The process is the same as applying for citizenship through a parent. If only your mother is Greek, you have the right to citizenship by descent, provided that you were born: In or out of wedlock after August 5, 1984. But as you said, its very rare. There are other avenues to dual citizenship too, with some of the most popular being investment and naturalization. Slovakia is an EU country with one of the world's best passports. If British Citizenship by descent is not appropriate for your situation and a visa route is something you are considering, you can find out about UK visas routes for Americans by visiting UK immigration advice for U.S. citizens. UK immigration rules allow an automatic claim to British Citizenship if you have a grandparent (and, in rare cases, a great-grandparent) born in the UK. Everything was included in the fee, and it was well worth it to avoid tracking, mailing, and stressing over the whereabouts of my documents. Some countries have stringent requirements where you must have a parent who is from that particular country - but others are much easier. +44 (0) 20 7759 7514, Melbourne Ensure you have the greatest chance of a successful appeal. Have at least one parent who is a Costa Rican citizen. One parent must have been a Croatian citizen at the time of birth, but you must have been registered with the Croatian government before your 18th birthday. 1 Can an American get Scottish citizenship by descent? For more information speak with our team today on 0333 305 9375. I dread to think if had used Portuguese mailing services and relied on CTT! May be opening up to grandparents and great-grandparents with new law that may be passed. This route to British Citizenship is less common than by descent by a parent or by double descent by a grandparent. Now, around that time, the UK chose to differentiate between those seen as belonging to the Overseas Territories or those who are British belonging to the UK i.e. You can see how many stars have to align before it can actually be through a great-grandparent. They should be able to tell you whether you're eligible or not. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". However, certain circumstances have to be met by the parents, as the Czech Republic enacted specific rules of law which can limit the . Unlike over the past few decades when UK passports were the iconic maroon color, they are now blue. They made the whole. Excellent service.Queries responded to quickly.Makes the overall process far less stressful. Born in Kenya (British Subject) but was unable to become a Kenyan citizen at independence because his parents weren't born in Kenya. process stress-free and I'm so glad I made this choice. In the case of ancestors, citizenship is by descent. Can I get Scottish citizenship through DNA test? The rules around eligibility for British citizenship by descent vary depending on when you were born and the circumstances of your parent/s or grandparent/s at the time of your birth. And much more! The MOST helpful service from Christa, an absolute GEM. ". So if you suspect you might qualify or you have no idea and you just want to see, we have a free online assessment that you can complete and Mishal and his team will go through your family tree and see what changes you have and will be completely honest with you if we dont think that theres a good chance, or if we thing that there is a chance but not much of a chance and you can try your luck, or if theres a very good chance. Basically, it wasn't a full European colony, it had a treaty with the UK and everyone born there was afforded British Protection. However, if their father is a UK citizen, they were born outside of the United Kingdom but their parents were never married, they may or may not be eligible for UK nationality. British citizenship by descent is a type of British citizenship that can be obtained by people with at least one parent who is a British citizen. Ready to apply for your British passport? This depends on the laws of both countries. People who were born before 1 January 1983 but outside of the UK to a British-born father would qualify for UK nationality as long as their parents were married at the time of their birth. Designed to make your visa application as smooth and stress-free as possible. He was then able to pass on his nationality to his son, and his son was then a Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies and a South African at the time of his birth automatically. How can IAS help with my British Citizenship by descent application? If you were born outside of the UK, you may still be eligible for British citizenship by descent if your parent was a British citizen at the time of your birth. So what I'm going to take you through is basically two scenarios that have come up in the last couple of months. I was dreading the prospect of renewing my passport but with terrific service from these guys it was smooth and. Youre a woman who was married to a British man before the year 1949. The process of applying for a British passport varies depending on your country of origin and whether or not you already hold a valid passport. Its not the grant of ones citizenship. Otherwise for citizenship, you must have a Finnish father who is legally married to your mother. Not only will you become a citizen of your family's . Yes, you could qualify for British citizenship through your mother. If you can prove one of your grandparents was born in the U.K., you first have to apply for . Can a U.S. citizen petition for grandchild? British citizenship is usually passed down 2 generations and UK Ancestry working rights are granted to the third generation of UK born relatives. More info One parent must be a Danish citizen at the time of your birth. So if neither of your parents were Dutch citizens at the time of your birth, then you do not qualify for nationality via descent. What is the alternative to British Citizenship by double descent? This is known as double descent. Republic of Ireland patiently! But often there is a bigger reason for wanting to get citizenship by ancestry. