If you want to get British citizenship for your child, you can apply to ‘register’ them as British citizens. Registering is a way of applying for British citizenship for children.

Your child needs British citizenship before they can get a UK passport.

If your child is over 18 years old, they’ll need to apply as an adult – check citizenship eligibility for adults.

If your child is under 18, it’s important to check if applying for citizenship is the right thing for them. It can cost over £1,300 and you won’t get your money back if your application is refused or your child is already British.

British Citizensship Fee Waiver

You can apply for a ‘fee waiver. If you get a fee waiver, you will not have to pay the fee.

To apply for a fee waiver, you have to show you don’t have enough income and savings to pay for both the fee and essential costs like food and rent. You’ll need to send documents showing your income and spending for the last 6 months, for example, your:

• pay slips
• bank statements for all your accounts
• tenancy agreement
• utility bills

If social services give you money to help you look after your child, you’ll automatically get a fee waiver – you’ll need to send documents to prove this.

Check if your child is already a British citizen

Your child might have British citizenship automatically if they were born in the UK or they have a British parent.

You can check how the Home Office decide if someone is automatically a British citizen on GOV.UK.

If your child is already a British citizen, you don’t need to apply for citizenship for them. You can just apply for your child’s first passport on GOV.UK.

If you’re pregnant or planning to have a child

If you have permission to live in the UK permanently when your child is born, they’ll get British citizenship automatically. You’ll need to prove you have:

• British or Irish citizenship
• settled status from the EU Settlement Scheme
• indefinite leave to remain
• right of abode
• permanent residence – if your child was born before 1 July 2021

If you get settled status after your child is born, they will still be a British citizen if both of the following apply:

• you were eligible for settled status on 30 June 2021
• they are born after 30 June 2021

Check if you can apply for citizenship for your child

If your child isn’t already a British citizen, you might be able to apply for citizenship for them. It depends on where they were born and your immigration status.

If you’re also applying for citizenship yourself, you can apply for your child at the same time. You’ll need to fill in a different form for them.

If your child is over 10 years old, they must be ‘of good character’. Your child will usually be of good character unless they’ve got a criminal conviction.

If your child was born in the UK

You can apply to register your child for British citizenship if:

• you got permission to live in the UK permanently 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

How our immigration advisers can help

Our immigration advisers have experience assisting with all types of nationality matters. Whether you are looking to apply for registration by entitlement or discretion, our barristers can guide you through the complexities of British nationality law.

We pride ourselves on being approachable and proactive in understanding and meeting our client’s needs. We are a highly driven team, dedicated to providing clear and reliable immigration and nationality advice as part of a professional and friendly service.