sir_eccles

The main benefit is that by registering the birth, they essentially get a British birth certificate. This is a permanent record or their citizenship which can be ordered at any future time from the GRO.

Passports need to be kept current, expired passports are not good proof of citizenship.

I always consider what if say in 20 years time my son wants to move to the UK and I'm not around. Can he find all of my associated paperwork to prove his British citizenship? Easier just to order his birth certificate from the GRO. Job done.

andrewlohnes

Well I'm just going on my own experience seems I went through all that a year ago but for a US passport. But hey, what do I know!

Bob

Difference is, US aren't going to care about a US birth cert that's been ordered recently, but the UK might, if the US birth cert isn't issued within 3 months of birth.

It's not always going to be a problem, but it can be, due to adoption issues and altered birth certs. It all depends on how your state issues the birth certs. If the UK has issue with it, how easy will it be to get hospital records to show the parents of the kid were the ones involved in the birth...

As to the other issue of providing proof of citizenship from scratch if a UK passport is lost can be a hassle, getting parents birth certs, marriage certs and passport details. If you've got a registered Brit cert, it's job done applying to the GRO for another copy.

BritInParis

The real world benefit is that in twenty years' time when he or she wants to travel around or study in Europe on their British passport then they can just apply for a passport with their consular birth certificate and a photocopy of their US passport rather than trying to hunt down all your documentation. If the consular birth certificate is mislaid in the meantime then it's less than £10 to order a replacement.

MarylandNed

Right but I'd wait until she is 16 years old and can get a 10 year UK passport.

MarylandNed

Just to clarify. I think you're talking about getting a birth cert from the GRO in the UK (which is available sometime in the calendar year following the year of consular birth registration). Replacing an actual consular birth cert is a different process and almost certainly costs more than £10.

BritInParis

Both certificates - whether issued by the GRO or FCO - are certified copies of the original register. If you want a copy directly from the FCO at the time of registration then it's £65. If you order a copy from the GRO after September of the following year then it is £9.25.

I'm not aware of any official procedure to order a replacement certificate directly from the FCO if you manage to lose it before the GRO receives the register but, if possible, this would presumably also be £65.