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". So now we're talking about the fourth generation here, that was born in South Africa. Greek citizenship can derive from parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents who are or were Greek citizens. The U.S. citizen must be able to directly file a visa petition (Form I-130) for every person that he or she wishes to help immigrate. You can find a list of Irish embassies abroad where you can mail your application here. Fees. Citizenship by double descent refers to the ability to acquire British citizenship through grandparents, and by triple is through great-grandparents. Now, at that point, he was born to a father who had Citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies. There is a fee of 50.00 per certificate requiring authentication. Many actual Italians (born, bred and living in Italy) see people like Frankie as Americans who can claim an Italian passport thanks to a grandparent or, as in Frankie's case, great-grandparent. Have at least one parent who was a French citizen at your time of birth. In scenario one, I'll start off with obviously our great-grandfather. Tel: 0131 334 0380 Find My Past Carry out some free ancestry searches here, like Scottish records from 1700 to 1990, and marriages, births and christenings from 1553 - 1875. Find out more about citizenship by descent and whether you could be eligible. Contact IAS now we offer free advice sessions and are available in-person, by phone, and online. Wonderful service from Carla who made the process so easyThank youAmanda. with "My British Passport". procedure of applying for new passports were handled very professionally and timeously,I have absolutely no trouble in recommending them to anyone. Children born after 1 July 2006 could qualify for British citizenship as long as the father is British. Those born between the dates of 1 January 1983 and 30 June 2006, would qualify for UK citizenship as long as their father is considered to be a British citizen. Have at least one parent with Greek nationality; citizenship can be transmitted from generation to generation indefinitely. I am happy to receive promotional emails from the IAS. Also, take this list as a jumping off point. Find out more about British citizenship by descent grandparent by getting in touch with our professional immigration lawyers in London. In this particular scenario, we dont have movement of people. Very proactive and responds quickly. Since this is a complex procedure with a number of routes depending on your age, it is advisable to get the help of an immigration expert. If you were not born in the UK and and you have a parent, grandparent, and in some cases, great grandparent who was British, you may be able to claim British Citizenship by descent. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Claiming British Citizenship by descent (grandparent) also known as British Citizenship by double descent is based on at least one of your grandparents being British. Have at least one parent who was a British citizen at the time of your birth. But the actual applicant is quite interesting. At the time of your birth, one of your parents need to have been born in Canada or became a naturalized citizen. If youre thinking about retiring abroad, your options may be limited based on your ability to legally stay in a country for a longer period of time. And so, on 1 January 1983, unknown to him, obviously, he was reclassified automatically as a full British citizen and, hence, should be holding a British passport in the modern day. Even if your father or great-grandfather did not have a British passport, or theres no sign of it, that doesnt mean that you arent British. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. More info Have at least one parent who is an Israeli citizen at your time of birth, or claim through Law of Return. Each application for British Citizenship by descent (grandparent) will be assessed by UKVI on an individual basis. However, there is no Scottish citizenship officially, as it falls under British citizenship of the United Kingdom. This is known as double descent. An estimated 800,000 Americans can be eligible for Slovak citizenship by ancestry. I could not have asked for better service. from a great-grandparent) are very rare, but a recent case involving quadruple decent has just been dealt with by the Home Office. I first reached out to one of these companies and was told that I was not eligible. Now, I wont go into it in too much detail, but these connections meant the paternal grandfather was actually British other than by descent on 1 January 1983. Children under the age of 18 will need to claim citizenship before the age of 18 or they will lose all rights to British nationality. says "any foreign national with Serbian descent, has the right to acquire Serbian citizenship by written request" but includes no more specific information. So-called "citizenship by descent" laws in your ancestors' country of origin may qualify you for a second citizenship and a passport as a matter of right. The British Protection would have been taken away by independence arrangements of Zambia in 1964. TV: Amazing. