y2b4sure

Hi FB. I share the same view as MarylandNed. With 2yr and 3yr old US citizen kids born to UK citizen parents, I'm interested in this subject. Please explain your comment so I can be better informed, what are the "complications"?

Mummy in the foothills

This might help. http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=698791

fatbrit

UK passport authorities may refuse (and to the best of my knowledge have refused) to accept US birth certificate issued more than 3 months after birth as sole proof that the child in question was actually your child, and therefore a UK citizen. This is because of the way that the US handles the documentation of adoptions.

A few hundred bucks doesn't seem much to pay for additional peace of mind to me. Their first set of braces will assuredly cost you much more. And once registered, your child will always have access to a UK birth certificate through GRO.

MarylandNed

The issue is that the US issues a new birth certificate whenever a child is adopted. So the UK authorities MIGHT ask if the child was adopted IF the birth certificate was issued more than 3 months after the date of birth. I say "MIGHT" because their policy is that they only do this IF they have reason to suspect that the child's status is in doubt. Dangerous? Is someone going to die if they ask if someone was adopted?

By the way, I just recently used a US birth certificate issued 5 YEARS after my daughter was born to renew her UK passport. I had no problems whatsoever.

If people want to spend $277 on a consular birth certificate, that's up to them. It's a free country. However, as I wrote in a previous post, even the UK government states that it's not necessary.

fatbrit

People have posted to this very forum with this very issue. There is also, IIRC, an additional problem that there no appeal process if denied a passport outside the UK. Therefore, folks in such a situation can end up stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Stop being a cheapskate with your kids' futures.

Bob

Indeed, but you don't need the certificate, just get the registration done, can always get the certificate when/as needed.

Bob

Yes, but we're talking about registering, not the certificate and those countries are irrelevant, because they don't have issues with wonky birth certificates that the UK government might not accept.

Plus it's all about future proofing. One day when you're dead and chances are the kid loses the documents after a few moves etc, they might then not be able to get a copy of your birth certificate in the future and a registered birth helps in that regard.

Bob

You had no problems with a renewal, now.

The issue really is if there is a policy change in the future, or if the original passport is lost or stolen.

Very big difference there.

BritKat

Wow - I feel like I started something here

I will be getting the consular birth certificate for my daughter (and I don't believe it was even close to $277) for her future. I don't want her to ever have to prove she's entitled to British Citizenship.

Renewing a passport is expensive - and after a few renewals we'll be past $277 anyway. She has no need for an actual passport right now (so no renewal costs) - we live in the States and she travels on her American passport.

As someone else mentioned - who knows what the future holds - it may become mandatory to have the certificate before a passport can be issued. Nobody knows.

A couple of things said in this thread did peek my interest - something about registering but not getting a certificate? I thought it was one in the same... no?

BritKat

I will be getting the consular birth certificate for my daughter (and I don't believe it was even close to $277) for her future. I don't want her to ever have to prove she's entitled to British Citizenship.

And by "I will be getting" I mean if anyone at the Houston branch of the embassy ever answers the damn phone :-) Their website sucks!

MarylandNed

You have the cost of passports regardless of whether you get a consular birth cert. And, yes, it does cost $277. The fee is made up of $161 for registration (this does not include a copy of the certificate), $104 per copy of the certificate, and $12 postage. I think you might be able to get DNA testing to prove paternity for less!

You can't get it through Houston - you have to apply to Washington, DC.

http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk/en/help-fo...-registration/

Birth registration

Birth registrations are handled by our office in Washington.

Please read the notes before downloading the application form.

Note to British-born parents applying to register the birth of a child:

Although we welcome applications to register the birth of children born in the USA to British-born parents, you should be aware that this is not obligatory. A registration certificate is a useful document to help establish a child's British nationality, but it is perfectly acceptable to apply directly for a British passport, without first registering the birth. However, we recommend that British parent's, currently working in the USA on UK Government service should register their child's birth using the form on this website.

• Legitimisation: Domicile Questionnaire
Please contact the consular section in Washington for the above form if British nationality is coming through the male line; the child was born prior to 01 July 2006; and parents subsequently married after the child's birth.

Current fees

Consular Birth registration $161
Copy of Registration Certificate $104 (per copy)
Postage $12.00

Ozzidoc

Nope. This is not necessarily true. One doesn't necessarily need to obtain a UKPP for an AmBrit kid for many years, if ever.

BritKat

Exactly... I wouldn't get a passport for her until we needed to. Right now, it would be silly for her to have one as it wouldn't get used at all.

tonrob

Mrs tonrob and I are about to be in the same boat. The sproutlet won't need a British passport for years so no point getting that. If a registration can be done without getting a certificate then that seems an option.

If I understand this correctly then we could do nothing, and still apply for a UK passport in the future using her American birth certificate (making sure that gets issues a.s.a.p. right after the birth). What would mess things up for her is if she needs this later in life and can't find our birth certificates?

Additionally Mrs tonrob is German which I'm sure adds to the farting around and expense.

JAJ

Or if she can't find her own US birth certificate.

Right now, in the UK at least, you can get access to a parent's birth certificate, on application. But that could change - it is, for example, difficult or impossible to get a parent's birth certificate in most Australian states.

So it looks like your child will be a German citizen as well ... same principles apply, if possible try to have some extra documentation of German citizenship instead of (or in addition to) a passport.