How get european citizen ship?

Question

I am a canadian citizen because I was born in Edmonton Alberta. My dad was born in england so he is a british citizen. how do I get european citizen ship from him? I dont really know where to start. thx in advance

Answer 1

If your father registered your birth, or was married to your mother (before you reached the age of 18) you most likely already are a British citizen. You are lucky because this would make you a dual-citizen from birth. All you would need to do is apply for a UK passport - just call for an application form or print it off from the website. :-)

Answer 2

You have to write to the british embassy. It will be even more benefit if your grandparents are British citizens as well. That way you know that you do have some pommy blood in you. Once you have written or contacted the embassy they will forward you a form to fill out. It wont cost that much maybe a couple of hundred dollars. Its a easy process had the same thing with my Polish Euro passport.

Answer 3

According to me, it won't be a problem to get your UK passport. Please have a look at the UK Embassy in Canada. Everything should be explained there.

The following is a basic guide to eligibility to help you decide whether to apply for a passport or other nationality services.  More comprehensive information and a nationality enquiry service is available from the Home Office.  A short history of  British Nationality Law is also available here

You may also find our nationality flowchart of use in preparing the right documents.

Nationality Flowchart for Applicants born before January 1983  (PDF, 11.2 KB)  

Applicants Born AFTER 1 January 1983  (PDF, 11 KB)  

Nationality Flowchart for Applicants Born AFTER 1 July 2006  (PDF, 11 KB)  

Who is eligible for a UK passport

The British Nationality Act 1981, which came into force on 1 January 1983, replaced all earlier nationality laws. Citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies was categorised into several distinct groups:

British Citizenship

   1. Birth, Registration or Naturalisation in the United Kingdom (UK).

       For citizenship purposes the UK consists of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man

      A person born in the UK before 1 January 1983 will be a British citizen automatically, with the exception of persons whose father was a foreign diplomat or an enemy alien at the time of the birth.

      Birth in the UK after 31 December 1982 does not automatically confer citizenship. A person born there after this date will be a British citizen provided one of their parents is a British citizen or settled in the UK at the time of the birth. The meaning of settled in the UK under the Immigration Act is that the parent is free from Immigration control and has been granted the right to enter or remain in the UK for an indefinite period.

      If the British citizen parent is the father, there is a requirement that he was legally married to the mother at the time of the birth.

      A person who holds a certificate of registration/naturalisation issued by the Home Office in the UK will be a citizen from the effective date shown on the certificate.

   2. Descent from a parent

      (a)  Father - children born before 01 July 2006

       By legitimate descent from a father born, registered or naturalised in the UK. Legitimate descent in British nationality law requires the father to be legally married to the mother at the time of the birth.

      Example – you would qualify if you were born overseas and at the time of your birth your father was British by birth in the UK or by registration or naturalisation in the UK and your parents were legally married at the time of your birth. Common-law relationships are not recognised for citizenship purposes.

      If the parents marry after the birth, the marriage will normally serve to legitimate the child's birth but there is a particular procedure to be followed in order to establish this. The necessary forms will be sent on written request to our fax number [phone]. Please supply a full postal address.

      If the parents choose not to marry, the father can apply for citizenship on behalf of a minor child (under 18).  See Am I eligible to register or naturalise?

      If the parents never married and the applicant is over 18, the father cannot apply for citizenship, as this type of registration is only available to minors.

      If the father is a British citizen not by birth but by registration or naturalisation in the UK only children legitimately born to him after the effective date of his registration will be eligible.

      Through the  father Children born after 01 July 2006

      A recent amendment to the British Nationality Act 1981 removes the requirement for a child to be "legitimate" in order to have a claim to British nationality by descent through their father. Males who are British citizens will no longer need to be married to the mother of their children or to apply for Home Office registration for them before their 18th birthday.

      Proof of paternity will be a birth certificate for the child, issued within one year of the birth, in which the British citizen is named as the father. Alternatively, DNA test reports will be accepted.

      

      (b)  Through the Mother  

      There is an automatic claim if born after 1 January 1983 and mother born, registered or naturalised in the UK. If mother is a British citizen not by birth but by registration or naturalisation in the UK only children born after the effective date of her registration will be eligible.

      Before the introduction of the British Nationality Act 1981 (effective 1 January 1983) a female born in the UK could not automatically pass on citizenship to her children.

      On 7 February 1979 the government announced that a new Nationality Act would be introduced on 1 January 1983 allowing all children born on or after this date to claim citizenship automatically from a mother born in the UK.

      However, the Act would not be retroactive and children born before the effective date would not benefit. In the meantime, a mother could apply for any child who was still a minor (under 18) to be registered as a British citizen at the discretion of the Secretary of State.