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. UK immigration rules allow an automatic claim to British Citizenship if you have a grandparent (and, in rare cases, a great-grandparent) born in the UK. Children under the age of 18 will need to claim citizenship before the age of 18 or they will lose all rights to British nationality. Please visit our Citizenship By Descent page for information . Where does Thigmotropism occur in plants? Call us: What is Irish Citizenship By Descent? How can you apply for British citizenship by double descent? Apparently this can all be done virtually. We guide our clients from start to finish and ensure that their application forms have been completed correctly, they have submitted the right, original supporting documentation and the correct photograph. Yes, as long as you hold a full British passport, you are considered to be a British citizen and can travel in and out of the UK as much as you want. However, there are a few circumstances where this is not the case. So the short answer is, yes, you can inherit British citizenship if you're South African and you have a great-grandparent born in the UK, but it's not as easy as if you have a grandparent or parent born in the UK. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. On a daily basis Move Up receives phones calls of applicants asking "if I have a UK born great grandparent, can I qualify?" to which our consultants conclude that Basically, if you have a parent, grandparent, great-grandparent or other ancestors who were born in another country, you may be able to claim citizenship. Canadian friends told me it could take months to obtain a passport. Read some of the instances when one of your ancestors is entitled to German citizenship and may have passed it down to you. Thankfully took the stress away from getting a passport abroad. Have at least one parent who was a Colombian citizen by birth or naturalization. MP: Yes. However, a DNA test does not prove anything about how many generations back your ancestry in any given country may have been. 8. pkroks 3 days ago. This is less restrictive than current British nationality law, which allows citizenship by decent to pass down only one generation. So the short answer is, yes, you can inherit British citizenship if youre South African and you have a great-grandparent born in the UK, but its not as easy as if you have a grandparent or parent born in the UK. These are the following circumstances in which you can claim British Citizenship by double descent if you were born after 1983: If you were born before January 1st, 1983: You may be able to claim British Citizenship by double descent when: If you were born before January 1st, 1949: The most common cases of those born before 1949 claiming British Citizenship by descent (grandparent) include: Only British citizens are able to apply for a British passport. Responses were prompt, and instructions easy to follow. You can apply for an Irish passport without making an application for citizenship. Have at least one parent who was a German citizen at your time of birth, though there may be other exceptions to allow for citizenship. Find out about paying for a faster decision. 3 How long can a US citizen stay in Scotland? UK immigration rules allow an automatic claim to British Citizenship if you have a grandparent (and, in rare cases, a great-grandparent) born in the UK. Kept informed at all times during application, courier, service, progress report, and delivery. All appl. British Citizenship for a child born outside the UK to parents that are British citizens is not automatic. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Today we'll be discussing one of the questions we get most often. It was a British protectorate. He was born in South Africa in about 1980, I believe. You can claim British citizenship by double descent ifyou have a grandparent (and in rare cases a great-grandparent) born in the UK. Once my documents were on their way he kept me posted on what was happening. But it is very much possible. There are special rules that apply if you have a parent or grandparent from Ireland. Likewise, anyone who has lived in Scotland for at least 10 years at any point in their life and can show a 'demonstrable connection' to Scotland could apply for citizenship. Brian December 28, 2016 at 9:36 PM. Have a Swedish parent at the time of your birth. The Ireland citizenship by ancestry program is a great way to get a Irish passport. ", "Spouse visa uk application was successful after working with your staff. Their service was exceptional. Step 2: Fill out The Application for Irish Citizenship by Descent. Still, it was emphasised that if their ancestor left the Balkan country before October 8, 1991, and moved to other former Yugoslavian countries, they are not eligible to benefit from the citizenship .