British citizenship · IAA-regulated advice
Register Your Child as a British Citizen in Birmingham & London
If your child isn’t British automatically, they may be able to register. We check whether they’re already British, find the right route and prepare the application, for a fixed fee agreed in writing.
Last checked 11 October 2026 · Reviewed by Vishal Gautam, IAA-regulated adviser
Overview
What is registering a child as a British citizen?
Registration is how a child who isn’t British automatically becomes a British citizen. A child born in the UK is only British automatically if a parent was British or settled (or in the UK armed forces) at the time of the birth. A child born abroad usually is if a parent was British other than ‘by descent’. If neither applies, you apply to register your child.
Some routes are an entitlement under the British Nationality Act 1981: if your child meets the conditions, the Home Office must register them. Others are at the Home Secretary’s discretion (section 3(1)), where the Home Office looks at your child’s best interests, their connections and whether their future lies in the UK.
✓This is the right route if…
- Your child is under 18 and isn’t already British
- They were born in the UK, and you or their other parent has since become British or settled
- They were born in the UK and lived here for their first 10 years
- You’re British by descent and your child was born abroad, or your family has settled here and your child’s future is in the UK
→Look at another route if…
Quick check
Could your child qualify? Six questions, one minute
Answer honestly. Nothing is saved or sent: this is a general guide, not advice on your case.
Is your child under 18?The age that counts is on the day the Home Office receives the application. The 10-year route has no upper age limit.
Have you checked that your child isn’t already British?A child born in the UK is British automatically if a parent was British or settled at the time of the birth.
Since your child was born, has either parent become British or settled in the UK?Settled means indefinite leave to remain or enter, or EU settled status.
Is the UK your child’s home, and where their future lies?For discretionary applications, the Home Office usually expects at least 2 years living here.
If your child is 10 or over, are they free of police, criminal or immigration problems?Cautions, warnings and pending charges count, and must be declared.
Do both parents agree to the application?Required in law for some routes, and normally expected for discretionary applications.
Eligibility
Child British citizenship requirements
Which route fits depends on where your child was born, your status and their history. Your child must be under 18 when the Home Office receives the application, except on the 10-year route.
Born in the UK: sections 1(3) and 1(4)
- Section 1(3): either parent has become British or settled since the birth, and you apply before your child turns 18. There’s no minimum time your child must have lived here
- Section 1(4): your child lived in the UK for their first 10 years, with no more than 90 days away in each year. They can apply at any age from 10, even as an adult
- Longer absences can be allowed in special circumstances
- Both are entitlements: if the conditions are met, including good character from age 10, the Home Office must register your child
The 10-year route uses form T; most other child applications use form MN1.
Born abroad to a British parent: sections 3(2) and 3(5)
- For a child born abroad to a parent who is British by descent, for example a parent who was themselves born abroad to a British parent
- Section 3(5): your child and both parents lived in the UK for the 3 years before you apply, with no more than 270 days away each, and both parents consent. If you’re divorced or separated, only one parent needs to have lived here
- Section 3(2): the British parent lived in the UK for 3 years at some point before the birth, with no more than 270 days away, and that parent’s own mother or father was British other than by descent
- Section 3(5) makes your child British other than by descent, so they can pass citizenship on to children born abroad. Section 3(2) doesn’t
There’s no discretion over the 270-day limit under section 3(5), so the days need counting carefully.
At the Home Secretary’s discretion: section 3(1)
- In line with you: one parent is British or becoming British, the other is British or settled, and your child is settled and has lived here for the last 2 years
- Settled family: your child has lived here lawfully for more than 5 years and had indefinite leave for at least 12 months, and both parents are settled after 5 years’ residence
- Long residence: your child has lived here for more than 10 years, and your child and you are here lawfully
- Otherwise, the Home Office weighs your child’s best interests, where their future lies, your status, their time here and any compelling circumstances
Discretion means the Home Office can refuse even when the usual criteria are met, so the application should explain why registration is right for your child.
Good character, consent and referees
- Children aged 10 or over on the date of application must be of good character: convictions, cautions, pending charges and immigration history are checked
- Immigration breaches that were outside a child’s control are normally overlooked
- Both parents’ consent is a legal requirement under section 3(5) and normally expected for discretionary applications. For the section 1 entitlements it’s requested but not essential
- One referee must know your child in a professional role, such as a teacher, doctor or social worker
Not sure whether something in your child’s history matters? Tell us at the consultation: it’s confidential.
Documents
Child registration documents: the easy part
Most people can list the documents. Refusals come from choosing the wrong route, miscounting absences, or leaving out what the Home Office needs to see.
What everyone needs
- Your child’s full birth certificate, showing both parents
- Your child’s passports, current and previous
- Proof of your British citizenship or settled status
- Evidence of where your child has lived, such as school or medical records
- Both parents’ consent, or an explanation if one parent can’t give it
- Details of two referees, one of whom knows your child professionally
Plus your marriage or civil partnership certificate where relevant, and any court orders about parental responsibility, guardianship or adoption.
Costs & timeline
Child registration cost and processing time
The Home Office fee to register a child is £1,000. It’s free if your child is looked after by a local authority, and a fee waiver may be available if you can’t afford it. Most decisions are made within 6 months.
