Winegirl

My husband is British and I am American. We currently live in the US and recently had a baby girl. We don't know what to do to make sure she has British citizenship. There's no Embassy close to where we live in the US. It is important to us that she has British citizenship.

I'm sorry if thead on this topic. I tried to search for one but didn't find it.

Elvira

I wonder where you searched...

http://www.britainusa.com/

Sue

Hi and welcome to the site.

You should find all the info you need here.

Regards

Sue

Norm71

When we had our daughter. We got her American Cert and sent that, copies of our birth certs (to prove one or both of us were born in Engalnd), off to the British Embassy in London. I am not sure if at the same time we applied for her British passport as well but I know we got both. For you guys I would assume, you would send in a copy of your marriage cert as well as your hubbys cert. It didn't take too long to get them back, however the fees can be quite steep.

Maz

Citizenship by descent... wouldn't she already be a UK citizen? When I had my daughter in the US (hubby is USC, I'm UK/US dual now, born in the UK), I just applied for her passport. Got it back a month later, no worries.

Elvira

I assume you mean the British Embassy in Washington DC

Both Sue and I have already posted the link...

Elvira

It is wise to also apply for a British birth certificate, not just the passport.

JAJ

A British birth certificate is also strongly recommended, to avoid your child having hassles proving her British citizenship in future.

bromleygirl

I would agree and say you should get her British birth certificate as well. It's important to have it documented in case you ever decide to relocate back to the UK.

I had to send in my birth cert and passport along with my then husband's birth cert and our marriage cert in order to obtain both my children's birth certificates.

Norm71

Sorry, yes the one in Washington. This move has me having some major brain freezes..lol..

Winegirl

Thanks everyone! This has been very helpful.

Patrick Hasler

When our little girl was born we contacted the British Embassy in DC, we were told she is by birth alone accepted as a British citizen and didn't need to hold a UK passport or records but if we were really concerned we could register her birth with an office in the UK within 5 years.

JAJ

The problem is that if you don't register her birth, she has no proof of citizenship, and it could be a real hassle for her to prove it later on.

A consular birth certificate is lifetime proof of British citizenship. Incidentally, if U.S. born, she's British "by descent" and not by birth.

No 5 year limit to register the birth either. You can arrange it through:


Nationality & Consular Registration Section
Consular Directorate
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Old Admiralty Building, London SW1A 2PA.

tel: +44 (0)20 7008 1500