Passport-related question for Child Application

[Helen2020]

Hello, and thank you in advance for your assistance.

We wish to register our child as as British Citizen, and have two quick questions:

Here are the facts:

1. Child was born in the UK in 2005 to EU parents.
2. Child left the UK with mother at 10 months (parents divorced) and has not lived in the UK since then.
3. Father acquired Settled Status in the UK in February 2020.

Questions are:
1) Does the child's absence from the UK make him ineligible for applying for citizenship?
2) If answer to Question 1 is that he is eligible, then can an applications for his citizenship still be made after Dec 31, 2020?

Thank you very much for your time.
Helen

[alterhase58]

Did you or husband have EU Permanent Residence status or Indefinite Leave to Remain at the time of child's birth?
In that case child may be British already: https://www.gov.uk/check-british-citize ... april-2006

If not then child could probably be registered (31 Dec 2020 is not relevant for child registration).
Here is the link to the government guidance on registration: https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... 1-guidance

Regarding absence of the child from the UK since age of 10 months I will leave to others to answer.

[secret.simon]

The absence of the child from the UK is immaterial.

UK-born children are entitled to registration under Section 1(3) when one of the parents has acquired Settled Status. There is no residence requirement. The proof required will be the British birth certificate and proof of the father's Settled Status.

Keep in mind that the registration can only be done before the child's 18th birthday.

[Helen2020]

Thank you very much for both your replies.

Helen.

[Helen2020]

Hello.

I am about to send off the application for British Citizenship on behalf of my son. They require us to send his current valid passport together with his application. He currently holds a Greek passport, which is about to expire in less than four (4) months from now.

I do not know how long the application process in the UK lasts. If it lasts more than four (4) months I am worried that the passport might have expired by the time the authorities look at my son's application, and so they might not accept it as a valid passport.

Is this a real concern?
If so, what do you suggest that I do?

I am also concerned about sending off the passport in the first place (i.e. my son being without a passport for a period of time). Could you also advise me on the approximate amount of time it normally takes for the passport to be sent back?

Thank you very much in advance for your advice and assistance.
Helen

[CR001]

Passports take up to 6 weeks.

[Helen2020]

Thank you very much for your reply.

Helen