Father born, registered or naturalised in the United Kingdom

• Applicants born outside the United Kingdom before 1 January 1983 - eligibility can only be claimed through the father's line.  British nationality is transmitted one generation by descent to an applicant born overseas with a United Kingdom born father.  A claim does not usually extend to a United Kingdom born grandfather.
• Applicants born outside the United Kingdom after 1 January 1983 - eligibility can be claimed through the father's and mother's line.  Citizenship is normally acquired by descent from a parent who is a British citizen otherwise than by descent, ie parent born in the United Kingdom or parent born overseas whilst their father was serving with the British Forces or British Diplomatic Service at the time of the parent's birth and had been recruited in the United Kingdom for that service.
• In all cases, claims made through the father's line are by legitimate descent (parents must have been married at the time of your birth, or subsequently married) unless you are born after 1 July 2006.

Please select the category that applies to you, for a full list of documents required to support your claim :

Born outside the UK with a father born in the UK

For applicant born outside the UK with a father born in the UK

Born outside the UK with a father registered or naturalised as a British Citizen in the UK

For applicants born outside the UK with a father registered or naturalised as a British Citizen in the UK

Born outside the UK after 1 July 2006 with a father born in the UK, but not married to mother

For applicants born outside the UK after 1 July 2006 with a father born in the  UK, but not married to mother