Register the child as a British citizen born outside the UK

A child born outside the UK to British parents can apply for British citizenship in accordance with British Nationality Act 1981 Section 3(2) or Section 3(5).

An under-18 child can apply to register as a British citizen if the child was born outside the UK to parents who are British by descent and have lived in the UK or a qualifying British overseas territory.

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 born outside the UK
• Requirements for registering a child born abroad as a British citizen
• What documents are required to register a child as a British citizen?
• How to apply to register a child born outside the UK 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 registering a child born abroad as a British citizen

To be eligible to apply for registration as a British citizen, the child must satisfy the requirements under either section 3(2) or section 3(5).

This category applies to children who:

• were born outside the United Kingdom
• if born after 21 May 2002, were born outside the UK or a qualifying British
  Overseas Territory; and
• in either case, were born to parents who are British citizens by descent
• are between the ages 10-18, they must meet the good character requirement

Register child under section 3(2)

A child will qualify under this section if:

• they were born outside the UK
• either of the child's parents was a British citizen by descent at the time of the child's birth
• the mother or father of that parent (the child's grandparent) became, or but for their death would have become a British citizen otherwise than by descent, either:
  • on 1 January 1983
  • at the time of the parent's birth

The British citizen by descent parent must have lived in the UK (or, if the child was born on or after 21 May 2002, in a qualifying British overseas territory) for a continuous period of 3 years at any time before the child's birth. During that period they should not have absences exceeding 270 days. The application must be made whilst the child is under 18 years of age.

Register child under section 3(5)

To qualify under this section the child and their mother and father should have lived in the UK (or qualifying British Overseas Territory if born after 21 May 2002) for a 3-year period ending with the date the application is received. And the child and their parents should be physically present in the UK or the qualifying British Overseas Territory at the start of that period.

The child and their parents must not have been absent from the UK (or the British Overseas Territories if appropriate) for more than 270 days during the 3-year residential period. There is no discretion to disregard absences greater than 270 days.

If the parents' marriage or civil partnership has ended or they are legally separated then only the child and one parent has to satisfy the residence requirement.

Both parents must consent to the child being registered as a British citizen. If one of the parents has died then only the consent of the surviving parent is required.

A child registered under this section will be a British citizen otherwise than by descent, which means they can pass on citizenship to their own children.

Good character requirement for British citizenship

A child aged 10 or over must satisfy the good character requirement to succeed in his application for registration as a British citizen. The British Nationality Act 1981 does not define good character. However, the Home Office UKVI guidance sets out the types of conduct which must be taken into account when assessing whether a person has satisfied the requirement to be of good character. Consideration should be given by the Home Office caseworker to all aspects of a person's character, including both negative factors, for example, criminality, immigration law breaches and deception, and positive factors, for example, contributions a person has made to society.

What documents are required to register a child as a British citizen?

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:

• Biometric information for the applicant (including fingerprints and digital photographs)
• The reasons your child is being registered as a British citizen
• Passports and birth certificates for yourself and your applying child
• Your child's immigration history, including where outside the UK they were born

How to apply to register a child born outside the UK as a British citizen?

You can apply online to register a child under 18 as a British citizen by using the form MN1 if one of their parents is a British citizen or applying to become British.

Contact our UK immigration and nationality lawyer today to get legal advice about how to apply and the requirements of a British citizenship application.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)