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British citizenship for US born son?

British citizenship for US born son?

Old Jun 16th 2005, 4:22 pm
  #1  
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Default British citizenship for US born son?

Hi All,
I am attempting to ensure that my son is a British citizen in addition to being a US citizen( dual nationality). From what the British consulate website says they recommend getting a US passport as my son is automatically a UK citizen by descent of his father being a British national. Is my understanding correct? Should I just apply for a US passport and there would be no issues with hime gaining entry into the UK?
Here is the link I read;

http://www.britainusa.com/sections/a...6&L3=1&a=25317
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Old Jun 16th 2005, 4:26 pm
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Default Re: British citizenship for US born son?

Originally Posted by tomelina
Hi All,
I am attempting to ensure that my son is a British citizen in addition to being a US citizen( dual nationality). From what the British consulate website says they recommend getting a US passport as my son is automatically a UK citizen by descent of his father being a British national. Is my understanding correct? Should I just apply for a US passport and there would be no issues with hime gaining entry into the UK?
Here is the link I read;

http://www.britainusa.com/sections/a...6&L3=1&a=25317
Don't you still need to register him at t'embassy and apply for his own UK passport.
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Old Jun 16th 2005, 4:29 pm
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Default Re: British citizenship for US born son?

Originally Posted by tomelina
Hi All,
I am attempting to ensure that my son is a British citizen in addition to being a US citizen( dual nationality). From what the British consulate website says they recommend getting a US passport as my son is automatically a UK citizen by descent of his father being a British national. Is my understanding correct? Should I just apply for a US passport and there would be no issues with hime gaining entry into the UK?
Here is the link I read;

http://www.britainusa.com/sections/a...6&L3=1&a=25317
Your son is indeed an automatic dual national. You need to do three things - apply for a US passport, apply for a British passport, and register his birth with the UK Embassy in Washington D.C. The details for that are at britainusa.com so you're on the right track. You do not need to register his birth immediately, and you'll need to send off documents to D.C., so do that once you're done travelling for a bit. This is a good reminder, actually, I still need to do this for my nearly 4-year old daughter! Whoopsie! LOL

If you are travelling with your son and not your hubby, type up a letter that he will sign, and get it notarised, saying that he gives you permission to take your son travelling without his father. Have it on your person in case they suspect kidnapping. It can and does happen that they might suspect this.

I was always told that you should use the passport of the country you are travelling towards and have always done so, otherwise it might be construed that you're renouncing one of the nationalities by not using its passport when entering that country. It can confuse airline officials a bit, when they see that you used a different passport when travelling in one direction. Just have both passports on you, and explain he's a dual citizen, and they will have no problem with it.
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Old Jun 16th 2005, 4:39 pm
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Default Re: British citizenship for US born son?

Originally Posted by Maz
Your son is indeed an automatic dual national. You need to do three things - apply for a US passport, apply for a British passport, and register his birth with the UK Embassy in Washington D.C. The details for that are at britainusa.com so you're on the right track. You do not need to register his birth immediately, and you'll need to send off documents to D.C., so do that once you're done travelling for a bit. This is a good reminder, actually, I still need to do this for my nearly 4-year old daughter! Whoopsie! LOL

If you are travelling with your son and not your hubby, type up a letter that he will sign, and get it notarised, saying that he gives you permission to take your son travelling without his father. Have it on your person in case they suspect kidnapping. It can and does happen that they might suspect this.

I was always told that you should use the passport of the country you are travelling towards and have always done so, otherwise it might be construed that you're renouncing one of the nationalities by not using its passport when entering that country. It can confuse airline officials a bit, when they see that you used a different passport when travelling in one direction. Just have both passports on you, and explain he's a dual citizen, and they will have no problem with it.
Thanks, I am the father BTW, his mother is Finnish just to complicate things even more, and of course she also wants him to have a Finnish passport.
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Old Jun 16th 2005, 4:42 pm
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Default Re: British citizenship for US born son?

Originally Posted by Manc
Don't you still need to register him at t'embassy and apply for his own UK passport.
I guess so, I called the British consul this morning, you get a recorded message referring you to a ' premium rate' 900 number ran by an independent company. Cool Britannia, my arse as Mr. Royle might say.
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Old Jun 16th 2005, 4:47 pm
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Default Re: British citizenship for US born son?

Originally Posted by tomelina
I guess so, I called the British consul this morning, you get a recorded message referring you to a ' premium rate' 900 number ran by an independent company. Cool Britannia, my arse as Mr. Royle might say.

Don't waste your money.

Part one of the task is here: http://www.britainusa.com/sections/a...6&L3=1&a=25315
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Old Jun 16th 2005, 4:50 pm
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Default Re: British citizenship for US born son?

And part 2 here: http://www.britainusa.com/sections/a...6&L3=1&a=25299
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Old Jun 17th 2005, 3:20 pm
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Default Re: British citizenship for US born son?

Originally Posted by fatbrit
Don't waste your money.

