A child born in France to a British parent who is living over here will in most cases be considered British, provided the British parent was born in the UK.
If the child is born to a British-French couple they will also be entitled to a French passport, but the UK new requires that all dual nationals - including children born abroad - use a UK passport in order to enter the UK, or they might be barred from entry.
If both parents are British the child will need a British passport in order to travel overseas.
This is because the process to become French, even for those born on French soil, is not a given. Unlike countries, such as the USA which confers citizenship automatically to anyone born on US soil – with all the benefits and issues that may have in later life (yes, we’re looking at you, FATCA), the process is rather more complicated for children born in France to foreign parents.
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The UK's new ETA rules require all dual nationals to use their UK passport in order to enter the UK - and the British government considers children born abroad to a foreign parent to be UK nationals, even if they also have citizenship of the country they were born in and have never had a British passport.
While it is possible for adults to renounce British citizenship, this is not possible for under 18s.
Registration
First of all, you can register your France-born child’s birth with British authorities, so that it is recorded in the UK with the General Register Office or at the National Records Office of Scotland.
Parents do not have to do this, but if you choose to, you can then order a consular birth registration certificate for a fee.
Passport
However, Brits born in France can still apply for a British passport, even if their birth was not originally registered with UK authorities.
Assuming the first application for a passport is made while the applicant is still a child, you can find the online process here, on the British Government website.
If you're applying for a passport for your child, you will need to supply:
- A suitable digital photograph of the child/baby – examples of acceptable photographs are displayed here
- Original or certified copies of any necessary supporting documents - since 2021, any document that is not in English or Welsh must be accompanied by a certified translations, produced by an approved translator
- And payment, using a credit or debit card. The fee for a standard passport is £101 for an adult, and £65.50 for a child, plus a £19.86 courier fee. NB: you can also apply by post, but it is cheaper online.
For reference, supporting documents will include:
- The child’s birth certificate – plus a translation if required
- Documents proving that one of the child's parents is a British citizen (eg a birth certificate or certificate of naturalisation)
- A signed and dated letter from the mother (or other person with parental responsibility) giving consent for the issue of the child’s new passport OR a court order that describes your parental responsibility
- Copies of any other passports that the child holds - a copy is sufficient but you must send a colour photocopy of each page of the passport
To get copies of birth, marriage or death certificates issued in England or Wales, go to www.gov.uk/bmdcertificates
For documents issued in Northern Ireland, go to www.nidirect.gov.uk and for Scotland go to www.nrscotland.gov.uk
You will need to pay a fee for the certificates, and normally these can only be sent by mail so allow time for delivery.
On a first application, you will also need to have a countersignatory confirm the applicant’s identity.
They need to confirm that, to the best of their knowledge, the details you have given in your application are correct, and they must also confirm that the photo is of the applicant – it's possible to do this this online, you provide their details and they will receive an email from the passport office.
For child applications (aged under 16) it is also to confirm that they have known, for at least 2 years, the adult who signed the declaration in section 9 of the application form.
They must also confirm that the person has parental responsibility for the child and confirm the child’s photo is a true likeness.
The countersignatory must:
- have known you personally for at least two years - they can be a friend, neighbour or colleague but not a relation by birth or marriage
- be a 'professional person' or a person of 'good standing in their community' - you can find a list of the accepted professions here (journalists and MPs are decreed to be sufficiently respectable professions - go figure)
- live in the UK;
- hold a current British or Irish passport.
Once you have made the application, you will receive the passport through the mail. Waiting times are usually around the same as renewing an adult UK passport.
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