So I’m applying for a “first passport” for my son, and it appears like they want both the birth and marriage certificates for all the grandparents!
Keep in mind, he’s already been recognized as British, and we have the transcription of his birth certificate to the UK FCO registry.
Is this normal? Has anyone done this before? What happens if I cannot get the birth certificates - I know for my father, that’s practically impossible.
Never heard of that one. I certainly didn’t need this for my kid’s passport. I did find this though https://www.officialukcertificates.co.uk/post/passport-without-grandparents-birth-certificate#:~:text=Your%20grandparents’%20birth%20certificates%20are,to%20hold%20a%20British%20passport.
Don’t know if that’s the same info you had
It’s pretty standard these days but if there really are problems in getting a certificate there are ways to get around it.
Thanks - it’s not, that’s a useful link as it puzzles me more. If it’s around determining nationality, shouldn’t that have been done when he was registered as a UK national?
Secondly, none of his grandparents are British, nor are they born in the UK - so curious what that adds…
This is going to be a MUCH longer process than expected, suddenly I fear for our summer holidays…
EDIT: Found this line in a random document:
Grandparents’ details if both parents named in section 4 were born after 1 January 1983 or were born abroad.
So it seems like we are “too young” (i.e. born after 1983), so now I need to find a way to get more documents… the annoying thing is, their “alternative documents” don’t work. They want marriage certificates (nope, parents didn’t marry), death (nope, luckily still alive), etc…
Let’s see, may be easier/faster (shockingly) to just get the italian passport.
Since none of the grandparents are/were British, i wouldn’t have thought that any of their documents are relevant. Do you have any documents confirming how you obtained British citizenship? Maybe that would help. Also documents for the other parent/ grandparents? But i think this is probably a question for the passport office. I think it says somewhere on the page i linked to get in touch. Hopefully you’ll get to speak to a real live person. Good luck
Yes, my naturalisation certificate. This was included with the registration of his birth to the FCO.
Will try calling Monday, let’s see…
Getting a passport is a completely different process if the child is born abroad to a naturalised parent. Not sure many people will have this experience.
Yes it is normal. I also did this. I would normally expect this check being required as if you obtain British Citizenship by descent, you cannot pass this on.
Not sure how he was recognized as British other than by getting the passport? Can you elaborate? Maybe for passport purposes, they cannot ‘trust’ the existing checks or they somehow have to be re-validated because this data is recorded in the passport. Or it could just be unnecessary bureaucracy.
Phil - you can register a birth of a British citizen abroad here:
Basically you send them the Swiss birth certificate, the paternity recognition and the parent’s original naturalisation certificate (in original). They verify this and issue a transcription of the birth into the British registry.
Even for that they did not ask for the grandparents’ documents…
But that just registers a birth of a child. It doesn’t confirm that the child has British citizenship.
Yes I think only applying for the passport does this, hence all the documents.
Exactly, that’s just registration of a birth overseas, it’s not an essential thing to do as the Swiss birth certificate is the only one that counts but we did it for our son as it could be useful at some time.
The passport is what counts and they do more checks for those.
I respectfully disagree…
For two reasons:
If it just registers the birth, why do they need my (original) naturalisation certificate? Can anyone register a birth abroad with the UK authorities? e.g. Can two Swiss parents register a birth with the UK authorities?
(and more importantly) The cover letter states “A consular birth registration records the birth of a British child born overseas…”, and then on the actual certificate, under item “4. Claim to citizenship” it states : “S2(1)(a) British Nationality Act 1981”
That said - they are both moot points 
At the end of the day, if they want the birth certificates going back two generations to get a passport, then I need to do that… regardless of what I believe/think. I’ll still give them a call Monday to check… Having checked with my in-laws (both born in a country that no-longer exists, like my father - but an entirely different country), they feel that getting a birth certificate would be challenging…
Also, while in #whingemode… it’s a pet gripe of mine whenever any entity asks for an original document that cannot be replaced. I can order authenticated copies of the naturalisation certificate; but can never get a second “original”.
There. Whinge done. Now I feel better
Maybe you’re right. To register “Your child must have an automatic claim to British nationality at birth to be eligible.” Though it notes only that it has a claim, not that the claim is validated (but that’s probably me reading too much into it).
I got my son his passport without registering the birth in the UK (to save money).
For point 1 the answer is no.
A British person can register the birth of their child abroad. Whether the child can then claim nationality will be determined according to the rules of the 1981 nationality act.
Foreigners can only register a birth in the UK if the child is actually born there.
So I got a response. They are VERY fast at replying to emails (albeit it does seem to be copy/paste with near zero thought to it)…>
Non English documents must be translated by a registered translator.
If you do not have any of the documents noted on the application then please also send an explanation as to why they are not available
You must send original documents. Photocopies are not accepted.
If you do not have your original certificates (for example, your birth certificate), you need to get an official copy.
To get copies of birth, marriage, civil partnership or death certificates issued in England or Wales, go to Order a birth, death, marriage or civil partnership certificate - GOV.UK
To replace documents issued in Northern Ireland, go to www.nidirect.gov.uk
and for Scotland go to www.gro-scotland.gov.uk
To replace documents issued abroad, get advice from the relevant embassy or consulate of that country.
If your documents are not in English or Welsh, you need to send a certified translation. Visit: Certifying a document - GOV.UK
You can only send laminated documents if that’s the only format they are issued in.
So I guess I’ll be writing a letter stating that the consulate in Switzerland never replies to phone calls, emails or carrier pigeon and thus I cannot get a birth certificate for dad
You DO NOT need any GRANDPARENTS info for your case. This is because you (the father) was naturallized. (You need to send your naturalization certificate and optionally the FCO registration alongside the standard things - photo, swiss birth certificate etc-, which will be returned to you).
From the Home Office guidance:
If the applicant’s parents were born on or after 1 January 1983, you will also need to provide evidence of grandparents’ claim to British nationality by providing their birth certificates and, in the case of grandfathers, their marriage certificates.
This does not apply if:
That is amazing. Do you have a link for that?
Just called the Indian Embassy in Bern, who were oddly responsive. They said that they cannot provide a birth certificate, as there are no records from when/where my father was born (north-west colonial India, pre-partition… so now Pakistan… but he holds an Indian passport). Their suggestion was to write a letter explaining that he does not have (and cannot have) a birth certificate, and attach a copy of his passport… That said, if I can also add a link to a HO page stating that, even better.
(ironically, there is a form on the Bern embassy page to request a birth certificate based on passport details, but only for Swiss residents… The Indian high comission in London on their site openly states that they cannot provide a birth certificate). I guess the Berne one has to deal with Swiss authorities not accepting that a birth certificate doesn’t exist
Well, there won’t be a ton of different sources for something so specific ; it is from the instructions for applying for a British passport, section “additional documents required for applicants born or adopted overseas”