Part one of the task is here: http://www.britainusa.com/sections/a...6&L3=1&a=25315
Does anyone know what is the advantage of registering the birth? We have the same situation and now have both US and UK passports for my daughter born in the US. I didn't register her and just applied directly for the UK passport which I got with no problem at all. Should I register her now or is it just a waste of money??
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Old Jun 17th 2005, 3:45 pm
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Default Re: British citizenship for US born son?

Originally Posted by sid_s
Does anyone know what is the advantage of registering the birth? We have the same situation and now have both US and UK passports for my daughter born in the US. I didn't register her and just applied directly for the UK passport which I got with no problem at all. Should I register her now or is it just a waste of money??

Presume it will result in a record @ http://www.gro.gov.uk/. Don't know whether just applying for a passport will do this. Also, no idea what the advantages of this are.
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Old Jun 17th 2005, 3:48 pm
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Default Re: British citizenship for US born son?

I wanted to know the benefits of registering a birth as well but no-one could come up with an answer when I asked some time ago.

I just know that it is not necessary to register the birth with the UK Embassy but that my son is entitled to both British and American passports, (lucky bugger - and not one brush with the USCIS for him)!!
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Old Jun 17th 2005, 8:33 pm
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Lightbulb Re: British citizenship for US born son?

Originally Posted by fatbrit
Presume it will result in a record @ http://www.gro.gov.uk/. Don't know whether just applying for a passport will do this. Also, no idea what the advantages of this are.
Maybe it means that if you register a birth at the British Embassy it will mean that there should be no delays in getting a National Insurance number (normally issued in the UK when the child turns 16) if in years to come the dual US/UK citizen decides to live and work in the UK or pay voluntary NI stamps?
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Old Jun 17th 2005, 9:01 pm
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Default Re: British citizenship for US born son?

Originally Posted by tomelina
Hi All,
I am attempting to ensure that my son is a British citizen in addition to being a US citizen( dual nationality). From what the British consulate website says they recommend getting a US passport as my son is automatically a UK citizen by descent of his father being a British national. Is my understanding correct? Should I just apply for a US passport and there would be no issues with hime gaining entry into the UK?
Here is the link I read;

http://www.britainusa.com/sections/a...6&L3=1&a=25317
Yes, the main thing is to get a US passport. The only way he will lose British citizenship is if he renounces it when he is over 18. All my kids have US passports and travel on those. Me and the wife have british passports so when we get to immigration we just go to which ever line is shortest!

I guess if you register the birth in the UK now it will probably save having to fill out some sort of paperwork later.
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Old Jun 18th 2005, 5:21 am
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Default Re: British citizenship for US born son?

We were told that the only advantage to registering the birth was that if at some time in the future (say after I'd popped my clogs) the kids needed to prove their right to british citizenship, then having registered the birth would make it easy, rather than having to dig thru looking for my birth certificate etc. and proving it all over again. But we were also told that taking out a British passport now and maintaining its validity, would also achieve the same thing. And lets face it, who lets their passports lapse these days...?

And last time I looked the fee's for registering the birth were more than double the fees for getting a passport - huh??

And don't get me started on that $2.10 a minute premium rate line!! If I pay that much at least I want the silly tart on the other end to tell me what color her knickers are!!! Oops, sorry, time for bed...
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Old Jun 19th 2005, 12:51 am
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Default Re: British citizenship for US born son?

Originally Posted by Maz
Your son is indeed an automatic dual national.
Incidentally it's not always automatic for the child of a British father to be a British citizen. The two most common exceptions are (assuming the child is not British from the mother are):

1. Father is not married to the mother; or
2. Father is British 'by descent'

In many cases it's possible to register the child as a British citizen in these cases, but there are time limits so it's important to act quickly. Never assume the child is British unless it has a consular birth cert and an individual British passport (or a Home Office Certificate of Registration).

There have also been cases where the father is a British subject and not a British citizen. British subject status is not transmissable.


You need to do three things - apply for a US passport, apply for a British passport, and register his birth with the UK Embassy in Washington D.C. The details for that are at britainusa.com so you're on the right track. You do not need to register his birth immediately, and you'll need to send off documents to D.C., so do that once you're done travelling for a bit. This is a good reminder, actually, I still need to do this for my nearly 4-year old daughter! Whoopsie! LOL
A consular birth certificate is well worth obtaining, as well as a British passport. It will save a lot of hassle later on.


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Old Jun 19th 2005, 12:59 am
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Default Re: British citizenship for US born son?

Originally Posted by lionheart
Thanks, I am the father BTW, his mother is Finnish just to complicate things even more, and of course she also wants him to have a Finnish passport.
Approach the Finnish authorities to have his birth registered with them, and to obtain his Finnish passport.

Finland has allowed dual citizenship without restrictions since 1 June 2003, so there is no problem with your son holding triple US/British/Finnish citizenship.

Bear in mind that:
- he will likely have to go through a process to retain his Finnish citizenship in early adulthood
- check whether there is a military service obligation in Finland, and whether non-resident Finnish citizens are liable.

Laws may change by the time either of these issues become relevant. For the time being you can look at:
http://www.uvi.fi/netcomm/content.asp?path=8,2477,2553

Your wife can naturalise as a US citizen while keeping Finnish citizenship, as you can keep your British citizenship.

Jeremy
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