Application for British Citizenship

Certain persons born between 1961 and 1983 to mothers who were citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies at the time of their birth may apply for registration as a British citizen. An applicant is entitled to registration if he/she:

• was born after 7 February 1961 but before 1 January 1983
• was born to a mother who was a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies at the time of birth and had it been possible for women to pass on citizenship of the UK to their children in the same way as men could, would have been a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies by descent
• had been a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies, would have had the right of abode in the UK and would have become a British citizen on 1 January 1983.

An applicant will meet the second requirement if at the time of birth:

a) their mother was a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies either:

• by birth, legal adoption, naturalisation or registration in the United Kingdom and Colonies; or
• by birth, before 1 January 1949, in a British protectorate, protected state or United Kingdom trust territory; or

b) their mother was, at the time of their birth, a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies and:

(i) the applicant was born, or their mother was born, in a British protectorate, protected state, mandated territory or trust territory or in any foreign place in which British subjects came under British extraterritorial jurisdiction; or

(ii) the applicant was born in a non-Commonwealth country and his/her birth was registered, within one year of its occurrence, at a British consulate;

(iii) the applicant's mother was in Crown service under the United Kingdom government at the time of his/her birth; or

(iv) the applicant was born in a Commonwealth country whose citizenship law had been the subject of an order under section 32(8) of the British Nationality Act 1948, but did not become a citizen of that country at birth.

The third requirement is met if:

(i) the applicant's mother was, at the time of his/her birth, a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies by birth, legal adoption, naturalisation or registration (except registration on the basis of a marriage on or after 28 October 1971 to a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies) in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands or Isle of Man; or

(ii) one of the applicant's mother's parents (the definition of 'parent' here excludes the father, but includes the mother, of an illegitimate child) was a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies in the way mentioned in (i) above at the time of her birth; or

(iii) the applicant was settled in the United Kingdom before 1983 and had, at that time, been ordinarily resident there for the last 5 years or more; or

(iv) the applicant is a woman who, before 1 January 1983, was or had been married to man with the right of abode in the United Kingdom.