jruk

Hello

I have two children born in the US, both parents are UK citizens. Whats the easiest way to get my kids UK citizenship (dual)?. We live in California but will be in the UK for a week next month so I was wondering if I could register them when we are there?

fatbrit

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Britis...en_Born_Abroad

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Britis...h_Registration

ian-mstm

Chances are your children already are dual US/UK citizens. Just apply for UK passports for them.

Ian

fatbrit

Issue is more complicated than that. If you're just going to do one thing, I'd suggest you actually do a Consular Registration of Birth because it's the only permanent documentation.

MarylandNed

If that's true, how do foreign born Brits without consular birth registration manage to obtain UK passports?

MarylandNed

Make sure you have the LONG FORM birth certificates that includes details of the parents. Also make sure you have copies of your own birth certificate (or your spouse's). These will be needed to apply for UK passports for the kids. Holding a UK passport is the most widely accepted proof of UK citizenship.

Consular birth registration is often encouraged by posters on this forum but you don't need to do it - even the UK govt states that. If you are interested in this option, you can find more details here:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-...tering-a-birth

But note the following:

"This is not a UK birth certificate and should not be used as one. It should not take the place of the locally issued birth certificate.

Consular birth registrations do not confer British nationality and are not required to register your child as a British citizen or to apply for a British passport as British nationality is passed from parent to child. Your child will need to have an automatic claim to British nationality in order to register their birth.

There is no requirement for a consular birth registration to be done for any birth that has occurred overseas. The original birth certificate issued by the authorities in the country in which the birth took place, along with a notarised translation if necessary, is sufficient for all purposes in the UK (including passport applications)."

fatbrit

Oh FFS, Maryland Ned. As I've told you before, there's no safety in numbers with your money saving strategy.

jruk, if you want to read these inane discussions we have every time this topic comes up, peruse http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=745606

If you ignore the bickering, all the arguments are in there.

MarylandNed

You said:

"I'd suggest you actually do a Consular Registration of Birth because it's the only permanent documentation."

I'm not talking about money saving. I'm taking issue with the fact that your statement above is not true. I know you're an advocate for consular birth registration and I understand why - but don't promote it with inaccurate information. Many foreign born Brits can prove their UK citizenship without the need for consular birth registration (including people born in countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland where consular birth registration isn't even available.)

fatbrit

But not for those British citizens born in the USA. The British authorities may refuse to accept as evidence of paternity any US birth certificate issued more than 3 months after the birth. Hence, the onus would be on you and your offspring to preserve the documentation for their whole lifetime -- say three score and ten. A consular registration will remove this need.

Similarly, a passport expires. Those who have not kept their passport current (as those of us who are dual citizens are apt to do) may be required to make a first time application and prove paternity.

It is therefore not misleading to state consular registration is the only form of permanently documenting British citizenship for those born in the USA. Document it using this method and your child is British for life and does not require you or them to preserve or renew anything.

ian-mstm

With any luck, a moderator will simply muzzle the both of you on this issue.

Ian

materialcontroller

How difficult is it to keep hold of a birth certificate or passport?

fatbrit

No idea! Do you have all your original documents?

fatbrit

Keeping hold of a UK passport is not enough. The British authorities are currently requiring those with the old blue passport to make a first-time application instead of simply renewing their passport.

materialcontroller

I still have the long-form birth certificate and both my current and expired passports. I'll admit that my short birth certificate appears to be mislaid.

I would hope that most people renew passports when they run out. To all intents and purposes, an expired passport only has sentimental value.

fatbrit

Precisely. Preserving documents for a lifetime is difficult.

You're not a UK/US dual citizen living in the US. But these children are certainly the former and may be the latter. In such circumstances, a UK passport is superfluous since you need a US passport to get home (US citizens must enter on a US passport) but not to visit the UK. I travel regularly and have just renewed my UK passport.....which expired over 4 years ago.