If your child is under 18 years old and not automatically a British citizen, you may be able to apply for them to become one through Registration. (The adult equivalent is Naturalisation.)
Once registered, you can apply for their first British passport.
First — check whether your child is already a British citizen
Before applying, check on GOV.UK whether your child is automatically a British citizen (opens in new tab).
A child can already be British if they were born in the UK or have a British parent. They also become British automatically if they are born after you obtain permanent leave such as:
- British or Irish citizenship
- Settled status from the EU Settlement Scheme
- Indefinite Leave to Remain
- Right of Abode
- Permanent Residence (only if your child was born before 1 July 2021)
If your child is not automatically British
Whether you can apply for Registration depends on where your child was born and your immigration status at the time.
1. Born in the UK
You can apply to register your child if:
- You obtained permission to live in the UK permanently (see list above) after your child was born
- Your child’s father was British or settled in the UK when your child was born
- You joined the UK armed forces after your child was born
- Your child lived in the UK until they were 10 years old
2. Born outside the UK
If your child was born outside the UK, at least one parent must be a British Citizen for them to apply for Registration.
If neither parent is British, your child can still apply alongside a parent who is applying for Naturalisation — Registration must be filed before or at the same time.
3. If your child is over 10
They must be ‘of good character’ — no criminal convictions.
Book a consultation
Each Registration application turns on the specific facts of the child’s birth, the parents’ immigration status and timing. Book a 10-minute call and we’ll outline the exact route for your situation.