Applying for child’s first British passport from India after UK citizenship application

[royalrulhania]

I’m posting here because this platform is very useful, and I’m hoping someone may have had a similar experience.

My daughter was born in India, lived in the UK on a dependent visa, and her British citizenship application was submitted in the UK. We then had to travel back to India while the application was still in progress. My daughter stayed back with her grandparents in India, we travelled back to the UK for the oath ceremony, British passport, and surrendering our Indian passport. Now I'm travelling back to India with my daughter's citizenship certificate. Has anyone applied for a child’s first British passport from India in a similar situation? I would really like to know whether this caused any extra issues, and whether the Indian passport was surrendered before or after the British passport application.

[alterhase58]

I recommend you start here on the HMPO online overseas applications website:
https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports
As such there shouldn't be any issues, the website will tell you what is required for documents.
Timing may be an issue, potentially could take some months.
Can't comment on the Indian passport aspects, best you ask in the "other countries" forum, this is a regular topic.

[royalrulhania]

Thank you for the quick response.
Im wondering if there are any guidelines or rule which block us from applying for the 1st passport in India when a child was born in India, spent 5 years in the UK, got ILR and then citizenship approved via MN1. All these processes were done in the UK, but now I want to apply for a British passport from India, as I don't want to bring her to the UK as she already started school in India. I understand that if a child is born outside the UK to British parents can apply for a passport overseas, but I'm not sure if we can also apply. Actually, I had 2 questions - Can we apply for her British passport from India, considering the above scenario?
Second Question - If we can apply, but the Home Office questions why we are applying from India and doubts her future in the UK, which can cause citizenship rejection?

Looking forward to your response.
Thanks

[secret.simon]

I think a challenge that hasn't been thought of is; can you find a referee, somebody who has known the child for at least two years (unless the child is younger of course), who is Ideally also a British or Irish citizen, and who is unrelated to you or the child?

An Indian citizen can be a referee, as Commonwealth citizens, but that can delay the issue of a passport.

EDIT: There is no future intentions requirements for registration of children. It only applies to naturalisation of adults, a different procedure with different requirements.

[CR001]

Of importance too is that your daughter lost her Indian citizenship when she became british by you voluntarily and formally applying to register her as British.

[royalrulhania]

I think a challenge that hasn't been thought of is; can you find a referee, somebody who has known the child for at least two years (unless the child is younger of course), who is Ideally also a British or Irish citizen, and who is unrelated to you or the child?

An Indian citizen can be a referee, as Commonwealth citizens, but that can delay the issue of a passport.

EDIT: There is no future intentions requirements for registration of children. It only applies to naturalization of adults, a different procedure with different requirements.

Thanks for the response.
Yes, I know a referee who is a British citizen and can help us. He is 1 of my friends in a well-known profession. I researched and found that you can use the same referee that we have used when applying for citizenship.

[royalrulhania]

Of importance too is that your daughter lost her Indian citizenship when she became british by you voluntarily and formally applying to register her as British.

Thank you for responding.
Yes, I will initiate her Indian passport surrender process as soon as we have the citizenship certificate.