British Citizenship by Birth

As a German citizen, your situation as a parent will determine whether your child born in the UK will qualify to acquire British citizenship by birth. Besides that, you and your child must meet certain eligibility criteria for British citizenship by birth. They include:

• Your child was born in the UK.
• You and your partner must approve the citizenship application.
• Your child must be at least 10 years old when applying.
• Your child is under 18 years old and since birth, either you or your partner became a British citizen or obtained settled status in the UK.
• You, your partner and the child must have lived in the UK for up to 3 years before applying.
• You and your child should not have stayed outside the UK for more than 270 days in the last 3 years before the application.
• Your child above the age of 10 must prove to be of good character.

Several situations can qualify applicants to acquire British citizenship by birth. Besides that, the criteria for obtaining UK citizenship by birth is complex. For this reason, you need to seek expert guidance from one of our immigration lawyers at Total Law to assess your child’s situation and know whether they qualify to obtain citizenship by birth. Call us today on 0333 305 9375 or message us online for immediate response.

Page Contents

• Eligibility for British Citizenship by Birth
• When to Apply for British Citizenship by Birth
• Fees for Applying for British Citizenship by Birth
• Application Process for British Citizenship by Birth
• Documents Required for British Citizenship by Birth Application
• British Citizenship for Children Under 18
• Exceptions to Applying for British Citizenship by Birth
• Applying for a British Passport after Citizenship
• How Can Total Law Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

As a German citizen, if your child (who is under 18 years old and born in the UK) is not automatically British by birth, you can apply to the Home Office to register your child as a British citizen. Your child will be allowed to register as a British citizen if:

• Your child was born in the UK before July 1, 2006, to a British or settled father who was not married to you.
• Your child was born in the UK and lived in the country until they turned at least 10 years old.
• Your child was born in the UK and you or your partner subsequently becomes a British citizen or obtains settled status before the child turns 18 years old.

Note that the Home Office has the veto power to register any child as a British citizen. As a German citizen, to know if this scenario applies to your child, you must seek legal advice from one of our immigration lawyers at Total Law.

German residents and their children born in the UK applying for British citizenship by birth must make some financial commitments. The fees you must pay include:

• £1,446 for British citizenship by birth application fee (for children under 18 years old).
• £130 for citizenship ceremony, if your child turns 18 during application.
• £19.20 biometric fee.

You may be required to pay additional fees depending on your circumstances. You can apply for a fee waiver if you can’t afford your child’s application fee.

To apply for British citizenship by birth German applicants must follow these steps below:

• Complete form MN1 to register your child under 18 years old for British citizenship.
• Fill out Form T for applicants born before 1983 and have lived in the UK until they turned at least 10 years old.
• Pay all required fees (depending on when the applicant was born).
• Fix and attend an appointment at the UKVCAS.

German applicants seeking to obtain British citizenship by birth must provide:

• Current or previous German international passport.
• Passport photographs.
• Birth or adoption certificate.
• Proof the German applicant is a British citizen by birth.
• Biometric residence permit.

Note that the exact documents that you must provide depend on your situation. All your documents must be in English or Welsh.

German applicants who were born in the UK and under 18 years old can register to become British citizens if one of their parents lived in the country and:

• Acquired leave to remain in the UK indefinitely.
• Became a British citizen.
• Obtained leave to enter the British empire indefinitely.
• Got permanent residence status.

If your child was born in the UK before January 1, 1983, they are automatically considered British citizens by the Home Office unless:

• Their father worked for a non-UK country as a diplomat.
• They were born in Channel Islands in World War 2 and their father was an enemy alien in occupation.

German citizens can apply for British passports after obtaining British citizenship and this is possible because both countries allow dual citizenship. Do the following to apply for a British passport:

• Complete the online application form either the one designed for adults or children.
• Pay the passport application fee of £94.50 and £61.50 for adults and children respectively.
• Gather and upload all required documents to support your application.

Once your passport application is processed, it will be sent by post to the address you provided.