Can my DDs, born in Spain to me a British citizen, get British passports. They already have Spanish ones.

[Shitemum]

Am freaking out at the British embassy in Madrid website as it looks like things are far more complicated than they were a few years back when i first idly thought of getting DD1 a Brit passport.
The info on the site seems to suggest they would have to give up Spanish nationality. Can't they have both?
(Have also posted this in 'chat')

[Candlewax]

As far as I know (having a friend who has a child born in Australia) they can have dual nationality and you have to apply to the UK office for their British passports.

[Shitemum]

thanks candlewax but it may be different for aussies. will contact UK office tho.

[lillee]

Well my DS would have had Dual Nationaity if born in Portugal so Spain shouldn't be any different, in the EU and all that

[Shitemum]

lillee - thing is i never registered them at the consulate here when they were born, just registered their births as you do and later applied for Spanish passports. Their father has Spanish nationality.

[Brangelina]

Yes, my dd was born in Italy and is an Italian citizen via her dad, but she can still get a British passport on the strength of my citizenship, even with just an Italian birth certificate. All EU countries have the same practice. HTH

[Brangelina]

I never bothered registering either, too bloody expensive! You don't need to.

[lillee]

Oh right SM! Will have a search for the website i checked before i went out there to see if that gives any info

[lillee]

Still searching SM but DH is saying def entitled to both as is our DS a Portugese passport still.

[SueW]

1. Can I have more than one nationality?

The British Government has no objection to dual or multiple citizenship or to a person holding passports from more than one country. However, certain other countries do object so it is advisable to check with the authorities of the other country concerned.

This page

[Shitemum]

thanks all
ok, so next question:
do i apply to passport office in uk while in Spain,
to passport office in Uk while in UK or
to British Embassy in Spain while in Spain?

I have tried to find out on web but it's all a bit confusing. Feeling a bit stupid.

[kindersurprise]

You normally have to apply to the British Embassy in Spain. That is what we have to do in Germany.

Be warned though, it is very expensive. It would be cheaper to get it in UK, but they would not let me do that.

[SueW]

That's in the FAQs. You can do either in Spain or UK (FAQ 3). But if you have not registered your children's birth with the embassy in Spain there will be no record in the UK (FAQ 24).

[Shitemum]

SueW - thanks x-posted with you. Don't know how i missed that page before. it answers many of my Qs and am feeling less worried now! Thanks all.

[kindersurprise]

Oops, should have read the link first.

You can apply in UK.

Off to google for German rules. Perhaps they have been changed too

[Shitemum]

good, so i should

1. register their births with the British consulate here in Spain.
2. apply for passports for them in the UK in the summer when we are visiting as it will be cheaper! (but find out what docs we need first in case we have to bring them from Spain)

Thanks!
Panic over....

[lillee]

Nice one SM, glad you got it sorted! No point in directing you to a Portugese website is there? lol

Knew they could have both

[kindersurprise]

Just had another look at the UK website. You have to make an appointment to get a passport in UK. You cannot apply by post. Applying in person in UK cost 81pounds.

I will just renew DD's passport here then as it costs about the same.

[Brangelina]

SM, I reckon you'll be paying more if you do the consular registering, just to save a few £££ getting the passport in the UK. You don't need to do the birth registration thing as Spanish docs are just as valid and it's quite easy getting the passport locally, just takes a bit longer.

Also, IIRC, if you're not married when you register the births you have to do this crappy maternal and paternal declaration, which costs something like another 100 euros each. With a passport you needn't bother as it's the mother's citizenship that counts.

[Parofleurmapu]

www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=115 0447306988

www.mjusticia.es/cs/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1057821035243&lang=en_gb&menu_activo=t ram&pagename=Portaldelciudadano%2FPage%2FTramite&subseccion=Descripcion&tipotramite=PFM&idtramite= 1060583996709

Ive found these links useful. I shall do this and apply for british passport.

YOu can have both british/spanish passport Britain allows you to have dual nationality but Spain doesnt but all you have to do is pretend to renounce British status or pretend you dont have it and then never show british documents in Spain. Lots of friends have done this and all is well

[ScienceTeacher]

It doesn't really matter what Spain thinks. Your children are British citizens from birth.

However, they don't need a British passport or registration at the consulate to prove this. The proof of British citizenship is your British birth certificate or passport. They can apply for a passport at any time, including into adulthood. The only advantage of a British passport instead of a Spanish one is if they want to go to certain countries where the visa requirements are looser.

[2sugars]

Surely it's what Science Teacher says?

I have dual nationality, simply because my dad was Italian. Mind you, this was 40 odd years ago - they may have changed the rules now.

[PollyLogos]

As far as I know, if you were born in Britain any children born to you (wherever they were born) can have have British citizenship through you. Your children's children however will only be entitled to british citizenship if they are born in Britain.

[2sugars]

I'm sure though, PL, my children can have Italian citizenship by virtue of my having an Italian passport. Or is Britain different in its classifications of nationality? It wouldn't surprise me.

[2sugars]

Sorry, for citizenship read nationality.

[ScienceTeacher]

Different countries have different rules, 2sugars.

In the case of the UK, foreign born children of British citizens 'otherwise than by descent' acquire British citizenship at birth.