British Citizenship by Descent
The UK offers several Global Business Mobility visas for overseas workers. These visa routes aim to bring employees on a short-term or long-term basis to their UK branches. The aim of these visa routes is to simplify the process of hiring talent from outside the UK.
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How to Get British Citizenship by Descent?
There are a few ways to become a British citizen, and one of the easiest is through citizenship by descent. If one or both of your parents are British citizens, either by birth, naturalization, or descent, you can take this route. Depending on your situation, it lets you automatically or by registering claim UK nationality.
To be eligible, you need to show proof of your parent’s British citizenship, your birth certificate, and proof of your relationship. If you are applying for registration instead of automatic citizenship, you may also need to show that you live in the UK, have a good character, or are legally present there.
The application process can be hard, and you need to pay close attention to the details and the Home Office’s paperwork needs. Experienced British Citizenship by Descent solicitors in London can help you fill out your forms correctly, get the right supporting documents, and make it more likely that your application will be approved.
Get in touch with our expert Solicitors today.
Who is Eligible to Apply?
As noted above, you can acquire UK citizenship by descent automatically or you may have to apply for it.
In general, you automatically become a UK citizen if you were born abroad and one of your parents was a British citizen at the time. However, this is subject to when you were born.
If your date of birth fell before 1983 and you were not born in the UK, you automatically qualify for citizenship only if your father was a UK national and was married to your mother at the time of birth. In this case, your father must also have been a citizen of the UK and Colonies to pass on the citizenship.
If your date of birth was between 1983 and June 2006, you automatically qualify for citizenship if:
- One or both of your parents had UK citizenship at the time of your birth
- The UK parent didn’t acquire their citizenship by descent
- Your parents were married at the time of your birth if your father was a UK national and your mother wasn’t
If the above conditions are met, you are eligible to apply for citizenship UK by descent.
If your date of birth fell on or after July 1, 2006, you are automatically eligible by nationality by descent granted either of your parents was a UK national at the time of your birth. However, the eligible parent must not have received their citizenship by descent.
If you are not sure whether or not you can automatically qualify for British citizenship, you can consult our immigration lawyers. Our British citizenship solicitors in London can offer detailed advice on how best to proceed.
Registering for British Citizenship by Descent
If you do not automatically qualify for citizenship by descent, you may have the option of applying for nationality by descent instead. This is only possible if you meet very specific criteria.
You may register for citizenship by descent if:
Your date of birth fell on July 1, 2006, or after this date and your parents adopted you outside the UK, you have been in the UK and living with your parents, or you were born to British nationals who had been residents in the UK before you were born. You can explore different routes depending on which category you fall in.
Your date of birth fell between 1983 and June 2006 and your father was a British national otherwise than by descent but was not married to your non-UK national mother when you were born. The ‘otherwise by descent’ requirement is waived if your father was a Crown servant at the time of your birth.
Your date of birth fell before 1983 and your mother instead of your father was a British national, or the two were not married if your father was a national. In this case, the eligible UK national parent must not have gained their citizenship by descent. The eligible parent must also have been a citizen of the UK and Colonies when you were born.
Expert UK citizenship solicitors in London can assess your eligibility, guide you through the registration process, prepare your supporting documents, and help ensure your application meets Home Office nationality requirements
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What is British Citizenship by Descent?
British law broadly categorizes two ways of achieving British nationality – by descent, or otherwise than by descent.
Citizenship by descent is when you can seek UK nationality through the citizenship or settled status of one or both parents. It is also possible to seek nationality by descent through the status of your grandparents, although it is quite rare.
However, if you have become a UK citizen through descent, you can’t pass your nationality rights to a child who is not born in the UK. In other words, if a parent has become a UK citizenship by descent, his or her child can’t take the same route to British citizenship.
Citizenship by descent is automatically passed to the next generation in some cases. In other cases, you will have to apply for this route to citizenship if you meet the requirements and are eligible.
The qualified immigration lawyers at the London-based Adam Bernard’s can help you confirm your eligibility, meet relevant requirements and file a British citizenship application. Our UK citizenship solicitors offer tailored guidance and advice packages.
Get in touch with our expert Solicitors today.
Applying for British Citizenship by Descent
You need to apply for British citizenship by descent only if you don’t automatically qualify and need to register instead. You may register by filling out a Form UKF. You must submit several supporting documents to confirm your personal details, parental details, immigration history, good character, and other information.
You may also apply via post instead of submitting the online application. Postal applications typically cost more and take longer to process.
Once you submit your application, you will also be required to attend an appointment at a UKVCAS centre so that your photographs and fingerprints may be collected. This biometric information is a part of your citizenship application. During your UKVCAS appointment, you can also have your documents scanned if you couldn’t directly upload them online.
Our experienced immigration lawyers can thoroughly guide you along this process and offer help at every step of the application. It is best to ensure that your application is accurate and complete at the time of submission. Any omissions or errors can lead to delays in the processing of the application.
