United Kingdom citizenship: required documents
The documents you'll gather for United Kingdom citizenship by descent, by route and by ancestor. Your exact list is generated from your lineage in the wizard.
British by descent — passport
If you are already British by descent, document how your British parent acquired citizenship and the chain to you, then apply for a passport.
You
- •Birth certificate
Each ancestor in the chain
- •Birth certificate
- •Marriage certificate — if_married
- •Adoption certificate / order (if applicable) — if_adopted
- •Amended birth certificate (if applicable) — if_adopted
- •Name connection / spelling-variation proof (if applicable) — if_has_name_changes
Your qualifying ancestor
- •Birth certificate
- •Proof of your ancestor's citizenship
- •Marriage certificate — if_married
- •Adoption certificate / order (if applicable) — if_adopted
- •Amended birth certificate (if applicable) — if_adopted
- •Name connection / spelling-variation proof (if applicable) — if_has_name_changes
Registration (s.3 / s.4)
Registration as a British citizen (e.g. s.3(2)/s.3(5) child routes, or s.4C/s.4L historical-injustice routes) via UKVI.
You
- •Birth certificate
- •Registration application
Each ancestor in the chain
- •Birth certificate
- •Marriage certificate — if_married
- •Adoption certificate / order (if applicable) — if_adopted
- •Amended birth certificate (if applicable) — if_adopted
- •Name connection / spelling-variation proof (if applicable) — if_has_name_changes
Your qualifying ancestor
- •Birth certificate
- •Proof of your ancestor's citizenship
- •Marriage certificate — if_married
- •Adoption certificate / order (if applicable) — if_adopted
- •Amended birth certificate (if applicable) — if_adopted
- •Name connection / spelling-variation proof (if applicable) — if_has_name_changes
UK Ancestry visa
For a Commonwealth citizen with a UK-born grandparent: a 5-year work visa that leads to settlement and later naturalisation — NOT citizenship by descent.
You
- •Valid passport
- •Proof your grandparent was born in the country
- •Proof of maintenance funds
- •Evidence you plan to work
- •Tuberculosis test certificate (if applicable)
- •Visa application
See if you qualify for United Kingdom citizenship
Check your eligibility — freeNot affiliated with UKVI or any government. A document-organization tool, not legal advice — always verify with the relevant authority.