A person may become a British citizen in several ways. Children can acquire British citizenship automatically at birth, depending on where they are born and their parents' citizenship or immigration status. If not a British Citizen by birth, children can become British citizens through registration. Adults aged over 18 can normally apply for British citizenship through naturalisation. 

Even though children mainly use registration to become British citizens, some adults are also eligible to register as British citizens.

Citizenship through discretion 

Children can apply for British citizenship through a number of routes. Under British nationality law, certain routes grant them the right to apply for and be registered as British citizens. These are called entitlements for children. 

On other routes, it depends on the Home Secretary’s decision whether to grant citizenship to a child. On such routes, registration applications must demonstrate that the child fulfils existing criteria that the Home Secretary (UK) has already agreed should allow children to be registered as British. Or, in other cases, they should demonstrate that, due to the compelling nature of the child’s circumstances, it would be right for the Home Secretary (UK) exceptionally to allow a child to be registered as a British citizen. These are at the discretion of the Home Secretary.

If you are a parent applying for British citizenship at the same time as your child, you should consider whether the child may be found to be eligible for registration when your own application is refused. The application form invites you to confirm that, if your own application is refused, the child should still be registered as a British citizen. If you do not complete the relevant section, the child’s application will be treated as having been withdrawn at the point when your application is refused. You will get no refund.

Who qualifies for registration? 

Children who have no automatic acquisition of British citizenship need to be registered. This includes some children born in the United Kingdom to EEA and Swiss nationals. Other children are required to be registered as British. Children must be under 18 when the registration application is made. Once a child reaches the age of 18, they must apply for British citizenship as adults. They can apply either by registration if they have an entitlement, or by naturalisation. The date of application is the date the Home Office or the receiving authority receives it. Children aged 10 or over must show they are of good character.

Entitlement to registration as a British citizen

The British Nationality Act 1981 has some ‘entitlement’ provisions. These provisions make a person entitled to be registered if they meet all the requirements.

Entitlement to registration as a British citizen depends on where and when the child was born and the status of their parents.

Let us see all situations where a child has the entitlement to be registered as a British citizen.

1. Children born in the UK

If a child is born in the UK, they can have entitlement to be registered in the following situations.

If parents of a child born in the UK are not British citizens and were not settled in the UK, the child will have an entitlement to register when one of their parents obtains settlement in the UK or becomes a British citizen.

If parents of a child born in the UK on or after 13 January 2010 are not British citizens and were not settled in the UK, the child will have an entitlement to register if either parent of that child becomes a member of the UK armed forces.

Under section 1(4), an application can be made if a child lives in the UK for the first 10 years of their life.

A child born in the UK who is currently and has always been stateless may also qualify based on the 5 years' residence.

2. Children born abroad to British parents under Section 3 (2) of the British Nationality Act 1981

A child will qualify under Section 3 (2) of the British Nationality Act 1981

 if: 

• they were born outside the UK 

• At least one of the child’s parents was a British citizen by descent (a British citizen who inherited citizenship from a British parent while being born outside the UK and usually cannot automatically pass British citizenship to children born outside the UK) when the child was born  

• the father or mother of that parent (the grandparent of the child) became, or but for their death would have become, a British citizen otherwise than by descent (a British citizen who can normally pass British citizenship automatically to children born outside the UK), either: 

• On 1 January 1983 

• At the time of the birth of the parent

The parent who is a British citizen by descent must have lived in the UK (or, if the child was born in a qualifying British overseas territory on or after 21 May 2002) for 3 years continuously at any time before the child’s birth. During that period, they should not have absences from the UK for more than 270 days. One must apply while the child is under 18. 

The 3-year residence requirement does not apply to the parent if the child is stateless.

Please note that a child who is registered under this section will be a British citizen by descent, and they will be unable to pass British citizenship automatically by descent to any of their children born outside the UK.

