Baby Born in USA To UK/US Parents

[uk2upstateny 13]

Hello!

So my husband and I have a four month old baby. She was born here in the USA, but I am British and he is American. Presumably I can apply for British citizenship for our daughter? If so do I need to 'register' her with the UK authorities, or can I just go ahead and apply for a British passport for her? I am currently removing conditions on my US residency, but I don't think I'll ever become a full American citizen and we may one day decide to all go back to the UK and do everything in reverse (but um, not any time soon - I've done enough form filing for the time being, ha!)

[WayDownSouth 0]

I wish more countries like the UK and US allowed dual citizenship.

You really should take advantage of that. If you need to go back to Scotland for an extended stay and have to deal with re-entry permissions (or losing the GC and re-applying!) then you'll wish you had gotten the US passport.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Hello!

So my husband and I have a four month old baby. She was born here in the USA, but I am British and he is American. Presumably I can apply for British citizenship for our daughter? If so do I need to 'register' her with the UK authorities, or can I just go ahead and apply for a British passport for her? I am currently removing conditions on my US residency, but I don't think I'll ever become a full American citizen and we may one day decide to all go back to the UK and do everything in reverse (but um, not any time soon - I've done enough form filing for the time being, ha!)

Every thing about British passports...eligibility, renew, first one, child, from abroad, etc.

https://www.gov.uk/browse/abroad/passports

I agree. Get US citizenship then you can be like your baby and have two passports.

[newacct 688]

If you are a British citizen "otherwise than by descent" (i.e. you are a British citizen by birth, by registration, or by naturalization), then your child born outside the UK is automatically a British citizen by descent at birth. Her British citizen is automatic at birth -- there is no need to "apply for" it. You can apply for a British passport for her at any time.

If you are a British citizen "by descent" (i.e. you yourself were born outside the UK and had British citizenship at birth), then your child doesn't have British citizenship at birth, and there are ways to register your child as a British citizen if certain conditions are met.

Edited February 9, 2016 by newacct

[rocks 494]

You don't need to register the birth with the FCO to get the passport. You can apply directly for the British passport.