To be amazed at what I need to provide...

[Sexnotgender]

For my sons first passport!

My parents full birth certificates and marriage certificate and the same for my husbands parents.

It’s bonkers. Has anyone else had to provide all of this?

What if you don’t have everything?

Thank you everyone who has provided information, much appreciated!

RubberTreePlant I know other people who have had to provide reams of daft paperwork despite their children being British by decent (born to a British citizen mother born before 1983).

In what sense isn't it true?

What's significant about 1983?

In the sense that OP doesn't need to provide what her OP says she needs to provide @anothernotherone so saying "blimey that's ridiculous"... oh I give up.

popehilarious we all know that the world went to Orwellian shit in 1984...

There law applies differently to children of parents born in or after 1983. I don't know why.

The British Nationality Act 1981 took effect on 01/01/1983 @popehilarious

RubberTreePlant if the individual concerned is being told to provide all that they won't get their application approved without the extra documents surely. Certainly it seems to be more common than otherwise to be asked for extra proof.

Things have must have really changed in the last year.

I applied online for both my children's first British passports in March 2018.

My parents, DH's parents and DH himself were all born abroad. DH has indefinite leave to remain, and is not a British citizen. None of us is white.

DH and I have different surnames, as the children carry his.

After filling in the details online, the only documents I sent off were:

• my British passport
• the children's birth certificates
• their certified pictures

The children's passports all arrived 3 weeks later, with no queries. I was really pleased with how straightforward the whole process was.

RubberTreePlant if the individual concerned is being told to provide all that they won't get their application approved without the extra documents surely.

The passport will be issued if enough evidence to establish nationality is provided.

There seems to be an issue with the way the online form has been set up, such that it's asking everyone for everything including the kitchen sink, but that's an obvious error.

There have been umpteen threads from mothers (always mothers doing the family admin) saying "they're asking for this massive list of documents", and in most cases, most of it is surplus to requirements.

Thanks for the heads up! My kids don’t have UK passports yet, and my DW doesn’t have one either, nor is she a U.K. citizen. I might get them passports earlier than planned if it’s going to be a big faff. They travel under another passport at the mo.

There you go, @Meyamoo proves the point.

Similar happened to us - I was born after 83 (British) and OH is Irish. The online form asked for all the same info as you despite the fact that children of Irish citizens are British if born in UK anyway. I think it's a stupid problem with the coding on the online form.

Anyway I did check and send at the post office instead and in other information wrote what I've said above and just included DC birth certificate

DC British passport arrived 5 days later.

RubberTreePlant ah ok so the application should be approved without the extra paperwork? In that case apologies, maybe I'll get around to applying for my kids ... It's still disproportionately expensive and time consuming from abroad, compared to the passport they already have, but maybe worth doing.

Hopefully they'll correct the form soon. Or maybe it really is part of the HO's drive to appear forbidding?

Well I'm a single parent and DD's 'Dad' is awol. So I guess we have no chance then!

I remember being astounded at the level of detail that they required when I applied for my daughter’s passport. Me and my husband are both British citizens from birth, full UK passports both still valid, they are the new ones with the chip etc etc but I still had to provide both sets of grandparents names, DOB, town of birth, marital status and maiden names and date of marriage. It was a lot of information that they requested and I still had to send birth certificates etc in alongside the countersigned application etc. I don’t know if the application would have possibly been fine if I’d not known these details, but thankfully I did so I guess I’ll never find out. It just seemed like such a lot of information for such a small person! Especially as I don’t remember having to provide any of that when I applied for my own passport!

I'm going to step away before I scream

I meant to add that I was born in 1980, and am aware the citizenship rules changed in January 1983. My parents became British Citizens before that date, although they still hold Citizenship of their original country.

Thank you RubberTreePlant you’ve been very helpful. I hope your blood pressure hasn’t been too adversely affected!

Yes @Meyamoo as time goes on, and more and more parents who apply are both born in 1983 or later, they'll all need to provide one set of grandparent details.

But nobody with a British parent ever "needs" to prove nationality from both sides, just that at least one parent had British nationality at birth. So one British grandparent, proving the nationality of one British parent, is the most that is ever needed to prove nationality by descent. (Otherwise thousands of people with mixed heritage would be permenantly stuck inside the U.K.)

I wasn’t born in the UK and I didn’t have to submit info on my parents. Both DH and I did already have British passports when we submitted the application though.

YW

@RubberTreePlant sorry I was still typing when your comment was posted! The form is crackers if it doesn’t actually mean you need all those things! You’re right about that bit! I just went through it all and followed their directions and was definitely led to believe that all those minute details were required . I’m usually very intelligent and not at all easily lost by forms and instructions! It’s definitely very poorly designed/worded. I felt like I was applying to have her inducted into MI6 😂

@RubberTreePlant I don’t think the system is set up to be difficult to use at all.

From memory, my understanding is that the online system generates different documentary requirements, depending on how you answer initial the screening questions.

I applied for my children as British Citizens through mine. I added all of DH’s details to the application, but it didn’t ask me for any grandparents details at all. I didn’t even have to send DH’s passport or proof of eligible residency (at the time he was on a visa!).

I'm feeling a bit cross on behalf of the parents who are obediently running themselves ragged, paying for copies of ancient BMD certificates etc.