by birth. Registration is also available for adults, in certain circumstances.

Unlike applications to naturalise, to be registered as a British citizen it is not necessary to demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the English Language and Life in the UK. However, any applicant aged 10 years or over will still be subject to the good character requirement.

Is my child eligible?

To be eligible to register as a British citizen, a child would need to demonstrate:

• they were born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983;
• they are not automatically a British citizen by birth;
• their mother and/or father became British citizens or settled in the UK before their 18th birthday; and
• the application for registration is made before the child’s 18th birthday.

or

• they were born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983;
• they are not automatically a British citizen by birth;
• on or after 13 January 2010 their mother and/or father became a member of the armed forces before the child’s 18th birthday; and
• the application for registration is made before the child’s 18th birthday.

or

• they were born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983;
• they are not automatically a British citizen by birth;
• they were absent from the UK for no more than 90 days in each of the first ten years of their life; and
• they applied for registration after their 10th birthday (note that this provision is not restricted to children. Qualifying applicants of any age may apply).

or

• they were born outside the UK on or after 1 January 1983;
• at the time of their birth one of their parents was a British citizen by descent and that parent’s father or mother was a British citizen otherwise than by descent;
• at any time prior to the child’s birth that parent had been in the UK for a consecutive period of at least three years;
• during that three-year period that parent had not been absent from the UK for more than 270 days; and
• the application for registration is made before the child’s 18th birthday.

or

• they were born outside the UK on or after 1 January 1983;
• at the time of their birth one of their parents was a British citizen by descent;
• the child and both parents were in the UK on the day three years before the application is made, during the intervening three year period neither the child nor the parents have been absent from the UK for more than 270 days;
• both parents consent to the registration; and
• the application for registration is made before the child’s 18th birthday.

Discretionary applications

If none of the above requirements are met, it is possible for the child to apply to register as a British citizen on a discretionary basis. Our team has vast experience in advising clients on discretionary applications if needed.

For more information about us and our British Citizenship and Naturalisation services, please contact a member of the team who can answer any questions and guide you through the process.