JAJ

As far as I understand, Spain does not force dual Spanish/other nationals to go to the embassy of the other country and get a certificate proving loss of the foreign citizenship. That is effectively the only way British citizenship can be lost.

In other words, a person who is a dual Spanish/other citizen may keep the foreign nationality at age 18. There might be penalties for carrying a foreign passport or exercising the rights of a foreign citizenship - but there is no obligation on a British citizen to carry a British passport, especially if he or she has another passport allowing entry to the UK.

HBG

There was a recent case of a woman born in Canada to a British immigrant family. At the age of six months she returned to the UK with her parents and stayed there, eventually acquiring a Canadian passport.

In her sixties and retired from a civil service job in the UK, the woman went on holiday to Canada.

When she returned to the UK, she was allowed to enter, but was told she would have to leave after six months.

JAJ

If she is a British citizen, then that's not true and she does not need to leave ... but she should get a British passport to prove her British citizenship.

IF she isn't a British citizen - which she may not be if her father was born outside Britain - then she has a problem and could be one of the many long time illegal migrants who were "waved through" as tourists many years ago and never obtained permanent resident status. Although as a Canadian citizen, if she arrived in the UK before mid-1962 she would have been exempted from immigration control, she would need to prove that to get her immigration stamp. If her mother was born in Britain but her father was not, then as a Canadian she would have Right of Abode, but needs the stamp to prove it.

agoreira

This is more or less agreeing with what you have said, that if she doesn't have a British passport or birth certificate then she has been treated correctly. But it seems easy to remedy.
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question...7030342AAWi6dM

JAJ

The answer in that article isn't quite right ... it doesn't mention that she has Right of Abode (better to have than ILR) and also, doesn't mention the most recent changes to UKM registration for British citizenship that removed the 1961 cut-off date for eligibility.

However the principle is a very strong one ... always make sure you have the right immigration/citizenship status and the papers to prove it.

Mataroni

Why didn't you get him a Spanish one in the first place if he was born here?
I'm British and my hisband is Spanish and we automatically got my daughter a Spanish passport. Personally I can see no advantages in having one over the other apart from the Spanish one was easier to get. Being in the EU it doesn't make much difference. If your husband still had his South American nationality then that would be different.

SaritaBarcelona

There's the rub Mataroni, because neither of us were Spanish when he was born we couldn't get him a Spanish passport. Your husband is Spanish so no problem for you. Many people that being born here automatically confers Spanish nationality, but it doesn't.

JulianWard

Spain will only allow a person to have dual nationality if they are from the former colonies. Otherwise it is not allowed by the Spanish. The UK are OK with dual nationality..

I understand that people taking Spanish nationality swear the oath of allegiance and denounce their previous nationality. But afterwards "forget" that have done it. The secret then is never to carry both passports when in Spain.

I recently took up Irish nationality (free after one is 65) so I am dual UK/ Irish now. UK and Ireland have no objection.

At 165 euros I will not be renewing my UK passport Jose !

blondy123

If your son is under 18 years of age, your husband can pass on the spanish nationality without the loss of the British one. Since he is under age he doesn't have to take any oath of any kind, but if living in Spain, he will be considered a Spanish national only.