Check if you're a British citizen

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Born in the UK between 2 October 2000 and 29 April 2006

Whether you’re a British citizen depends on where your parents were from and their circumstances. There are different rules if when you were born:

  • at least one of your parents was a British or Irish citizen
  • at least one of your parents was a citizen of an EU or EEA country
  • neither of your parents was a British, Irish, EU or EEA citizen

You’re automatically a British citizen if you were adopted by a British citizen in a UK court.

If at least one of your parents was a British or Irish citizen when you were born

You’ll be a British citizen if when you were born at least one of your parents was either:

  • a British citizen
  • an Irish citizen living in the UK

If the parent that meets these conditions is your father, he must have been married to your mother when you were born.

If at least one of your parents was a citizen of an EU or EEA country when you were born

Most children of EU or EEA citizens born between 2 October 2000 and 29 April 2006 are not automatically British citizens.

You’re automatically a British citizen if when you were born all of the following applied to at least one of your parents:

You might also be a British citizen if your parent or their family member died or stopped working before you were born.

If the parent that meets these conditions is your father, he must have been married to your mother when you were born.

Countries that were in the EU or the EEA, or had equal status, between 2 October 2000 and 29 April 2006 (other than the UK and Ireland)

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden were in the EEA by 2 October 2000.

Switzerland is not an EU or EEA member but has been part of the single market since 1 June 2002. This means Swiss nationals have the same rights to live and work in the UK as other EEA nationals.

Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia joined the EU on 1 May 2004.

If your parent or their family member died or stopped working before you were born

You’re automatically a British citizen if at least one of your parents was living in the UK and that parent, or one of their family members, was one of the following when you were born:

  • an EU or EEA citizen who lived and worked in the UK and had died
  • a retired EU or EEA citizen who had worked or been self-employed in the UK

If the parent that meets these conditions is your father, he must have been married to your mother when you were born.

If your parents were not British, Irish, EU or EEA citizens when you were born

You’re automatically a British citizen if when you were born at least one of your parents lived in the UK and had one of the following:

  • indefinite leave to remain (ILR)
  • right of abode
  • right to re-admission

If the parent that meets these conditions is your father, he must have been married to your mother when you were born.

You can check if your parents had ILR, right of abode or right to re-admission.

View a printable version of the whole guide

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