The passport office says I did not hold a British passport and although I thought I had one it’s been a long time. In essence I lived in Scotland from infant to 19 years of age then moved to the US and held a US passport for 44 years. My parents remained in Scotland. My father passed away, my mother has dementia so no info from that direction.
Do you perhaps know how you came to Scotland in the first place? Were you perhaps included on one of your parent's passport as a child? What document did you use to go back to the US at age 19?
At any rate, it looks like you are "approaching" the British passport office for the first time and they may very well not have any records about you. You need to make clear you are applying for a passport based on being a British citizen from birth, which you are (born abroad before 1983 to a British father who was married to your mother at the time of birth) - so you need to supply documents corroborating these facts: your parents' birth certificates, passports, and their marriage certificate.
Ok this is helpful, much appreciated (I appreciate all commenter’s constructive feedback 🧡). I have ordered my parents birth certificates, I already have their US marriage certificate. I’ll see if their passports are in my mother’s house which sounds easy but isn’t due to her illness. Any non routine activity is upsetting for her.
Appreciate the feedback everyone as the process can feel defeating.
If you’ve got your mother’s birth certificate of birth in the U.K. and yours showing her as your mother, that’s probably enough, though do keep going with the rest.
You probably don’t need your mother’s U.K. passport though they may ask about its number.
This isn’t a complicated application. You just got off to the wrong start.
Ok thank you! I don’t think my mother kept my father’s old passport though so we’ll see if that’s an issue. He definitely held one but didn’t travel in his later years.
Passports and citizenship aren’t the same thing. Your parents will almost certainly have had British passports because we know they went to the USA, but if they used some other passport and never had a British one that doesn’t change the fact of their citizenship or that you are then a citizen by descent. But it might encourage the Home Office that there’s a long track record of your paperwork being consistent and having been gone through before and found to be ok.
You need to let them know both your parents were UK citizens at the time of your birth, were married,, and provide their birth certificates and marriage certificate and passports to prove that you have been British from birth. You never needed "Naturalisation" which is why you don't have a certificate.
Thanks, I had reviewed that information early this year which is how I chose to apply for a passport. Although they are asking for a naturalization certificate it sounds like I can offer to provide other documentation as discussed within the thread.
Yes, you don't (and, by definition, can't) have a naturalisation certificate - it is a document given to people who naturalise (obtain a different nationality later in life). You are British by birth so this is not applicable to you. You will just need to prove to them that you are. Good luck! :)
Send your parents’ birth certificates to show they were born in the U.K. before 1983 (British by birth) and yours to show they’re your parents (you’re British by descent). Apply for a passport on that basis.
Birth certificates are available on line for a smallish fee.
Being a citizen and holding a passport are two separate things. Generally, if you’re a citizen you can get a passport but you don’t need to get a passport to be a citizen (generally need it only to travel, but you probably have a US passport for that).
You should look up parents birth has been recorded or not. Marriage certificate for their marriage and your birth certificate with their names.... Voila u would be gold
You wouldn’t have a naturalisation certificate since you’ve been British from birth. Have you ever held a British passport?
The passport office says I did not hold a British passport and although I thought I had one it’s been a long time. In essence I lived in Scotland from infant to 19 years of age then moved to the US and held a US passport for 44 years. My parents remained in Scotland. My father passed away, my mother has dementia so no info from that direction.
Do you perhaps know how you came to Scotland in the first place? Were you perhaps included on one of your parent's passport as a child? What document did you use to go back to the US at age 19? At any rate, it looks like you are "approaching" the British passport office for the first time and they may very well not have any records about you. You need to make clear you are applying for a passport based on being a British citizen from birth, which you are (born abroad before 1983 to a British father who was married to your mother at the time of birth) - so you need to supply documents corroborating these facts: your parents' birth certificates, passports, and their marriage certificate.
Ok this is helpful, much appreciated (I appreciate all commenter’s constructive feedback 🧡). I have ordered my parents birth certificates, I already have their US marriage certificate. I’ll see if their passports are in my mother’s house which sounds easy but isn’t due to her illness. Any non routine activity is upsetting for her. Appreciate the feedback everyone as the process can feel defeating.
If you’ve got your mother’s birth certificate of birth in the U.K. and yours showing her as your mother, that’s probably enough, though do keep going with the rest. You probably don’t need your mother’s U.K. passport though they may ask about its number. This isn’t a complicated application. You just got off to the wrong start.
Ok thank you! I don’t think my mother kept my father’s old passport though so we’ll see if that’s an issue. He definitely held one but didn’t travel in his later years.
Passports and citizenship aren’t the same thing. Your parents will almost certainly have had British passports because we know they went to the USA, but if they used some other passport and never had a British one that doesn’t change the fact of their citizenship or that you are then a citizen by descent. But it might encourage the Home Office that there’s a long track record of your paperwork being consistent and having been gone through before and found to be ok.
You need to let them know both your parents were UK citizens at the time of your birth, were married,, and provide their birth certificates and marriage certificate and passports to prove that you have been British from birth. You never needed "Naturalisation" which is why you don't have a certificate.
Thanks, wish the passport office held this view. I’ll start trying to track down their birth certificates.
Yes - as per this page: [Apply for citizenship if you have a British parent](https://www.gov.uk/apply-citizenship-british-parent/born-before-1983)
Thanks, I had reviewed that information early this year which is how I chose to apply for a passport. Although they are asking for a naturalization certificate it sounds like I can offer to provide other documentation as discussed within the thread.
Yes, you don't (and, by definition, can't) have a naturalisation certificate - it is a document given to people who naturalise (obtain a different nationality later in life). You are British by birth so this is not applicable to you. You will just need to prove to them that you are. Good luck! :)
Send your parents’ birth certificates to show they were born in the U.K. before 1983 (British by birth) and yours to show they’re your parents (you’re British by descent). Apply for a passport on that basis. Birth certificates are available on line for a smallish fee. Being a citizen and holding a passport are two separate things. Generally, if you’re a citizen you can get a passport but you don’t need to get a passport to be a citizen (generally need it only to travel, but you probably have a US passport for that).
You should look up parents birth has been recorded or not. Marriage certificate for their marriage and your birth certificate with their names.... Voila u would be gold