Can I apply for a British passport for my child if I have settled status?

If you have permanently settled status (‘indefinite leave to remain’) in the UK, your child may be a British citizen automatically. If they are a British citizen, you can apply for a UK passport on their behalf.

If your child was born to a British citizen, someone settled in the UK, or a member of the UK armed forces, they will automatically acquire British citizenship at birth.

If your child does not yet have British citizenship, they may still be eligible to apply for citizenship status. If they successfully obtain citizenship, they will then be able to apply for a British passport.

Note that, if your child does not have British citizenship, they will not be eligible for a UK passport. This is because only British citizens are eligible to apply for British passports.

As such, they will need to become a British citizen before submitting a passport application.

Page Contents

• Apply for a British Passport for a Child: Overview
• Checking Eligibility for a Child’s British Citizenship
• Applying for a Child Passport if Granted ILR under the EU Settlement Scheme
• When is my child entitled to register for British citizenship?
• Registration Process for British Citizenship for Children
• Applying for a UK Child Passport
• Documents Required for a Child’s First British Passport
• Cost of Applying for a Child’s British Passport
• Processing Time for British Passport
• Relevant Information when Applying for Child’s British Citizenship
• Additional Information and Guidance for Adults
• How can London Immigration Lawyers Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

If you have been granted settled status in the UK, your child may automatically be a British citizen. In order for this to be the case, they will need to satisfy the following two eligibility criteria:

• They were born in the UK
• They were born after you obtained indefinite leave to remain in the UK (i.e. permanent settlement status)

In this case, your child is automatically a British citizen and can immediately apply for a British passport.

If you obtained indefinite leave to remain after your child was born, they will not automatically be a British citizen. However, if they were born in the UK, they are likely eligible for British citizenship. As such, you can apply to register them as a British citizen.

If you have indefinite leave to remain in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme at the time of your child’s birth, they will automatically be a British citizen. If you obtained indefinite leave to remain under this scheme after their birth but your child was born in the UK, they will not automatically be a British citizen but can be registered for British citizenship.

If indefinite leave to remain was obtained after the child’s birth and the child was not born in the UK, the rules become more complicated. In this case, at least one parent will generally need to be a British citizen or have permanent settled status at the time of the child’s birth.

Once your child has British citizenship, either automatically upon birth or through registration once they become eligible, they can then apply for a British passport.

Registering your child for UK citizenship is necessary in cases where your child is eligible for British citizenship but did not obtain it automatically upon birth. There are a number of circumstances in which your child might be eligible to register for British citizenship, such as the following:

• The child was born in the UK and at least one parent obtains permanent settlement status or British citizenship after their birth
• The child was born in the UK from 13 January 2010 and has at least one parent who later joins the UK armed forces
• The child lives in the UK for the first 10 years of their life
• The child is granted permission to register for British citizenship by the Home Secretary

If the child was born outside of the UK, the rules become significantly more complicated.

If your child was born outside of the UK, contact London Immigration Lawyers today to learn if they are eligible for UK citizenship.

When registering your child for British citizenship, you will need to use form MN1. This should be included as part of the application, which can be submitted online.

You will also need to find 2 referees to endorse the application. One referee must be a professional person (of any nationality) and the other referee must be a British citizen with a UK passport who is either a professional person or over 25 years of age. Both referees must have known the child for at least 3 years.

‘Professional person’ includes categories such as religious ministers, civil servants, and members of professional bodies (e.g. accountants). If you choose a adviser as your professional person, you must choose one who is not representing you during the application process.

The referees you choose will need to satisfy a number of additional eligibility criteria. Specifically, your referees must not be:

• Related to you or to the other referee
• Representing you during your application (e.g. your adviser)
• A Home Office employee

Your child will also generally need to provide their biometric information (i.e. their fingerprints and photographs) as part of the registration process, although if they are under 5 years of age they will not need to provide their fingerprints.

You can apply for your child’s passport either online or via post. Applying by post is more expensive than applying online.

If you apply online, you will need a digital photo of your child, the necessary documents, and a bank card to pay the application fee.

You will also be asked to choose someone to confirm your child’s identity. They will receive an email from HM Passport Office with instructions on what to do. They will be able to confirm your child’s identity online and will not need to submit anything via post.

If you apply for your child’s passport by post, you will need to either obtain a paper form from a Post Office with a Passport Check and Send service or by requesting a paper form from the Passport Adviceline. Once you receive the form, you will need to fill out sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 9.

If your child is 12 or over, they will need to sign section 6. You will also need to select a ‘countersignatory’. This person will need to sign section 10 and confirm that the photo you are submitting matches your child’s identity.

When submitting on behalf of a child, someone with parental responsibility over that child will need to sign the form. If your child is 12-15, they will also need to sign the form. If your child is 16 or over, they can submit their application themselves and should apply for an adult passport.

You will also need to specify how you would like to receive the passport. It will generally be sent by normal post, but can be sent by secure delivery for an extra fee.

While you wait for the passport, you can track the application’s progress online.

When applying for a British passport for your child, you will need to submit a number of documents, including:

• 2 passport photos of your child
• Child’s birth or adoption certificate
• Proof of the child’s British nationality (e.g. parent’s birth certificate or a British registration certificate)
• Any valid passports which your child already holds
• Any court orders involving the child (e.g. relating to parental responsibility)

You will need to submit either the original documents or official copies of them. Photocopies will not be accepted.

If any of the required documents are not already in either English or Welsh, you will need to submit certified translations in one of these languages.

The cost of applying for a British passport depends on the age of the applicant and whether the application is submitted online or via post.

In the case of an adult applicant (16 and over), applying for a standard 34-page UK passport costs £88.50 online and £100 by post. In the case of an adult 54-page frequent traveller passport, the application costs £100.50 online and £112 by post.

In the case of a child (under 16) standard 34-page passport, online applications cost £57.50 and post applications cost £69. In the case of child frequent traveller passports, online applications cost £69.50 and post applications cost £81.

These costs will differ if you are applying from overseas.

You can also submit a fast-track passport application. However, this process is more expensive.

In general, your child should receive their passport within 3 weeks of the application being submitted. However, this may sometimes take longer, for example if additional information is requested or if an interview is necessary.

In order to avoid delays, make sure to submit the application correctly and to provide all of the required documentation. If additional information is requested, make sure to provide it as quickly as possible.

Your child will not be eligible for a British passport unless they are a British citizen. If your child is not yet a British citizen, you will need to help them obtain British citizenship before they can apply for a UK passport. However, before applying for British citizenship for your child, you should make sure that they are indeed eligible. This is because applying for a UK passport is an expensive process and refunds will not be granted in the event that your application is unsuccessful.

You should verify whether your child is already a British citizen before applying for citizenship on their behalf. In the event that they are automatically a British citizen, you should not submit an application for British citizenship. If you do submit an application, you will not receive a refund once it is verified that your child is already a British citizen.

If your child is not a British citizen but you believe that they are eligible for British citizenship, contact London Immigration Lawyers today on 0204 502 8582 to receive tailored advice and to ensure that this is the right path for your family.

Whether or not your child is eligible for British citizenship will largely depend on you and the other parent’s immigration status.

If you are unsure of whether or not your immigration status entitles your child(ren) to British citizenship, it is important to verify this with a legal professional before proceeding with the citizenship application.

If your child does not have British citizenship, they will not be entitled to a British passport. It is important to be aware of the citizenship status of your child(ren) before submitting their passport application(s).