3. Children born abroad to British parents under Section 3 (5) of the British Nationality Act 1981

To qualify under Section 3 (5) of the British Nationality Act 1981, the child and their father and mother should have lived in the UK (or a qualifying British Overseas Territory such as Anguilla, Bermuda, or British Virgin Islands if born after 21 May 2002) for a 3-year period that ended with the application receipt date. And at the start of that period, the child and their parents should be physically present in the UK or the qualifying British Overseas Territory. 

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 period. No discretion is available to disregard absences for more than 270 days. If the marriage or civil partnership of the parents has ended or they are legally separated, then only the child and the child’s one parent have to fulfil the residence requirement.

Consent from both parents is mandatory for the child to be registered as a British citizen. If a child’s one parent has died, then only the surviving parent’s consent is required. A child registered under this section will become a British citizen otherwise than by descent. This means they will be able to pass on citizenship to their own children.

4. Children born abroad to a parent serving as a member of the UK armed forces - Section 4D of the British Nationality Act 1981 application

A child will qualify under this section if: 

• They were born on or after 13 January 2010 

• They were born outside the UK and the qualifying British overseas territories 

• at the time of their birth, one of their parents was a member of the UK armed forces and was serving overseas, and the qualifying British overseas territories 

• Consent comes from both parents for the child to be registered as a British citizen. If a child’s one parent has died, then only the surviving parent’s consent is required.

5. Children whose parents were not married

Children born prior to 1 July 2006 could only acquire British citizenship through their mothers if their parents were not married. They could not benefit from the British citizenship of their father unless their parents married at a later date. 

If a child is born to a British citizen father on or after 1 July 2006, they may acquire British citizenship from him even if the parents were not married to each other, and will become a British citizen from birth automatically if satisfactory evidence of paternity is provided. The only exception to this condition is if the child’s mother was married to someone else at the time of the birth.

Registration of children at the discretion of the Home Secretary

In some situations, children will normally be registered by the Home Secretary. Such situations include children whose parent or grandfather is/was in designated or European Community institution service, children adopted abroad by British citizen parents, children born to a parent who had renounced and subsequently resumed British citizenship, children applying in line with parents, children with settlement and residence, children who have lived in the UK for more than 10 year, and any other child born to British or non-British parents.

1. Children whose parent or grandfather is or was in a designated or European Community institution service

In some instances, the parent or grandfather of a child is or was in service which became a European Community institution or designated service after the child’s birth, and because of this, the child did not acquire citizenship automatically, whereas any child born after the designation or admission of the service would. In view of this, the child would normally be registered if either: 

• The child was born prior to the date of designation/admission 

• Parent of the child became (or would, but for their death, have become) a British citizen otherwise than by descent on the designation date as a result of the grandfather’s service 

• Parent of the child is a British citizen by descent and was in designated service when the application was made, and in the same service at the time of the birth, and 

• The normal conditions relating to consent and good character are met.

2. Children adopted abroad by British citizen parents

Applications for registration of children adopted under specified conditions (for example, the child was adopted under the terms of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions) will be considered at the Home Secretary’s discretion if:

• At least one of the adoptive parents of the child is a British citizen otherwise than by descent 

• If necessary, both adoptive parents of the child have signified their consent to the registration 

• No reason to refuse on character grounds, is there 

• The Home Secretary is satisfied that adoptive parents have adhered to all relevant adoption laws, including the laws of the country in which the adoption has taken place, the child’s country of origin, and the country where the adoptive parents are habitually resident 

• The Home Secretary is satisfied that the adoption has not been done as part of a convenience arrangement to facilitate the child’s admission to the United Kingdom.

3. Children born to a parent who had renounced British citizenship but later resumed their status as a British citizen 

Children will come within this category if: 

• Their father or mother has renounced and subsequently resumed British citizenship 

• The parent who had renounced British citizenship became a British citizen otherwise than by descent on resumption 

• They were born before the date of resumption 

• Both of their parents give their consent to registration (unless good reasons are given).

