Registration of Children

Children may acquire British citizenship automatically at birth in some cases, but in others, registration is required. The registration routes for children are set out in the British Nationality Act 1981 and the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.

A child born in the UK is not automatically British unless at least one parent is British or settled in the UK at the time of the birth. Where this is not the case, the child may still be eligible to register as a British citizen if one or both parents later become settled or British.

Minor children under 18 can also be registered if their parent naturalises as British, if they have lived in the UK for the first ten years of their life, or if they are stateless and were born in the UK. Discretionary registration is also available in compelling circumstances.

The Nationality and Borders Act 2022 introduced a new registration route to address historic injustices — particularly cases where citizenship was denied due to the illegitimacy rules or gender discrimination under older legislation. If you or your child was affected, this may now be rectifiable.

Children who are registered as British citizens gain the same status as those born British. There are no restrictions on travel, and citizenship can be passed on to future generations in the normal way.

Our team will advise you on which route applies to your child’s circumstances and what documentary evidence is needed.

Call 020 3367 1430 or email info@trsolicitors.co.uk .