Apply for citizenship if your parent is a British overseas territories citizen

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1. Eligibility and fees

You may be eligible for British overseas territories citizenship and British citizenship if both of the following apply:

  • your parent is a British overseas territories citizen
  • you were not born in the UK

It depends on when you were born, and your parents鈥� circumstances.

Check your eligibility:

If you or your parents were born in the UK, you might automatically be a British citizen. Check if you鈥檙e a British citizen.

This is one way to apply for British citizenship. Check if you鈥檙e eligible to apply another way - including through the Windrush scheme.

How much it costs

You may have to pay a fee to apply for British citizenship depending on your circumstances.

You may also need to pay a fee for British overseas territories citizenship, depending on which territory you have a connection with.

You鈥檒l need to pay 拢130 to attend a citizenship ceremony if you鈥檙e applying for both British citizenship and British overseas territories citizenship.

If you鈥檙e only applying to become a British overseas territories citizen, you鈥檒l need to make an oath and pledge. The fee you鈥檒l pay depends on the territory where you make your oath and pledge.

2. If you were born before 1983 and your mother was a British overseas territories citizen

You can apply to become a British overseas territories citizen and a British citizen if both of the following apply:

  • you were born before 1 January 1983
  • you would have become a British overseas territories citizen if your mother had been able to pass citizenship on to you when you were born

Documents you鈥檒l need to apply

You鈥檒l need to provide the following documents to show how you could have become a British overseas territories citizen through your mother:

  • your passport
  • your birth certificate

You鈥檒l also need to provide one of the following:

  • your mother鈥檚 birth certificate
  • your mother鈥檚 certificate of naturalisation or registration as a citizen of the UK and Colonies
  • papers showing your mother鈥檚 legal adoption
  • your mother鈥檚 expired passport that shows she was a citizen of the UK and Colonies

How to apply

Fill in the form. You can use the same form to apply to become a British overseas territories citizen and a British citizen.

If you apply from outside the UK

You鈥檒l be asked to make an appointment at a visa application centre to provide your biometric information (your fingerprints and a photo). You鈥檒l get a letter telling you how to do this after you鈥檝e applied.

If you apply from inside the UK

You鈥檒l be asked to make an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) centre to provide your biometric information (your fingerprints and a photo). You鈥檒l get a letter telling you how to do this after you鈥檝e applied.

If you鈥檙e applying from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man

If you live in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, you have to apply in person or by post.

Check which you can do with your lieutenant-governor鈥檚 office.

3. If your parents were not married

You can apply to become a British overseas territories citizen and a British citizen if one of the following apply:

  • you would have automatically become a British overseas territories citizen if your parents had been married
  • you could have applied to become a British overseas territories citizen if your parents had been married

You must have not previously given up (renounced) your citizenship as a British overseas territories citizen.

Documents you鈥檒l need to apply

You鈥檒l need to provide the following documents to show how you could have become a British overseas territories citizen through your father:

  • your passport
  • your birth certificate

If your birth certificate does not have your father鈥檚 name on it, you鈥檒l need to provide another document that shows how you鈥檙e related, for example a court order.

You鈥檒l also need to provide one of the following:

  • your father鈥檚 birth certificate
  • your father鈥檚 certificate of naturalisation or registration as a citizen of the UK and Colonies
  • papers showing your father鈥檚 legal adoption
  • your father鈥檚 expired passport that shows he was a citizen of the UK and Colonies

How to apply

Fill in the form. You can use the same form to apply to become a British overseas territories citizen and a British citizen.

If you apply from outside the UK

You鈥檒l be asked to make an appointment at a visa application centre to provide your biometric information (your fingerprints and a photo). You鈥檒l get a letter telling you how to do this after you鈥檝e applied.

If you apply from inside the UK

You鈥檒l be asked to make an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) centre to provide your biometric information (your fingerprints and a photo). You鈥檒l get a letter telling you how to do this after you鈥檝e applied.

If you鈥檙e applying from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man

If you live in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, you have to apply in person or by post.

Check which you can do with your lieutenant-governor鈥檚 office.

4. After you鈥檝e applied

You鈥檒l usually get a decision within 6 months - some applications can take longer. If yours will take longer you鈥檒l be told before 6 months have passed.

You鈥檒l be told if you need to provide more information to help with your application.

If your circumstances change

Contact UK Visas and Immigration (part of the Home Office) if your situation changes during your application. For example, you move house, get married or are arrested.

Nationality contact centre
[email protected]

If you become a British citizen and a British overseas territory citizen

If your application to become a British citizen and British overseas territories citizen is successful and you鈥檙e 18 years old or over, you鈥檒l need to attend a citizenship ceremony.

If you live outside the UK, you will be invited to attend a ceremony in the territory or country you are living in.

If you become a British overseas territory citizen

If you are only applying to become a British overseas territories citizen and your application is successful, you鈥檒l need to make an oath and pledge. You鈥檒l be sent details on how to do this.

Travelling to and from the UK

Once you get a British passport you must use this to enter the UK.

If you do not want a British passport you can apply for a certificate of entitlement instead.

You cannot enter the UK using your certificate of British citizenship.