4. Children who are applying in line with their parents 

A child will come within this category if: 

• their one parent is already a British citizen or is about to become one through registration or naturalisation 

• their other parent (if involved in their life) is a British citizen or settled (has indefinite leave to remain) in the UK  

• they have been resident in the UK for the last 2 years - (where the child is under the age of 2, the Home Secretary can accept a shorter residence period, taking into account the child’s age) 

• They are settled in the UK 

• both parents give their consent to registration (unless good reasons are given) 

• There are no reasons to refuse the application on character grounds.

5. Children with settlement status and residence 

Children will fall within this category if: 

• they have lived in the UK lawfully for more than 5 years 

• they have received settled status in the UK, and held that status for 12 or more months 

• their parents have lived for 5 years and are settled in the UK 

• both parents give their consent to the child’s registration (unless good reasons are given) 

• There are no reasons to refuse the application on character grounds.

6. Children born and have lived in the UK for more than 10 years 

Children will fall within this category if: 

• They are born in the UK’

• They are have lived in the UK for 10 years

• There are no reasons to refuse the application on character grounds.

7. Any other child/children born to British or non-British parents 

In considering any application not specifically covered above, the Home Secretary will look at all of the following: 

• the connection of the child with the UK – the child is expected to be free of any restrictions on their stay in the UK 

• where the future of the child is likely to lie 

• the views of parents 

• the nationality and immigration status of parents – it is expected that either both parents are British citizens or one parent is a British citizen and the other parent is settled in the UK 

• whether the child is of good character 

• the length of time the child has lived in the UK – at least 2 years residence is expected (particularly if the child is over 13) 

• any compelling circumstances

Good character Requirement

Any person aged 10 or over must be of good character to become a British citizen, whether through registration or naturalisation. 

This means the children to be registered must observe UK laws and show respect for the rights and freedoms of its citizens. Checks will be carried out on children aged 10 years and over to ensure that they meet this requirement.

The Home Office looks at several factors. The common ones include: 

• Criminal convictions in the UK or overseas.

• Immigration history

• Dishonesty and deception, such as providing false information in applications.

• Financial conduct, such as any bankruptcy issues or unpaid taxes.

• Other conduct, such as involvement in terrorism or extremist activities, war crimes or international crimes, and behaviour that indicates a disregard for UK laws or public standards.

In most cases, the parent applies to register the child as a British citizen on the child's behalf using Form MN1. Checks will be carried out to ensure that the information provided by you is correct. If you have not been honest about the information you provided, and the child has been granted citizenship based on the fraudulent or incorrect information, they will be liable to have their British citizenship taken away (known as deprivation), and you may be prosecuted. Making a false declaration knowing that it is untrue is a criminal offence.

Using Referees

2 referees must endorse your application. 

One out of the referees can be of any nationality, but must be a professional person. For example, a minister of religion, a civil servant, or a member of a professional body such as an accountant or a solicitor (but not a person who is representing you with this application). 

The other referee must hold a British citizen passport and either be a person over the age of 25 or a professional person. 

Each referee endorsing your application must have known you for at least 3 years. 

Each referee must not be related to you, related to the other referee, your agent or solicitor representing you with this application, and employed by the Home Office.

For child applicants, at least one referee must be someone who has dealt with the child in a professional role, such as a doctor, teacher, health visitor, or social worker. Where a child cannot provide such a referee and has provided documents to show that they have attempted to do so, two referees meeting the criteria for referees on adult applications can be accepted.

A referee having been convicted of an imprisonable offence during the last 10 years will usually not be accepted as a referee.

Enrolment of Biometrics 

All applicants are required to submit their biometric information for their identity verification. 

Their biometrics provided for previous immigration applications may be reused. 

Children under 18 applying to be registered as British citizens must also provide their biometric details. However, children under the age of 5 are not required to provide fingerprints, but must have their facial digital photograph taken.  But the regulation does not prevent fingerprints from being recorded from children aged less than 5 years. A parent or legal guardian must accompany children under 16 at their biometric enrolment appointment. 

If a person does not enrol their biometrics when requested, their application may be rejected as invalid.

