British citizenship by descent

British citizenship by descent is normally automatically passed down by one generation to children born outside of the UK. So, if you were born outside of the UK but one of your parent’s was a British citizen at the time of your birth then you may automatically acquire British citizenship by descent.

Your parent can automatically pass on their citizenship if they were either born or adopted in the UK, obtained citizenship after applying for it in their own right, or was working as a Crown servant at the time of your Birth. You will not qualify for automatic citizenship by descent if your British parent obtained their own citizenship by descent.

Whether you are an automatic citizen by descent also varies depending on when you were born and your parents immigration status at the time. If you were born outside the UK on or after 1st July 2006 then you will automatically have citizenship by descent as long as either one of your parents was a British citizen otherwise than by descent at the time of your birth.

If you were born outside of the UK between 1983 and June 2006 then you are also an automatic citizen by descent if your mother or father was a British citizen otherwise than by descent at the time of your birth, however they must have been married at the time if your father has British citizenship but your mother didn’t.

If you were born outside the UK before 1983 then you will only be an automatic citizen by descent if your father was British and was also a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies, married to your mother and able to pass on his citizenship to you.

If you do not have automatic citizenship by descent and you are eligible to register instead then you can do so by completing the online application form available on the gov.uk website. The form that you will need to complete will vary depending on when you were born and the way that you are eligible. You can also apply by post, however the processing time for postal application is significantly longer than online applications.

As well as completing the application form you will need to attend an appointment at UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point to have your biometric information taken, this is your photograph and fingerprints.

When making your application you will be required to submit a number of supporting documents to prove that you meet the requirements for citizenship by descent. You can submit your documents by either uploading copies into the online service or by having them scanned at your UKVCAS appointment.

Applicants who are over the age of 18 will also be required to attend a British citizenship ceremony if their application is successful. There is an additional £80 fee for this.

Although British citizenship by descent is usually obtained by citizenship being passed down one generation by a parent, in some cases people may be eligible for British citizenship based on having a British grandparent, this is known as British citizenship by double descent.

Like with citizenship by descent, your eligibility for citizenship by double descent depends on when you were born as well as several other factors.

If you were born after 1 January 1983 – you could be eligible for citizenship by double descent if either:

• You had a UK born grandfather who was in the Crown Service at the time of your parents birth
• You or a parent were born in a former British colony
• Your parent had a British-born mother and not a British born father and and was registered as a British citizen between February 2nd and December 31st, 1982.

If you were before 1 January 1983 – there are some cases which have allowed individuals to claim British citizenship by descent (or double descent) in the past:

• You/your parent was born in a former British territory (excluding main Commonwealth countries of 1949);
• You/your parent was registered as a British citizen;
• Your parent was in Crown service when you were born;
• Your parents married before 1949, and your father’s father was born in the UK;
• Your mother’s father was born in the UK and you were born outside the EEA.

If you were born before 1949 – you may be able to claim British citizenship by descent from a grandparent under certain circumstances. The most common types of claim happen in the following circumstances:

• You and your parent were not in a Commonwealth country (must be born before 1915)
• You or your parent were born in a former British territory
• Your grandparent or parent was married to a British man before 1949