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Hi,

Does a child automatically become a British Citizen? If:

1. He is born in the UK
2. His mother is a British Citizen (by descent) with a British Passport even though she has never lived in the UK for more than 6 months total.

Yes (1(1)(a)).

Thanx for the prompt reply vinny
Well, I did read the same rule but just want to confirm the term 'British citizen' here is meant for all British Citizens no matter how thier citizenship was acquired?

Yes. However, if child was born outside the UK, then it would be different.

Thanx for your help

No, mere by birth in the UK will not automatically confer citizenship to a child whose none of the parents are British. This was however a position before 1st January 1983. As for the second part, your wife is citizen by decent as you said. She cannot transfer it to your child. If however she got it from her parent who was citizen by birth your child can apply for visa through ancestry route. This is given for five years and after that he will be able to apply for ILR. If however parent of your wife was not born in the UK and they got British citizenship through naturalization this rule shall not be relevant. There is another option for your child. If your child stay in the the UK for 3 years with the family I.e. your wife principally he can register after 3 years as British citizen. This is possible at any time before he reaches his majority i.e. 18 years. As for you, you can also naturalize through Appendix FM rules.

Rajaaiizahir

You are replying to a post which is more than 2 years old...

rajaiizahir wrote:No, mere by birth in the UK will not automatically confer citizenship to a child whose none of the parents are British. This was however a position before 1st January 1983. As for the second part, your wife is citizen by decent as you said. She cannot transfer it to your child. If however she got it from her parent who was citizen by birth your child can apply for visa through ancestry route. This is given for five years and after that he will be able to apply for ILR. If however parent of your wife was not born in the UK and they got British citizenship through naturalization this rule shall not be relevant. There is another option for your child. If your child stay in the the UK for 3 years with the family I.e. your wife principally he can register after 3 years as British citizen. This is possible at any time before he reaches his majority i.e. 18 years. As for you, you can also naturalize through Appendix FM rules.

The above post is completely wrong.

A child born in the U.K. with a British (by descent) parent ["parent" as defined by the British Nationality Act] is automatically a British citizen otherwise than by descent.

Since this is an old topic and has been answered, it will be locked.