Children (under 18) born in the UK can apply online to register as British citizens if they have lived in the UK for at least the first 10 years of their life.
Contact our British citizenship lawyer now on 0161 989 9370 to get legal advice about how to apply to register the child as a British citizen.
Related Topics
- Register the Child as a British Citizen After 10 Years
- Requirements for registration of a child as a British citizen
- Documents required for child's British citizenship application
- Documents to meet residency requirements
- How to apply to register a child as a British citizen?
- UK citizenship processing time after biometrics
- How much does it cost to apply for British citizenship?
- Need help with the British citizenship application?
- Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Requirements for registration of a child as a British citizen
A child can apply for registration as a British citizen who was born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983 and has lived in the UK up to the age of 10.
To be eligible to apply for registration as a British citizen, the child must meet the eligibility requirements of the British Nationality Act 1981, section 1(4).
Children are entitled to registration as British citizens under section 1(4) of the British Nationality Act 1981 if:
- they are under 18
- they were born in the UK
- they were not a British citizen at birth as at the time of birth neither parent was a British citizen nor settled in the UK
- they are aged 10 years or over on the date of the application
- they have lived in the UK for the first 10 years of their life
- they have not been outside of the UK for more than 90 days in each of the first 10 years of their life
- they must satisfy the requirement of good character
You must also meet all the other eligibility requirements depending on type of application and your personal circumstances. Please contact us for an initial assessment to determine your eligibility, and to discuss the options.
Documents required for child's British citizenship application
The applicants will need to provide several documents in the support of their British citizenship application depending on their personal circumstances.
Children must provide the following documents when they apply for registration as British citizens:
- Child's full birth certificate to confirm that they were born in the UK and parent details
- Child’s current valid passport (if available)
- Evidence of residence to cover the first 10 years of the child's life
This is a general list of documents. Depending on type of application and your personal circumstances, you might also need to provide additional documents.
Please contact us for an initial assessment to determine your eligibility, and find out the required list of documents in support of your application.
Documents to meet residency requirements
You can provide several types of evidence of residence to meet the residency requirements. You can provide:
- child's passport or travel document
- child's medical records
- child's vaccination records
- letters from the child's doctor(s)
- personal child health record (red book)
- letters from the child’s nursery
- letters from the child’s school confirming attendance
How to apply to register a child as a British citizen?
You can either apply online or by post for British citizenship if you are meeting the eligibility requirements according to the British Nationality Act 1981, section 1(4).
Contact our UK immigration and nationality lawyer today to get legal advice about how to apply and the requirements of a British citizenship application.
UK citizenship processing time after biometrics
You should get a decision on your British citizenship application within 3-6 months. However, Some UK citizenship applications may take longer than 6 months depending on the complexity of the matter.
Time starts once you've applied for British citizenship and attended your biometric appointment.
How much does it cost to apply for British citizenship?
- £1,330 is the fee for British citizenship by Naturalisation application.
- £1,012 is the fee to register a child under 18 as a British citizen.
Here are some common other costs associated with applying for British citizenship:
- £19.20 Biometrics fee
- £50 Life in the UK test fee (unless you are exempt)
- £150 approx. English language test fee (unless you are exempt)
- Immigration lawyer fees (if using legal services to boost your chances of success & avoid mistakes)
The above is a general list of costs associated with British citizenship applications. There may be additional costs such translation fee depending on your circumstances.
Please note that these fees are subject to change, and you should always check the most up-to-date information on the UK government's official website before applying for a visa.
Immigration lawyer fees
Our expert UK citizenship & nationality lawyer will guide you through every step of the British citizenship application process including advice about legal requirements and eligibility criteria.
At Rex Law Chambers, our UK nationality lawyer charges a fixed fee between £800-£1000 for our complete legal services in relation to your citizenship application. The agreed fixed fee will depend on the complexity of the matter and the casework involved in the matter.
Need help with the British citizenship application?
If you need legal advice or help with your British citizenship application, our lawyer can provide legal assistance.
Our citizenship lawyer will assess your eligibility and personal circumstances to determine if you can apply for British citizenship and meet the requirements.
British citizenship lawyer at Rex Law Chambers will:
- advise you about eligibility criteria and the requirement;
- provide you with a comprehensive checklist of supporting documents;
- fill in and submit your British citizenship application;
- check all the supporting documents;
- upload all the supporting documents online in their correct format and order;
- schedule your biometrics appointments;
- prepare a cover letter or letter of representation to support your application.
- dealing and responding to any enquiries or correspondence from the Home Office;
- do all the follow-up work on your British citizenship application until a decision is received from the Home Office UKVI.
Contact our experienced UK citizenship & nationality lawyer on 0161 989 9370 or fill in our enquiry form to get reliable & confidential legal advice and assistance with your British citizenship application.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Residency requirement, good character requirement, English language test and Life in the UK test are the 4 key requirements to apply for British citizenship.
You must meet all other eligibility requirements depending on your personal circumstances and type of British citizenship application.
You can become a British citizen after living at least 3 years in the UK as a spouse of a British citizen. You must meet all the eligibility requirements of the British Nationality Act 1981 to apply for UK citizenship through marriage.
Yes, the UK does allow dual citizenship with other countries which means you can be a British citizen and also a citizen of other countries at the same time.