Fees and time taken for processing applications 

From 8 April 2026, the fee for Nationality registration as a British citizen – child is
£1,000 (reduced from £1,214). 

It usually takes 6 months from the date on which the Home Office receives your application. But some applications may take longer. The Home Office will contact you if they expect that it will take longer than 6 months to decide your application. 

You should not contact the Home Office within this period.

Documents Required

You must provide evidence of identity for a child born abroad to British citizen parents, for a child adopted abroad by British parents, and for children living in the UK.

Evidence of identity includes either a passport or travel document of the child, a birth certificate of the child, showing the parents’ names, a driving licence,  or a bank, building society, or credit card statement issued to them in the last 6 months.

1. Documents for a child born abroad to British citizen parents 

You should provide the following: 

• birth certificate of the child showing their parents’ names 

• Marriage certificate of parents (if the parents are married and the father is a British citizen) 

• birth certificate or passport of the British parent 

• birth certificate, registration/naturalisation certificate or passport of the British grandparent’

• marriage certificate of the grandparents 

• Evidence of residence 

• that the British parent lived in the UK for 3 years at some time before the child was born  

• evidence that the child and both parents have lived in the UK for a period of 3 years immediately prior to the date of application.

2. Documents for a child adopted abroad by British parents 

You need to provide all of the following: 

• Birth certificate of the child, or if the child has been abandoned, an abandonment certificate from the authorities previously responsible for the child 

• Evidence of the relevant adoptive parent’s claim to British citizenship otherwise than by descent 

• The adoptive parent(s)’ consent to the registration 

• The Adoption Order 

• A contemporary report coming from the overseas equivalent of the Social Services 

• Department which details: 

• The child’s parentage and history, the degree of contact with the original parent(s), the reasons for adoption, and the date, reasons, and arrangements for the Entry of the child into an institution or foster placement, and how, when, and why the child came to be offered to the adoptive parent(s). 

• Evidence of the country of habitual residence of the parents

and either: 

o Where the child’s parents are habitually resident in the UK, confirmation from the DfE (Department for Education) (for those parents in England and Wales), from the Scottish Executive (for parents in Scotland) or from the Department of Health Social Security and Public Safety – Northern Ireland (for those parents resident in Northern Ireland) that they have been assessed and approved as eligible to become an adoptive parent 

o Where the child’s parents are not habitually resident in the UK, confirmation from the equivalent of the Social Services Department in their country of residence that they have complied with all relevant adoption laws.

3. Documents for children living in the UK 

You need to provide the following: 

• Full birth certificate of the child 

• Passport of the child’s entry to the United Kingdom, and any subsequent passports

• Marriage or civil partnership certificate of the parents 

• If one of the parents disagrees with registration as a British citizen, a letter explaining their reasons should be provided

• If a guardian is making the application, evidence of their right to do so should be provided, such as a deed, will, or court order. 

Only include those children who are not already British.

Citizenship Ceremonies

Children reaching the age of 18 by the time their application to be registered as British citizens is decided will be invited to attend a ceremony. They will be asked to swear/affirm an oath of allegiance to His Majesty the King and to pledge their loyalty to the United Kingdom at the ceremony. 

Following this activity, they will be presented with their certificate of registration as British citizens.

A child who cannot speak enough English to understand what will be said is expected to bring someone with them to interpret.

How can Visa and Migration help?

We can help your child to be registered as British, depending on your and your child’s circumstances. The registration process is quite complex and requires full expertise. Our solicitors have years of experience in dealing with registering children as British citizens.

We can help you with:

• Assessing eligibility

• Collecting supporting documents

• Completing the application form

• Checking and ensuring the good character requirement

• Submitting the application

Our assistance can be particularly useful where the child was born abroad, the parents are separated, there are questions about parental responsibility, the child has long absences from the UK, or the application relies on the Home Secretary’s discretion.

For expert advice and queries related to registering children as British citizens, you can call us at +44 (0)20 3411 1261 or write to info@visaandmigration.com