British Citizenship by Birth
There are a number of circumstances in which you might be entitled to British citizenship by birth. This mainly depends on the nationality and immigration status of your parents. If you have Egyptian citizenship, you may still be eligible for British citizenship by birth.
However, changes to the UK’s citizenship laws mean that the process of applying for British citizenship can be confusing. As such, many Egyptians choose to seek legal assistance in order to make their application as smooth as possible. Contact Total Law today on +44 (0)333 305 9375 or contact us online, to learn more about how our immigration experts can help you with your own application.
Overview: British Citizenship by Birth
If you are an Egyptian citizen, you may still be eligible for British citizenship by birth. This will largely depend on the immigration status of your parents at the time of your birth, the year in which you were born, and whether you spent the first 10 years of your life living in the UK.
You may also be eligible for British citizenship by descent, even if you were not born in the UK.
As both Egypt and the UK allow dual citizenship, you will not need to relinquish your Egyptian citizenship in order to become a citizen of the UK.
Once you obtain British citizenship, you will also be eligible to apply for a British passport.
Page Contents
- Overview: British Citizenship by Birth
- British Citizenship By Birth Eligibility Criteria
- The Application Process For British Citizenship By Birth
- Which Documents Will I Need?
- How Much Will The Application Cost?
- Processing Time For British Citizenship By Birth
- Obtaining A British Passport
- How Can Total Law Help?
- Frequently Asked Questions
British Citizenship By Birth Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for British citizenship by birth depend on a range of factors. The criteria for the different routes will be outlined in this section.
Born in the UK
If you were born in the UK, the criteria are as follows:
If you lived in the UK until you were at least 10 years old, you are likely to automatically be a British citizen if your parents are British citizens or if they had ‘settled’ status at the time of your birth, meaning that they had permanent residence in the UK. Your parents had settled status at the point of your birth if any of the following applied to them:
- They had indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK
- They had settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, a scheme which was introduced in response to Brexit
- They had permanent residence status in the UK
- They had right of abode in the UK
If any of the above applies to you and your parents but you were not automatically registered as a British citizen when you were born, you can still apply for British citizenship.
Whilst the above summary gives a general overview, the exact rules will differ based on when exactly you were born:
If you were born between 31st December 1982 and 1st July 2006
If you were born during this period, you will automatically be a British citizen by birth in the following circumstances:
- Your mother either had British citizenship or had settled in the UK
- Your father was married to your mother and either had British citizenship or had settled in the UK
If neither of these apply, you can still register for British citizenship if:
- Your parents neither had British citizenship nor had settled in the UK but you lived in the UK for the first 10 years of your life and did not spent more than 90 days out of the UK in each of those individual 10 years
- Your father was not married to your mother but either had British citizenship or had settled in the UK, and you lived in the UK for the first 10 years of your life and did not spent more than 90 days out of the UK in each of those individual 10 years
If you were born on 1st July 2006 or later
In this case, you are automatically a British citizen by birth if either of your parents had British citizenship or had settled in the UK at the time of your birth.
Although it would not have automatically been granted, you can still register for British citizenship if you lived in the UK for the first 10 years of your life and did not leave for more than 90 days each year but your parents were neither British citizens nor settled in the UK.
Born outside the UK
If you were born outside the UK, you will likely not have been granted British citizenship automatically when you were born. However, British citizenship by descent may still be an option for you, for example if:
- You were born on or after 30th April 2006 and had at least one British parent at the time of your birth
- You were born between 1st January 1983 and 30th June 2006 and had at least one British parent at the time of your birth. However, if your father had British citizenship and your mother did not, your parents must have been married at the time of your birth in order for this rule to apply
- You were born before 1st January 1983 to a father who was a citizen of the United Kingdom of colonies when you were born, and who was married to your mother.
The Application Process For British Citizenship By Birth
If you were not assigned British citizenship automatically at birth and need to apply, you can do so using the following steps.
Firstly, you will need to apply either online on the UK government website or by post. If you apply online, you will submit your application form and the other necessary documents to the online portal. If you apply by post, you will instead need to send your application to UK Visas and Immigration.
You will also need to make an appointment with a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services service point, where you will give your biometric information (your photo and fingerprints).
Your application will then be considered. If it is successful, you will be granted British citizenship, and you will then be able to apply for a British passport.
If you are successfully granted British citizenship and you are over 18, you will also need to attend a citizenship ceremony within 90 days of receiving your citizenship decision. At this ceremony, you will need to pledge loyalty to the king and to the UK more generally.
