British Nationality Law - Acquisition of British Citizenship

Acquisition of British Citizenship

British Citizenship can be acquired in the following ways:

  1. lex soli: By birth in the United Kingdom to a parent who is a British citizen at the time of the birth, or to a parent who is settled in the United Kingdom
  2. lex sanguinis: By birth abroad, which constitutes "by descent" if one of the parents is a British citizen otherwise than by descent (for example by birth, adoption, registration or naturalisation in the United Kingdom). British citizenship by descent is only transferable to one generation down from the parent who is a British citizen otherwise than by descent, if the child is born abroad.
  3. By naturalisation
  4. By registration
  5. By adoption

For nationality purposes, the Channel Islands and Isle of Man are generally treated as if they were part of the United Kingdom.

Leaflets and advice that describe how British citizenship and other kinds of British nationality can be held, applied for, or renounced are available from the Home Office UK Border Agency (formerly known as Border and Immigration Agency or BIA). Information is also available from the Home Office on provisions for reducing statelessness.

Persons acquiring citizenship by method (2) are called citizens by descent, while citizens acquiring citizenship by methods (1), (3) or (5) are called citizens otherwise than by descent. British citizens by registration, method (4), may be either, depending on the circumstances. Only citizens otherwise than by descent can pass on their citizenship to their children born outside the UK automatically; citizens by descent can only pass on citizenship to their non-UK born children by meeting certain UK residence requirements and registering them, before the age of 18.

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