fatbrit

To add:

If you are applying to replace a passport that has been lost, stolen or damaged, additional information may be required. You may be asked to send us further documentation such as birth or marriage certificates.
Source: http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/apply-replacing-docs.asp

lofty79

OK, i see your point. I guess i will register her eventually - i just have more important things to deal with right now. And it's not like it needs doing in a certain timeframe (i guess they could increase the fees, a la USCIS)

It does seem strange that the British Embassy are almost trying to dissuade people from registering such births.

fatbrit

Bigger workload = less tea time.

Sioneva

UK fee raises for immigration/nationality enquiries are no joke...I don't know that they would raise the costs for citizen services quite as much as they do for immigrants but my husband and I scrambled to get my naturalisation application (UK) filed before the first of April last year because prices went up drastically.

By drastically, I mean that filing before 1 April I paid £266 (over $500). Current applicants must pay £655.

So just to warn you, the Home Office isn't afraid to raise fees and raise them a LOT! Something to bear in mind...! I don't know if they'd be likely to raise the fees that much for registering a child...but personally I wouldn't want to risk it.

-Heidi (returning to the board after a long absence, since my husband (Targaff) and I are having to do DCF thanks to a LOVELY US immigration official!)

Dan725

I'm inclined to agree with you Lofty. Our 17 month old daughter currently has her US passport (which we got her when she was tiny, about 3-4 months old) - and she already looks completely different to the picture. I see little sense in having to replace both US and UK passports sooner than normal (I think the rules for the US one for babies are they have to have a new one at 5 years, rather than 10 - I imagine the UK is similar).

We'll get her a UK one at some point. When we do, I'm intending to make photocopies of the thing - might not be the same as a consular birth certificate, but surely they keep passport records on file?

Sioneva

[QUOTE=Dan725;5753146]I'm inclined to agree with you Lofty. Our 17 month old daughter currently has her US passport (which we got her when she was tiny, about 3-4 months old) - and she already looks completely different to the picture. I see little sense in having to replace both US and UK passports sooner than normal (I think the rules for the US one for babies are they have to have a new one at 5 years, rather than 10 - I imagine the UK is similar).QUOTE]

Yes, the UK child passport is valid for 5 years.

The UK passport website said that you can register for a child's passport during a visit back to the UK - it probably costs more to make an appointment with a passport office but you could, I assume, get same-day service and have it all taken care of fairly quickly. I don't know if a registration of a birth abroad would be necessary for that or not.

Not doing it in person would mean sending in original passports for the British citizen parent (possibly the other parent as well) along with an original birth certificate. The Home Office is a bit nuts and requires originals of everything, which they then send back to you at their leisure (in theory quickly)

JAJ

Passport records are kept but are not as accessible as consular birth records.

Why not get the birth certificate for now and leave a British passport until later, if you don't want to get both right now.

The advantage of the consular birth certificate is that you will then be 100% sure your child is British and isn't one of the small minority who fall foul of some of the exceptions in the law. It also means your child will never have problems proving citizenship later on if passport is lost.