Will I ever need the Naturalisation certificate AFTER receiving the passport?

[Bader]

Hey all,

I would really appreciate some of your expert view, I have received my Passport and now I am officially a British Citizen , Although I am sure I will keep everything safe I am curious to know Will I ever need the Naturalisation certificate ever again?

I appreciate your time and help.

Thanks

[paul911]

I am not a professional, but I can tell you that the most appropriate answer - it depends. Just like in a million different cases with British Overseas Citizens (discusssed in the neighboring thread) there could be a ton of various changes to citizenship laws in the future and you will never know at which point either you or your children or grandchildren will need to prove something to somebody. So best advice for these kinds of things is always - KEEP EVERYTHING.

[secret.simon]

Possibly. You, your children or grandchildren may be asked to prove your/their right to British nationality at any time in the future.

Keep in mind that a passport is only prima-facie proof of British citizenship and while unlikely, you may be asked to prove your right to British citizenship in subsequent British passport applications. A naturalisation certificate, on the other hand, is definitive proof of British citizenship.

Citizenship laws in the UK change about once every 40-50 years (major changes in 1914, 1948 and 1981-83, with many minor amendments in between) and the requirements of such major changes may be unknown. See this thread about a claim to citizenship based on a naturalisation certificate issued almost 80-odd years ago.

Your naturalisation certificate, not your passport, is the basis of British citizenship for your family many generations into the future. Keep it safe.

[CR001]

Hey all,

I would really appreciate some of your expert view, I have received my Passport and now I am officially a British Citizen , Although I am sure I will keep everything safe I am curious to know Will I ever need the Naturalisation certificate ever again?

I appreciate your time and help.

Thanks

The certificate is what is the official proof of your British citizenship. A passport is just a travel document.

Also, do NOT laminate your naturalisation certificate, it will render it useless and replacement certificates cost a few hundred pounds.