Service Supplier visas
The UK Service Supplier visa is a type of UK Global Business Mobility visa. This visa type is meant for employers of overseas service providers who want to come to the UK. You must meet the following requirements to apply for this type of visa:
- You are at least 18 years of age
- You are currently employed by an overseas service provider who has a contract with your UK sponsor
- You have been employed by the overseas service provider for at least 12 months
- You intend to do a genuine job skilled to at least RQF Level 6
- You have a valid Certificate Of Sponsorship from your UK sponsor
- You have the financial means to support yourself during your stay in the UK
If you want to apply for a UK Global Business Mobility – Service Supplier visa, we can help you. Our Service Supplier visa solicitors can work with you to ascertain whether you meet the requirements for the visa.
Citizenship by Double Descent
In some cases, you can claim British nationality by descent through the nationality of a British grandparent. This is called citizenship by double descent.
You can seek citizenship by double descent if:
- Your date of birth fell before 1949 and one of your grandparents was a British citizen. This is applicable if you or your parent were born in British territory, or if you were born outside the Commonwealth regions before 1915. You can also claim citizenship if your mother or grandmother married a British national before 1949.
- Your date of birth fell before 1983 and you were born in a non-EEA territory so that your mother’s father was born in the UK. Alternatively, you can also claim double descent citizenship if your father’s father was born in the UK and your parents got married before 1949.
- Your date of birth fell after 1983 and your grandparent was born in the UK and was in the service of the Crown at the time of your parent’s birth. You are also eligible if one of your parents had a British national mother and became a British citizen between February 2, 1982, and December 31, 1982.
This is a more complicated route and you will need legal assistance when pursuing it. Our British citizenship solicitors in London can offer thorough guidance if you are eligible for citizenship by double descent.
Get in touch with our expert Solicitors today.
What to Do if Your British Citizenship by Descent Application Is Refused
It can be stressful if your application for British Citizenship by Descent is denied, but there are clear steps you can take to move on. Adam Bernard—British Citizenship Solicitors in London are experts at dealing with refusals and making sure you have the best chance of success.
Here’s how we can help:
Case Review: We carefully analyse the Home Office refusal notice to identify why your application was declined.
Request to Reconsider: If there are errors or overlooked evidence, we can prepare a Request to Reconsider with strong legal arguments.
New Application Guidance: We assist in submitting a fresh, fully supported application, ensuring all proof of parentage, documents, and eligibility criteria are properly met.
Risk Minimisation: We advise on any issues flagged in your previous application, including gaps in evidence or discrepancies, reducing the risk of a second refusal.
With Adam Bernard’s experienced British citizenship solicitors, you get personalized advice, step-by-step help, and professional representation to turn a refusal into a successful naturalization or registration outcome.
Why Choose Adam Bernard’s Solicitors?
- Specialist British citizenship and immigration lawyers in London
- Expert guidance on naturalisation, spouse route, and citizenship by descent
- Up-to-date with 2026 Home Office rules
- High success rate with complex cases
- Personalised, client-focused support
- Efficient handling to reduce delays and refusals
- Trusted legal advice across the UK and worldwide
Why Choose Adam Bernard Solicitors
- British immigration and citizenship lawyers who are experts and have been doing this for years
- Expert help with naturalization, spouse route, and citizenship by descent
- Knowledge of the rules and requirements of the Home Office in 2026
- A lot of success with hard and complicated cases
- Individualized, client-centered help to avoid mistakes and delays
- Quickly processing applications to speed up approvals
- Trusted legal guidance across London, the UK, and internationally
Call us now at 0207 100 2525 to schedule a free consultation with our immigration lawyers and discuss your case in detail
Frequently Asked Questions
You may be eligible if one or both of your parents are British citizens by birth, naturalisation, or otherwise than by descent. Eligibility can vary depending on your date of birth and whether your parent acquired citizenship automatically or through registration.
If you do not automatically qualify, you can apply by registering for citizenship by descent using Form UKF, submitting supporting documents like birth certificates, parent’s nationality proof, and evidence of residency or good character.
Common documents include your birth certificate, parent’s British passport or nationality certificate, proof of residency or legal presence, good character evidence, and sometimes documents proving parental marriage or adoption.
Yes, through citizenship by double descent, if your parent did not acquire citizenship automatically, and your grandparent was a British citizen under specific Home Office rules depending on your birth year and family circumstances.
If your application is refused, you can submit a Request to Reconsider or file a fresh application. Adam Bernard Solicitors in London can review your refusal, guide you on next steps, and help prepare a fully supported application to maximise success.
Processing usually takes 3 to 6 months, depending on case complexity, completeness of documents, and Home Office checks. Incomplete applications or missing documents may cause delays.
A specialist solicitor ensures your application meets 2026 Home Office requirements, helps avoid errors and refusals, guides you on documentation, eligibility, and registration, and provides step-by-step support throughout the process.
