Urgent Help! Child Born abroad, MN1 or direct passport?

Hi All,

I needs some urgent advice as I'm getting mixed information from Solictors and UK visa and immigration.

I have British Citizenship/passport via descent so I cannot pass it down to my child.

My child was born in Pakistan 2 years ago.

I have been trying to get her a British passport, originally I was going to apply via the MN1 route as that's what it says on the gov website and most places on the internet.

I then got in touch with a lawyer who was helping me with my wife's spousal case and he advised me to apply directly via the embassy in Pakistan for a British passport for my daughter.

I explained to the lawyer what it said online etc and he said ignore that, he deals with these cases on a daily basis and its better and cheaper to apply for a passport directly as the MN1 costs around £1300

I trusted the guys advice as I applied for my wife's visa via him and it came in 5 weeks and she came over and got her BRP and went back as there is no one to take care of our daughter,

Now when going to the embassy in Pakistan to submit my daughters passport application on 5 different occasions they keep demanding the naturalisation certificate for the father (me) to submit the application.

This does not exist and cannot exist, I have confirmed this with the home office and various other places, I do not have one and will never have one as I was automatically British via descent and have a British passport.

I have called the UK Visa & immigration centre yesterday and they advised me to apply for the MN1, I spoke to 1 person who said to apply via MN1 and I questioned them and they were like oh actually you're right you can apply for the passport and don't need the MN1.

Then I called again to confirm today morning just incase and this person said it's impossible for me to get a passport for my daughter without the MN1.

So I called the lawyer who initially helped me and told him what they advised and he said they're wrong and you can just apply for the passport without the MN1.

So I'm just going around in circles and being given mixed info.

Can anyone please advise who has maybe gone through this?

Thank you in advance.

If you are British by descent, then your daughter fails Section 2(1)(a). If she cannot satisfy any other subsections of Section 2, then she is not automatically a British citizen (by descent).

Then she has to register to become a British citizen first, before she is eligible for a British passport.

kava786 wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2024 10:50 am

I have called the UK Visa & immigration centre yesterday and they advised me to apply for the MN1, I spoke to 1 person who said to apply via MN1 and I questioned them and they were like oh actually you're right you can apply for the passport and don't need the MN1.

Then I called again to confirm today morning just incase and this person said it's impossible for me to get a passport for my daughter without the MN1.

The helpline is outsourced - its very often the case where you're given contradicting or incorrect advice. I'd suggest you be very cautious with this helpline.