Per child, applying under 18
| Home Office registration fee | £1,000 |
| Citizenship ceremony£130, only if your child turns 18 before the decision | £0 |
| Home Office total, per childbefore any priority service | £1,000 |
Home Office fees from the fees table in force from 8 October 2026 and GOV.UK, checked 11 October 2026. The £130 ceremony fee is asked for when the decision is made. The optional priority service costs £500. Applying at 18 or over on the 10-year route costs £1,670, including the ceremony. Our consultation fees →
Check your child isn’t already British
Before anything elseA child who is already British needs a passport, not a registration application.
Apply and give biometrics
Week 0Online application and fee paid, then your child’s photo (and fingerprints from age 5) at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services point.
Decision
Usually within 6 monthsThe Home Office tells you if it will take longer. With the priority service (£500, online only), usually about 30 working days.
Your child becomes British
On the date of approvalNo ceremony is needed if your child is still under 18. If they turn 18 before the decision, they become British at a citizenship ceremony.
British passport
Once registeredApply for a child’s passport if they’re under 16, or an adult passport from 16. The registration certificate can’t be used to travel.
Avoid a refusal
Common child registration refusal reasons
Most problems come down to the route chosen and the detail of the evidence. These are the issues we check first.
Applying too late
The application must be received before your child’s 18th birthday, except on the 10-year route. After that, they apply as an adult, at a higher fee.
We check: your child’s deadline, and plan the application well before it.
The wrong section
Registering under discretion when your child has an entitlement can leave them British by descent, which matters for their own children born abroad.
We check: every entitlement before relying on discretion.
Too many days away
Under section 3(5), more than 270 days away in the 3 years, for your child or either parent, means the route isn’t open. There’s no discretion.
We check: travel dates against passports before you apply.
One parent doesn’t agree
Section 3(5) needs both parents’ consent in law. On a discretionary application, the other parent’s objection can lead to refusal in some cases.
We check: whose consent you need, and what to do if it can’t be given.
Something not declared
From age 10, convictions, cautions and pending charges must be declared. An untruthful declaration can lead to refusal, and the fee isn’t refunded.
We check: your child’s history, and tell you plainly about any risk.
A weak case for discretion
If your child doesn’t fit the usual criteria, the Home Office looks for compelling reasons. Wanting a passport for a school trip isn’t enough.
We check: whether your child fits the usual criteria, and how strong any exceptional reasons are.
How we help
Our child registration services
Choose a one-off consultation, or let us handle your child’s application from start to finish for a fixed fee.
Eligibility consultation
We check whether your child is already British, and which route fits them.
Evidence review
We check birth, status, residence and consent documents against the requirements.
Full application
We prepare and submit the application, with a cover letter that sets out the route and, where it matters, your child’s best interests.
The rest of the family
We help you naturalise, and register your other children when they qualify.
Our scope: we’re regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority at Level 1. There’s no right of appeal against a nationality decision. If your child’s application is refused, we explain your options and, where the case needs a higher level of advice, refer you to a solicitor or higher-level adviser.
FAQs
Child registration questions, answered
Is my child British if they were born in the UK?
Only if, at the time of the birth, you or the other parent was a British citizen or settled in the UK (or, for births from 13 January 2010, a member of the UK armed forces). If not, your child isn’t British automatically, but they may be able to register later, for example once you settle. A child who is already British just needs a passport.
We’ve just got indefinite leave to remain. Can our UK-born child register now?
Usually, yes. Under section 1(3), a child born in the UK is entitled to register once either parent becomes British or settled, as long as you apply before they turn 18. There’s no minimum time your child must have lived here, but a child aged 10 or over must be of good character.
Does my child need to pass an English or Life in the UK test?
No. Children registering as British citizens don’t take the Life in the UK test or an English test, and there’s no income requirement. Children aged 10 or over must be of good character.
Can my child apply at the same time as I apply for citizenship?
Yes, and many children register in line with a parent who is naturalising. If your application is refused, your child’s application is treated as withdrawn, with no refund, unless you confirm on the form that it should still go ahead. We check whether your child qualifies in their own right.
Does my child have to attend a citizenship ceremony?
Not if they’re under 18 when the application is decided: they become British on the date it’s approved, and may be invited to a ceremony with the family. If they turn 18 before the decision, they must attend a ceremony to become British, and a £130 ceremony fee is asked for when the decision is made.
Can I get the fee waived?
If your child is looked after by a local authority, there’s no fee: you show this on the application. If you can’t afford the fee, you can apply for a fee waiver first, and if you’re applying online you must get its decision before you apply for citizenship.
How long does it take?
Usually within 6 months, and the Home Office tells you if it will take longer. For an extra £500 you can choose the priority service when you apply online, which usually gives a decision in about 30 working days. There’s no super priority service for citizenship.
Will my child lose their other nationality?
The UK allows dual nationality, so your child can be British and keep another citizenship. But some countries take away citizenship when a person becomes a citizen of another country. Check with that country’s embassy or consulate before you apply.
Related routes
Other citizenship routes
Ready when you are
British, sorted.
Book a consultation, or start with the free quick check on this page.