What Happens If You Accidentally Have a Baby in France?

[maretta]

Hi. I've just found out that I am pregnant and due mid september .

We have a family holiday booked, a week in France in early August and I'd really like to go. I shouldn't imagine they'd be a probelm - I went to 41.5 weeks with ds1 but obviously I need to make contingencies.

Does anybody know what would happen if I went into premature labour. Would my insurance or E1-11 cover this? I don't want a baby to arrive with a large bill.

I am no expert but think this information is wrong. As far as I am aware if both parents are British citizens at the time of the childs birth the child also qualifies for British nationality where ever they are born. Problems only occur if one or both parents are not British Citizens, especially the mother.

Never seen that anywhere either Monkey, surely parents being on Full UK passports would suffice. Nor can you assume that a baby born abroad would have dual nationality although that may be so within EU.

monkey, (hi! btw - how are things?) have a look at passport application requirements , particularly "born outside UK but father/mother born in UK".

It doesn't explain it properly (can't find anything that does on a quick google) but does imply that "born outside UK, parent not born in UK" is different - IYSWIM. DD1 was born in the US in April 1982 and the rules changed on 31/12/82 so I always read things carefully just to make sure.

It's aimed at restricting immigration but does affect people in your situation - however NB "This list is not exhaustive. More complex claims to British citizenship require sight of other documents." That will probably cover your grandchildren!

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Cas 73 my kids were all born outside of UK to british mum and foreign dad. They all have the right to GB passport by descent (through me) but can only pass on their british nationality if their own children are born in UK. At least that's what I have always been told?

GRMUM, is there a difference between nationality and citizenship, do you know?

This from the eligibility section of the Passport Office:

British Citizen
On 1 January 1983 people became British Citizens (BC) if they were citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies on 31 December 1982 and had the right of abode in the United Kingdom on that date.

By birth in the United Kingdom or in a place still a British colony.
By naturalisation in the United Kingdom or a British colony.
By registration as a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies.
By legitimate descent from a father* to whom the previous conditions applied.
*Prior to the introduction of the British Nationality Act, 1981, a person could not claim nationality from his or her mother.

Not sure that helps much though.

Yes I think there is janh. I'm not sure of the actual difference but citizenship can be applied for by other nationals I think? Actually this conversation has got me thinking - I've never bothered to get British passports for my 3 because its more or less academic with the EEC, but whilst I was in UK over new year I was reading that there is a growing movement for the UK to withdraw from EEC and only maintain trading rights.If this does happen it would affect my 3 in that they would be better of with both passports. If UK withdraws I would apply for greek citizenship as it does give me certain rights eg a vote - at present I can't vote in UK or Greece (can vote in european elections though!)

Nationality issues occur if your actually live outside of the uk when baby is born. If you live in the uk and have a baby abroad I would assume that your little one would have the same nationality rights as a baby born in the uk. You would need a passport to bring the baby back!! - in many eu countries to register a birth you need the parents marriage certficate, parents id cards and paper from where you live saying that you do actually live there. You would then take the birth registration paper to the embassy to get a uk birth certificate and passport. As we here don't have id cards& residence papers - would contact the uk embassy in france to see what docs you would need. On getting french nationality I think that just being born there is not enough and that there are residency requirements.

hi Janh how are you? We're undergoing the usual rounds of baby winter illnesses, but all fine. having fun & games with my peugeot, mind! & hi to you too, Lizs. Ok, so I've just been on the 'phone to the British embassy in Berne. She sighed a great weary sigh when i asked & said she didn't like answering these questions as they were so hypothetical & the kids are so young laws can change etc. My situation is, in case it's similar to others here & helps you out, , we have 3 sons (this seems to make difference, but like I said, she wasn't too impressed at answering this Q in 1st place, so don't know how or why it would be different for daughters). ds1 born in UK, so he is "alright". Ds 2 & 3 born in Switzerland. both me & dh are british & the boys have British birth certificates & UK passports. She said that if they lived all their lives in CH & married here then they probably would not be able to pass on thier UK citizenship. But if they married a British woman (who had been born in UK) or if they lived in UK they would be able to. She said there were so many ifs there's no way of saying 'yes' or 'no', but clearly if they lived in Ch all their life & married here, they wouldn't have British children! Blimey, what if the wife wasn't Swiss? Oh well, just another thing to learn along the way, can't turn the clock back now. Maybe good excuse to send them to live with nanny & grandad for a few years

btw, as I said, our children all hold British birth certificates & passports. While 2 of the 3 were born here they are not entitled to Swiss nationality or passports. but their children will not be British if born here. nor will they be entitled to Swiss nationality (unless the mother is Swiss) I know it's lots of what ifs & I'm not really bothered as it is all hypothertical, but surely that means thier children could end up 'ohne' nationality? weird

Wow, it seems like I got qute a few people worried....sorry!!
My 2 were born in Greece, by greek mum and british dad. THey got their uk nationality by their dad (so "by descent"), and, although they themselves are "proper" uk citizens (as my dh likes to call them...) they cannot pass the nationality to their children if they are not born in the uk. If their children are born in the uk then they are uk nationals in their own right anyway.
BUT, to make things a bit better, even if my grandchildren are not born in the uk and so cannot get their uk nationality from their parents (assuming), they can still become uk nationals from their grandad (dh) if they come and live in the uk for 3 years at some point in their lives.

Ooops, I pressed the post instead of preview button .
I hope this doesn't confuse things more.
The home office's website is quite slow atm, will do a link when it works properly again.

Maretta, this happened to someone I know. They went on holiday to France and she had the baby 7 weeks early; at this stage of pregnancy I guess they couldn't get travel insurance. The baby was fine but had to be admitted to special care for a bit - this was OK as was covered by E111, but the problem was the lack of travel insurance; the family had to fund their own return to the UK by private plane with nurse and doctor on board at a cost of about £5000. Dad also had to return to the UK to sort out a passport for the baby, so had to leave mum alone in the hospital and she spoke very little French. It all turned out OK in the end, but an experience to be avoided if possible!

Cas73 snap (sort of)mine are born in Greece but english mum and greek dad!!!

LOVE the title of this thread

Me too Nasa!

GRMUM,
Do you work in the british embassy or have I got it totally wrong? If so, I might have even met you when I went for dd2's passport...

Unfortunately not cas73. Would love to have a job there!Up to last year I worked as a physio. but now doing the old standby.....TEFL!