choops

Hi all,

Been 3 years since ive been on the forum here as have been living happily in San Diego for 3 years now!

So..my wife and I have had a little yankee! He's now two weeks old and we are applying for the US passport.

Question we have is as he has dual nationality, is it worth us applying for UK passport also? We will be going home at Christmas to show him off to all the family and wondered if he arrived in Heathrow on a UK passport and not the US passport, he would be able to use those super fancy time saving machines for fast track entry.

Any one know anything about this?

Where do we start to apply for a passport for him?

Thanks

AmerLisa

Since you live in the US and he's a US citizen, he has to travel on a US passport.

Congratulations, btw!

md95065

He has to have a US passport to leave and enter the US and they are already applying for one.

The question was whether it is worth trying to get a UK passport for him as well ...

Bob

Google, it'll be the first link probably...though if you're going to the UK, you can do it there, it'll be quicker and cheaper.

Though as mentioned, will need a US passport, so there's no real point in bothering unless you have plans to move back to the UK.

bewildering

I looked into getting a Irish passport for my little one - I'm a dual Irish/British citizen, and the Irish passports are cheaper Also in San Diego BTW.

I came to the conclusion that it was pointless at that age. The passport only lasts 3 years and it is not cheap.

choops

Thanks!

choops

San Diego...best place on earth! How long you been here?

I guessed that the pp would probably be a short lifespan, us only 5 yrs, but just thinking of those lines at heathrow! My wife and I both have the microchip and can use the fast track lanes....

sir_eccles

UK Passport, I wouldn't bother until he was 16.

I would strongly recommend consular registration though as that will make it easier to get the passport later. Whether you get the actual certificate is up to you.

AmerLisa

I answered the question.

Weeze

Traveling with our newborn on her USA passport was a pain. They wanted us all to wait in the non-uk/EU line and wanted her to answer security questions about the purpose of her trip. She was 2 months old. Much easier entering the UK on her british passport.

MsElui

i second the 'consular birth cert thing'. will make getting a passport later MUCH easier.


fwiw - my daughter has a brit and us passport and shes 5. i just renewed the brit one but MUST get on and renew the US ONE soon.

MarylandNed

If you just register with the British Embassy in Washington DC and don't get the consular birth cert (which is a bit pricey), you can get a much cheaper birth cert from the GRO in the UK from about April of the calendar year following the year of registration.

Also be aware that consular birth registration is currently being moved to a central processing center in the UK. It looks like you can still register US births with Washington but I know that registration of births in other countries (e.g. France, Germany, etc) have recently been moved to the UK (from June 9th, 2014).

bewildering

Good point. My wife is American so we wouldn't save any time by getting the child a passport.

bewildering

Why is this the case? Just curious. I would have thought that my child's birth certificate and my birth certificate (and my passport) would be enough to get a passport at a later stage? Am I missing something?

bewildering

I've been here 10 years now. Whooosh, time flies. At least my surfing is better