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Original poster

expats who had / will have a baby away from their homeland?

38 replies

SalBySea · 07/11/2008 20:51

did you / will you give your baby your nationality or the nationality of the country they're born in?

I was born to ex pat parents and was given their nationality - but then due to family circumstances they moved back home so I did end up being raised in the country that was on my password in the end

I see pros and cons for both

my nationality: its a bit more politically neutral which may be beneficial in times when England might be involved in war etc. Its my nationality.

English: good embassies, and if we never move to my home country, I think it would feel a bit odd to call yourself a nationality of a country that you know relatively little about, If we stay here our baby will probably feel English so would it be odd to not be? then again, who knows if we'll stay? no plans to move right now but my parents didnt intent to go home and they did.

DH is English and doesn't seem to care either way

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Original poster
SalBySea · 08/11/2008 00:13

nancy - I was born and registered here and am not British

People in the dual camp - if you HAD to pick one, which would it be?

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Original poster
SalBySea · 08/11/2008 00:12

because I didnt like growing up feeling neither 100% one or the other (even though I just have one on my passport, although I often felt it was the wrong one and I was a bit of a fraud. Dont care now, I know I feel english even if my passport says otherwise - its still a european one so DH and I go through the same channels at customs etc)

and the option is there for the future anyway to get dual if they want it - an option that I have never needed or wanted (woulda made me feel even more disjointed) but its there

We will prob just put one on the birth cert and would like to here about others who chose rather than went for dual from the start. still have a few months to decide, am erring towards English at the moment as that is where it will live, for now anyway, and it'll be the same as one of its parents.

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nancy75 · 08/11/2008 00:09

do you get a choice of what to put on bith cert, i cant remember tbh, i think if you register them here they are british by default? we had to apply for the australian one seperately so really not sure about the actual birth cert.

nancy75 · 08/11/2008 00:04

why dont you like the idea? i am english my dp is australian, we are both part of her. if dd says she is anything she will say british because she was born and will probably be brought up here, but if in the future she wants to live in australia we have given her that option without her having to go through the usual problems to get visas ect.

Original poster
SalBySea · 08/11/2008 00:00

I dont like the idea of multiple nationalities personally, am eligible myself but never applied. Think its nicer to be able to say "I'm one thing"

the kid could always apply for the second nationality in the future if they want but for now we are just trying to decide what to put on the birth cert.

Any ex pats just picked one and which one did you pick and why?

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annasmami · 07/11/2008 22:01

Our children have 3 nationalities/passports (mine, dh's and English) and my understanding is that they can keep all three forever.

nancy75 · 07/11/2008 21:08

dp has 2 passports btw, british and oz, both have just been renewed with no problems

nancy75 · 07/11/2008 21:07

my dp also has dual nationality, i really dont think they can make you choose, he has a brit passport because his dad is british but dp was born in oz and lived there until he was 25, he is definately entitled to oz passport, as is dd. they might stop giving it to peope but i dont think they can take it away

overbuurvrouw · 07/11/2008 21:04

DD is duel nationality, it seems wise to keep her options open as long as possible.

She will have to make choice later though, I don't know if that's the same with all combinations of nationalities, but with this one she can't have two passports after 18.

DP is Dutch.

Original poster
SalBySea · 07/11/2008 21:02

a friend of mine who has dual australian/english nationality told me that it is going to be abolished and she will soon have to choose one.

If you had to choose one for your DCs, which would you choose?

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nancy75 · 07/11/2008 20:59

my dd has dual nationality, dp is australian

BrownSuga · 07/11/2008 20:54

DS has dual nationality, worth it IMO, for the reason you say. If we go to english unfriendly country, he can use his other passport.

Original poster
SalBySea · 07/11/2008 20:52

sorry - passPORT not passWORD

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