Registration as a British Citizen

Register as a British Citizen

This page describes the process of acquiring British citizenship through descent in order to get a first British passport. It explains how you can acquire British citizenship through descent and what you have to do to register as a British citizen.

If you would like to register as a British citizen through Immigroup please read the instructions below:

• If you were born to a British mother before 1983, please complete this form and send it in to us.
• If you were born to an unmarried British father before July 1, 2006, please complete this form and send it in to us.

Alternatively, you can contact us or request a consultation. Please check back soon for the complete page. To apply with the government directly, see the official government site.

Born to a British Mother Prior to 1983

Born to an Unmarried British Father Prior to July 1, 2006

If one of your parents is or was a British citizen, you are most likely entitled to British Citizenship. This is called citizenship through descent.

However, in the past, British nationality law may have prevented you from acquiring this citizenship due to the law emphasizing descent only through males and then only through married couples. British nationality law has changed multiple times in the last few decades to rectify these oversights. Now, you can claim your British citizenship through either parent, and regardless as to whether or not your parents were married. If you fall into either of the above categories then you need to Register as a British Citizen before applying for a UK Passport.

Read more about the details of the new rule

 

Registration as a British Citizen Costs Processing Times

Registering as a British Citizen and getting your UK Passport usually takes about 6-9 months. That’s 4-7 months to register as a British citizen and about 2 months to get your passport. Please Note these processing times are subject to change at any time.

Total Fees	CAD$2536.22*
Service Fees	$1800.00
HST	$234.00
Government Fee	$152.22
Passport and Courier Fees	$350.00

*Varies with exchange rate

 

Who Can Get a UK Passport?

British nationality law is extremely complicated and has changed many times over the last century. Whether or not you are a British citizen – or merely a British national – depends on a number of things, including where and when you were born, where and when your parents were born, and how your parents became British citizens.

 

British Citizenship Rules

	Born before January 1, 1983	Born Between January 1, 1983 and June 30, 2006	Born From July 1, 2006
Born in the UK	✓	1 parent must be British	1 parent must be British
Born Outside the UK to a British Mother	Must Register	✓	✓
Born Outside the UK to a British Father, Parents Married	✓	✓	✓
Born Outside the UK to a British Father, Parents Never Married	Must Register	Must Register	✓

If you qualify in any of the categories with a green checkmark, go to this page.

 

Usually, you cannot inherit British citizenship from a grandparent. British citizenship does not usually transmit from generation to generation with birth outside of the UK, however there are exceptions to this rule. If you have ask a question in the box at the bottom right of your screen or

Call us at 1-866-760-2623 / (+1) 416-962-2623 or email us at [email protected]

Please note, you are not eligible if the following applies to you:

• If you would have become citizen of the UK had your parents registered your birth, or registered you as a British subject or a citizen of the United Kingdom’s colonies, but they did not.
• If you would have inherited British citizen but for the fact that your grandparents were not married.
• If you would have acquired British citizenship in some other manner but then subsequently renounced it or were stripped of your citizenship by UK authorities.

 

Overseas Passport Application from Canada

The process for getting an UK passport from Canada has altered several times over the last decade. Until 2009, applications were sent to the British High Commission in Ottawa. From 2009 until 2013 applications were sent to the British High Commission in Washington D.C. Now, all passport applications are sent to the processing centre in Durham, UK.

The UK government moved the processing centres to England in order to reduce passport production costs and cut application fees.

 

Documentation to Support Your Registration as a British Citizen and UK Passport Application

The documents you need to support your application vary depending upon whether your British parent was your mother or your father.

 

Applicants Born before July 1, 2006 to an Unmarried British Father

• Your long-form birth certificate, containing both your name and your father’s (this certificate must have been issued within 1 year of your birth) OR
• a DNA test proving your parentage OR
• a court order naming him as your father OR
• other evidence that demonstrates paternity;
• your Canadian passport;
• your father’s UK birth certificate;
• your father’s UK passport (if available).

You may need to provide additional documentation, especially if you are registering from a different country than Canada.

 

Applicants Born before January 1, 1983 to a British Mother

• Your long-form birth certificate, containing both your name and your mother’s;
• your Canadian passport;
• your mother’s UK birth certificate;
• your mother’s UK passport (if available).

See the UK Passport Photo Requirements

 

Living and Working in the UK

Once you have registered as a UK citizen and obtained a British passport, you will have to get what’s known as a National Insurance Number, if you wish to settle in the UK. This number pretty much the same as a Social Insurance Number in Canada, or a Social Security Number in the States, and will let you to work and apply for social services in the UK.

A major step of obtaining a National Insurance Number is the interview, which can only be conducted in the United Kingdom. You will need to show your British passport at the interview to prove you a citizen and able to receive a NIN, and they will ask you why you need a NIN.

You can actually start working legally in the United Kingdom without a NIN, but you will need to provide it to your employer the moment you receive it.

For more detailed information on getting a National Insurance Number to work and live in the United Kingdom, please refer to this webpage: https://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ni/intro/number.htm.

 

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Born to a British Mother Prior to 1983

Born to an Unmarried British Father Prior to July 1, 2006