OT:How do you prove you are a British Subject?

[Dennis]

If you were born in Scotland to Scottish parents and they were the offspring of Scottish parents; is there a document you can provide to show you are a British subject (citizen)?

[Montrose Budie]

Not as such.

But your birth certificate, and the marriage certificate and birth certificates of your parents provide the necessary proof.

mb

[Hibee]

A passport?

Hibee

[Montrose Budie]

Aye weel, but a passport only proves British nationality...... and that can obviously derive from applying for citizenship.


Countries such as Ireland and Finland will issue you with a passport based on your ancestors.


I can't recall for the moment the number of generations involved for such passport issue.....


But, whatever, the UK basis of nationality is closely tied to the place of birth of the person involved, or possibly the parents.

There are many complicated situations involving the births of service personnel abroad, or births to parents working abroad, especially if they didn't use the consular or High Commission procedures to register the birth.

mb

[emanday]

But, whatever, the UK basis of nationality is closely tied to the place of birth of the person involved, or possibly the parents.

There are many complicated situations involving the births of service personnel abroad, or births to parents working abroad, especially if they didn't use the consular or High Commission procedures to register the birth.

My husband and both his siblings were born in Turkey, as was their father who was (we think) the third generation born there. They were all British subjects on the basis that a great great grandfather was born in Malta.

Purely by accident, I found that two of my husbands aunts had finally registered their births with the Consulate in 1972. One was 68 and the other 71 at the time. They'd done it to obtain British passports to travel to the UK.

I'm sure my husband's father's birth must have been registered as well as he was an official, first in the Embassy in Ankara, then in the Consulate in Istanbul. As yet, I have been unable to find it!

[Elwyn]

Broadly speaking there are 2 ways in which you can be a British Citizen/Subject (the differences are becoming rather arcane). One is by descent, and the other is by naturalisation. For naturalisation, the Home Office (now the the UK Border Agency) issues a naturalisation certificate as proof you have been accepted. Naturlaisation is for those with no previous links to the UK and who fulfil various requirements as to residence and good conduct. For descent, it is up to you to produce the relevant birth and marriage certificates to establish your claim but there is no document that is issued as a consequence, confirming the nationality. Though obviously, if you want, the Passport Office will issue a passport, if they are satisfied the claim has been satisfactorily established, for a fee.

But to answer your original question ie is there a document you can get to show you are British by descent, the answer is no, save for a passport.

Elwyn