Dave J

I was born and grew up in the UK, and moved to the US about 30 years ago. I have both UK and US passports. I have 2 kids 12 and 17, both born in the US and with US passports (my wife is American). My understanding is that the kids are each British by descent, but I have not hitherto applied for UK passports/citizenship. I am in the process of applying for the 17 year old as he turns 18 in about a month. Looking at the HMG site, I am confused by passport vs citizenship options. The former says that an Adult is 16 and up (so my son is an adult for passport purposes) and the passport costs about 100 pounds or so. Citizenship applications say that I can apply on behalf of my son until he is 18, plus they cost closer to 1000 pounds. The passport is clearly a simpler/ cheaper option, and whatever advantage we would have had for his being a child has passed because he is an adult in the eyes of the passport office. He has no immediate plans to move to the UK, but would like to keep his options open. Do any doors close if we do not submit for citizenship before he turns 18? Is this something he can do for himself after he is 18 if he so chooses? Thanks for any help- I had not previously differentiated between passport eligibility/application and that for citizenship.

TravellerMan

Your children are either British citizens, or not. If they are then they can apply for a UK passport.

If you were British at time of your birth, you being born in the UK would mean they are British by descent.

HKG3

Are you married to the children's mother when they were born?

Dave J

Yes I agree. My post was more whether I needed to rush to file citizenship and spend 1000 before my son turns 18, or whether I could just apply for a passport at some time in the future without losing him any possible benefits further down the line from not having got UK citizenship while he was still a minor (and I mean benefits in the broadest sense, not necessarily $$).

Dave J

Yes, was then and still am

TravellerMan

Irrelevant.

From what you've said it seems your son is British by descent. If already a citizen, there's no need to apply or register for citizenship.

On a different point and irrelevant to the OPs case, the other poster asked if you were married at the time of your sons birth (or since). I believe the rules changed in April this year, and it's now possible for those with an unmarried British father to gain citizenship via them (although I think registration might be required for that).

colchar

Your kids are British by descent so there is no need to apply for anything other than the passport.

I have British citizenship by descent as well. I lived there as a child, but didn't have a passport (I believe that, back then, kids were simply included on the parents' passport). I didn't apply for my British passport until I was in my early 30s and, when I did, I simply applied for the passport and not citizenship (because I was a citizen, just like your kids). When the passport arrived it listed my place of birth as Toronto, Canada and my citizenship as 'British'.

HKG3

Just a note on your children (British Citizen by descent) - they cannot pass on British Citizenship to their children (i.e. your grandchildren) automatically.

BritInParis

As your children are already British citizens you only need to apply for their passports.

https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

You may wish to consider consular birth registration if you want a more permanent record of their British citizenship.

British Consular Birth Registration : British Expat Wiki