Which Documents Will I Need?
The exact documents which you need will depend on the specific circumstances of your birth. However, you will generally need to submit a combination of the following documents:
- Application form
- You birth certificate/ your child’s birth certificate (as applicable)
- Evidence of the nationality/immigration status of your parent(s) at the time of your birth
- Evidence that you/your child spent the first 10 years of your/their life in the UK (as applicable). This could include nursery records, school records, medical records, etc. Note that the evidence which you provide must cover the full 10 year period after you or your child were born
- Your passport/ your child’s passport (as applicable), and any previous passports which you might have held
- 2 referees (if applicable). One should be a professional person (e.g. civil servant, minister of religion, member of a professional body) of any nationality, and the other should be a British citizen with a British passport who is either a professional person or over 25 years of age. Both referees should have known you for at least 3 years, and should not be related to either you or the other referee, and should not be either your legal representative or employed by the Home Office
- Evidence of ‘good character’ (i.e. proof that you have lived according to UK laws whilst residing in the UK)
How Much Will The Application Cost?
Applying for British citizenship by birth can be an expensive process. If you are under 18 when you apply, the cost of the application will be £1,214 . If you are over 18, you will need to pay £1,605 . This includes a £130 fee for the citizenship ceremony which you will be required to attend upon successfully obtaining British citizenship.
Note that it is sometimes possible to receive a fee waiver if you are under 18 and are otherwise unable to afford the application fee.
Processing Time For British Citizenship By Birth
The processing time for a British citizenship by birth application is usually around 6 months. However, this can vary based on level of busyness, for example how many other applications are being processed at the same time.
You can also minimise the length of your application by ensuring that you submit all necessary documents correctly and on time. Your application is likely to be delayed if it contains incorrect or insufficient information.
Obtaining A British Passport
Having a British passport brings numerous advantages, including visa-free travel to a wide variety of countries. It can also be used as proof of British citizenship and of your identity.
Once you have obtained British citizenship, you will be eligible for a British passport. You can apply for this online at the government website or by post. If you choose to apply by post, you can get the application form from your local post office.
Waiting times for a British passport are 3 weeks from the point at which your documents are received. However, it may take longer for your application to be processed if you do not submit all of the required information or if you are asked to attend an interview.
Whilst there are also faster routes to getting a UK passport, these are only options if you are not applying for your first adult UK passport. You can consider these faster options when you are renewing your passport in the future.
If you are an adult when you apply for your passport, it will be valid for 10 years. You will then need to apply for a new passport.
How Can Total Law Help?
Egypt and the UK are two countries with strong ties and with a shared history. As such, there are a number of Egyptian citizens residing in the UK, and many Egyptian citizens who are eligible for British citizenship by birth. What is more, there are numerous routes through which they might be eligible.
If you were not granted British citizenship automatically when you were born but believe that you are entitled to British citizenship, the process of working out your eligibility can be complex and confusing. If you would like to learn more about your eligibility for British citizenship or to receive help with the application process, Total Law is ready to help.
Our immigration experts can provide you with bespoke legal advice with every stage of the application, ranging from working out which route is right for you to applying for a passport once citizenship has been granted. Contact Total Law today on +44 (0)333 305 9375 or message us online to learn more.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
The UK does not have birthright citizenship. This means that being born in the UK does not automatically guarantee that you are a British citizen. Whether or not you are entitled to UK citizenship will depend on a range of factors, including when you were born, whether you lived in the UK after your birth, and the citizenship or immigration status of your parents.
However, even if you were not automatically granted British citizenship at birth, you may still be eligible to register for British citizenship. The details of the different routes are listed in this article.
If you were born in the UK, you do not necessarily immediately obtain dual citizenship. This will depend on your specific circumstances.
However, as the UK does allow dual citizenship, this might be an option for you. Whether or not you obtain dual citizenship will depend on a range of factors, including the other nationality to which you are entitled. Certain countries do not allow dual citizenship, for example, or only allow dual citizenship in certain circumstances.
If you were born in the UK to foreign parents, you may still be able to apply for a British passport. This will depend on whether or not you have British citizenship. Once you have British citizenship, you will be entitled to apply for a British passport. In turn, your parents do not necessarily have to have British citizenship in order for you to be eligible for British citizenship. If your parents were settled in the UK at the time of your birth, for example, you may still be entitled to British citizenship.
Note that a British passport is not automatically granted once you acquire British citizenship. You will need to apply for this separately. The process for applying for a British passport is outlined in this article. The waiting time for a British passport application is 3 weeks.
