British Expat & US born child
#1
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Joined: Aug 2012
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British Expat & US born child
Hello,
I am a UK citizen living in the United States with my husband, who is a US citizen, and our baby boy. My son was born in the US and is now 2 months old. We plan on going back to England for Christmas this year, and need to know how to travel with my son, specifically what kind of passport he needs. Should we get him a US or UK passport, or both? If he has a US passport, and I have my UK passport, will we be separated in the airport when we arrive in London, or can I take him with me through the UK citizens line? Same when we return to the US?
I am a UK citizen living in the United States with my husband, who is a US citizen, and our baby boy. My son was born in the US and is now 2 months old. We plan on going back to England for Christmas this year, and need to know how to travel with my son, specifically what kind of passport he needs. Should we get him a US or UK passport, or both? If he has a US passport, and I have my UK passport, will we be separated in the airport when we arrive in London, or can I take him with me through the UK citizens line? Same when we return to the US?
#2
Re: British Expat & US born child
He needs a US passport as legally US Citizens must leave and arrive in the US using a US Passport. It is certainly advisable to also have a UK passport to ease entry into the UK, but is not strictly necessary. He certainly won't be separated from you at the airport with or without a UK passport!
#3
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Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Kentucky
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Re: British Expat & US born child
He must, at least, have a US passport... as US law compels him to enter the US with a US passport. It won't matter if he uses a US passport to enter the UK... as the UK doesn't have a similar law. Start now to get him the passport, as it will likely take 8-10 weeks or more and Christmas will be here before you know it.
Ian
Ian
#4
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Joined: Mar 2008
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Posts: 4,913
Re: British Expat & US born child
As others have already said, he definitely needs to get a US passport.
Getting a UK passport at this stage is not strictly necessary.
You certainly won't be separated from him going through customs and immigration in the UK.
Also remember that, assuming that you were able to pass UK citizenship by descent to your child (which I assume must be the case) then he is already a UK citizen regardless of whether or not he has a UK passport. The passport just makes it easier to prove that he is.
Getting a UK passport at this stage is not strictly necessary.
You certainly won't be separated from him going through customs and immigration in the UK.
Also remember that, assuming that you were able to pass UK citizenship by descent to your child (which I assume must be the case) then he is already a UK citizen regardless of whether or not he has a UK passport. The passport just makes it easier to prove that he is.
#5
Re: British Expat & US born child
Hello,
I am a UK citizen living in the United States with my husband, who is a US citizen, and our baby boy. My son was born in the US and is now 2 months old. We plan on going back to England for Christmas this year, and need to know how to travel with my son, specifically what kind of passport he needs. Should we get him a US or UK passport, or both? If he has a US passport, and I have my UK passport, will we be separated in the airport when we arrive in London, or can I take him with me through the UK citizens line? Same when we return to the US?
I am a UK citizen living in the United States with my husband, who is a US citizen, and our baby boy. My son was born in the US and is now 2 months old. We plan on going back to England for Christmas this year, and need to know how to travel with my son, specifically what kind of passport he needs. Should we get him a US or UK passport, or both? If he has a US passport, and I have my UK passport, will we be separated in the airport when we arrive in London, or can I take him with me through the UK citizens line? Same when we return to the US?
However, you should consider as a very minimum registering the birth with the UK consulate so as not to cause your child issues later in life.
#6
Re: British Expat & US born child
To add, on top of registering the birth, but getting the UK passport while you're in the UK, it is a shed load cheaper....and you don't need to bother getting the certified birth cert when you register the birth as you can get that in a subsequent trip to the UK next year for a tenner from the GRO.
#7
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Joined: Aug 2011
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 98
Re: British Expat & US born child
To add, on top of registering the birth, but getting the UK passport while you're in the UK, it is a shed load cheaper....and you don't need to bother getting the certified birth cert when you register the birth as you can get that in a subsequent trip to the UK next year for a tenner from the GRO.
CWT
#8
Re: British Expat & US born child
What does registering a birth do? I ask because to register a birth is $173 and to apply for passport is $133 (plus $33 for delivery). So in my mind, it seems cheaper to just apply for the passport and be done with it rather than registering and then still applying for the passport? Am I missing something?
CWT
CWT
#9
Re: British Expat & US born child
The registration lasts for ever; the passport does not. Additional proof may be required for renewing a passport beyond simply the expired passport, or the passport may be lost. For British children born in the US, there is an additional complication that the UK authorities may not accept copies of US birth certificates issued more than 6 months after the date of birth.
They might not have a issue with them, but they do on occasion, lot depends on how the state issues them. If they do have a issue with them, you then have to find proof that you're the birth parent, so medical insurance or hospital records will be needed. Major pain years down the line.
#10
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Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Bay Area CA
Posts: 17
Re: British Expat & US born child
I applied for my daughters passport a few days before her 18th, I just sent in her us birth certificate, two photo id's, copies of mine and my wife's passport, they asked for two additional references for my daughter. I received the passport within two weeks.
#11
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 1
Re: British Expat & US born child
We asked the lawyers at my husbands work the same question. They advised that we should get a US passport for ease of travel but we could also apply for a UK passport without the child losing its US citizenship. Once our baby is born we will do exactly that. Hope that helps a little.
#12
Re: British Expat & US born child
They'll make you all stand in the visitors line when you enter the UK. We travelled 3 UK passports, 1 baby on a US passport. The nice man said to stand in the much shorter EU line. The woman looking at the passports moaned like hell and said we had to use the visitors line from now on as she asked two month old mini mini Weeze various questions about her stay. We've applied for her British passport to use to enter the UK next time.