Citizenship based on (deceased) father's birthplace?

giblet · Post by **giblet** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:26 am

I was wondering, can one get a UK passport based on their deceased father's birth in the UK? My understand is that one could get it if the father had "officially" gotten citizenship while alive, but now it's probably too late.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

sakura · Post by **sakura** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 10:08 am

There's not much to go by...when and were was your father born? Were his parents also British (or Irish) citizens, or did they migrate there from somewhere else? When were you born and were your parents married at the time of your birth?

giblet · Post by **giblet** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 3:32 pm

Sorry, I'm asking on behalf of my father who was born in the US (he's in his 50s). His parents (married) were not UK citizens, but his father was born in Scotland.

Post by **JAJ** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 1:51 am

giblet wrote:Sorry, I'm asking on behalf of my father who was born in the US (he's in his 50s). His parents (married) were not UK citizens, but his father was born in Scotland.

What you're saying doesn't really make sense. If his father was born in Scotland then father was British by birth, unless born to diplomats.

The only thing that could change that is if he became an American citizen before 1 January 1949.

giblet · Post by **giblet** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 2:48 am

JAJ wrote:What you're saying doesn't really make sense. If his father was born in Scotland then father was British by birth, unless born to diplomats.

The only thing that could change that is if he became an American citizen before 1 January 1949.

My grandfather was born in Scotland to non-UK citizens who were not permanently domiciled there. I was not sure if this made my grandfather a UK citizen, as he never got a UK passport to my knowledge.

My grandfather did end up becoming a US citizen, but I'm not sure what year. It may well have been before 1949. How does that affect his status?

Post by **JAJ** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 4:22 am

giblet wrote: My grandfather was born in Scotland to non-UK citizens who were not permanently domiciled there. I was not sure if this made my grandfather a UK citizen, as he never got a UK passport to my knowledge.

If you were born in the United Kingdom before 1983, you automatically became British at birth. Status of parents is irrelevant, provided they were not diplomats or enemy aliens.

My grandfather did end up becoming a US citizen, but I'm not sure what year. It may well have been before 1949. How does that affect his status?

As far as I am aware, if a British subject aged 21 or over at the time (and not a married woman), became a U.S. citizen before 1949, British nationality was automatically lost.

giblet · Post by **giblet** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 6:52 am

Interesting. I'll find out about when/if he because a US citizen. Thanks!

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Citizenship based on (deceased) father's birthplace?

Citizenship based on (deceased) father's birthplace?