Can I get British citizenship through my child?

24 Nov 2022, 08 mins ago

Unlike in other countries, British nationality law does not enable you to acquire British citizenship through your child.

The British Nationality Act 1981 is the key piece of legislation governing the ways in which you can be British.

Under the Act, it is possible for you to acquire British citizenship through the ascending line, for example through a British parent or grandparent, but not through the descending line, i.e. through your child.

Where you do not have a British parent and/or grandparent, you are likely to only obtain British citizenship via the process of naturalisation. To qualify for naturalisation, you must first obtain indefinite leave to remain in the UK, which in most cases, requires you to have lived in the UK continuously for at least 5 years.  

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The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please do not hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.

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