      Many British women resident overseas were unaware of the announcement in 1979 and missed the opportunity to apply for citizenship on behalf of their minor children. Consequently, an amendment to the British Nationality Act 1981 has now been put into effect allowing all persons who would have been under 18 on the date of the announcement (7 February 1979) to register now.

      All those born overseas to a British mother between 7 February 1961 and 31 December 1982 are now eligible to register as British citizens retroactively. See Am I eligible to register or naturalise

      Those persons not born between the relevant dates cannot apply for registration. But, a commonwealth citizen with a mother born in the UK may have the right of abode and can apply for a Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode allowing entry into the UK for work and residence purposes. Information can be found on the Immigration/Visa pages of this web-site.

      (c)  UK Born Grandparent  

       It is not generally possible to claim citizenship through an UK born grandparent.

      All British citizens are designated as "by descent" or "otherwise than by descent" and only the latter can pass on their status to children born overseas.

      Therefore, if you and your parent(s) were born outside the UK and your grandparents born in the UK, your parent(s) will normally be British by descent and unable to pass on their status to you as the second generation born overseas. The following exceptions apply:

         1. a person born overseas to a parent born in the UK is a citizen by descent.  However, if they have lived in the UK for a continuous period of three years they can apply to the Home Office to register their children born overseas as British citizens while the child is under one year old.

         2. a person born overseas before 1 January 1983 to a father who was in Crown Service at the time of their birth may have become a citizen otherwise than by descent on 1 January 1983 with the introduction of the British Nationality Act 1981. The father must have been recruited in the UK to serve the British government overseas. In these circumstances, citizenship can be passed on automatically to their children born overseas after 1 January 1983.

         3. A child born overseas after 01 Jan1983 to a parent in Crown Service will be a citizen otherwise than by descent and able to pass on their status.

         4. A commonwealth citizen with a UK born grandparent may be eligible to apply for a UK Ancestry visa allowing entry to the UK for purposes of work and, after a qualifying period, for permanent settlement and citizenship. Further information can be obtained from the Visa pages of this web-site.

    (d) Marriage

     British citizenship can be claimed through marriage to a spouse who was recruited in the UK to serve the Crown overseas, without the need to reside in the UK first, provided the marriage has existed for at least three years.

    In all other cases, it is necessary for the spouse to reside in the UK first for a continuous period of at least three years.  The citizenship application must be submitted to the Home Office while still resident there, or submitted overseas to the nearest British authorities within 90 days of leaving the UK.

    

    (e) Adoption

    

    A person born and adopted overseas by a British citizen has no automatic claim to citizenship.

    Parents of a minor child (under eighteen) can apply for citizenship on the child's behalf.  This type of registration is at the discretion of the Secretary of State and not all applicants will be successful.

    If the adopted person is over 18, residence in the UK is necessary before qualifying and the application should be submitted to the Home Office while still resident there.

    A Commonwealth citizen adopted by a British citizen before 1 January 1983 may be eligible to apply for a Certificate of Entitlement to the right of abode, allowing entry into the UK for purposes of work and residence. Information can be found on the Immigration/Visa pages of this website.

    Birth in Newfoundland prior to Confederation:

    "Both British and Canadian nationality law made allowances for the fact that Newfoundland did not join confederation until April 1949. The result of this was that, on 1 April 1949, a British subject born in Newfoundland became a Canadian citizen and has no claim to British citizenship."

British Overseas Citizenship

Persons who do not have the right of abode but have retained a connection to the UK by birth, registration or naturalisation in a British colony or are legitimately descended from a father so qualified. However, most persons born in a colony which has since become independent acquired citizenship of that country on independence and lost British citizenship. British Overseas citizenship cannot be transmitted by descent to children born after 1 January 1983.

British Overseas Territories Citizenship

Persons born, registered or naturalised in a British Overseas Territory (formerly known as British Dependent Territory) or legitimately descended from a father so qualified. Additionally, persons born after 1 January 1983 can claim citizenship from a mother born in a British Overseas Territory. For more information visit the FCO website for their Citizenship and Overseas Territories FAQs.

British Nationals (Overseas)

This status replaced British Overseas Territories citizenship of Hong Kong and had to be acquired by 30 June 1997.

British passports are also issued to British Subjects and British Protected Persons. Procedures relating to these categories can be complex. For further information please check: www.passports.gov.uk

British Subject  and British Protected Person

British passports are also issued to British Subjects and British Protected Persons but these types of British nationality are not transferable to children.

Answer 4

If you are still under 18, you need to contact British High commission with

1) Your Birth Certificate.

2) Your Father's birth certificate & his British passport.

3) Your parents (father & mother's) marriage certificate.

and apply for your own British Birth certificate, once you will have the British BC, then u can apply for British Passport.

If you are over 18, then its not gonna be easy, you have to go through ancestry route to live in UK for 5 years on ancestry visa & then claim your citizenship.

Answer 5

go to the british embassy you can get a british passport cos you family are british