Can my children have a British passport if born in France?
The supporting documents required can vary from case to case
A child of a British parent is usually classed as a UK citizen, even if born abroad
Brian A Jackson/Shutterstock
Reader Question: My children are 10 and 13, and were born in France. My husband and I are British and would like them to have UK passports. We have not applied for UK citizenship for them, do we need to do this?
To have a UK passport, you need to be classed as a UK citizen.
A child of a British parent (ie. a parent who holds UK citizenship) who is born abroad is usually classed as a UK citizen, and therefore entitled to a UK passport.
If this is the case, and your child is under 16, you simply have to apply for the child’s first UK passport through the government website. Those over 16 have to apply for an adult passport themselves.
Read more: Biometric border checks: what questions will be asked to enter France?
Application process
You do not have to register your child as a British citizen – the application for their passport is enough.
As the child’s parent, you have parental responsibility and can make the request in their stead. You will need to complete the application form with your child’s details.
The supporting documents required can vary from case to case; you may need to have someone who has (or is retired from) a professional role to confirm your child’s identity.
You will also need to prove your citizenship status by including your passport details or birth certificate. All these documents must be sent in their original format or as certified copies.
The cost of a first child passport application is £65.50 for a child, with a £19.86 courier fee.
Note that in certain circumstances, a British parent may not pass on citizenship rights automatically, for example if the adult was not British when the child was born. Also, while a Briton abroad can pass their nationality to their child, that child’s child (should they have one) is not automatically British if they are born abroad.
In these situations, depending on factors such as whether or not you as the parent have ever lived in the UK, you may alternatively be able to apply to ‘register’ a child for British citizenship, but there is a fee for this of over €1,200.
