Newborn British citizen travelling with non-British passport

[flyer]

Both myself and my wife are Singaporean nationals living in the UK.

We had a child born in the UK in August 2010. Both my wife and myself have Indefinite Leave to Remain when our child was born.

It is clear to us that under the British Nationality Act 1981 our child is a British citizen because his parents were both legally settled in the UK at the time of his birth. (Ref: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/briti ... territory/)

I have the following questions:

1) We intend to register the child as a Singaporean national at the Singaporean High Commissioner in London, and subsequently aquire a Singaporean passport for him. How does this affect his status as a British citizen?

2) If the child then travels using his Singaporean passport and returns to the UK with his Singaporean passport accompanied by one his parents (who has Indefinite Leave), under which provision will the child be admitted into the UK? And how will this affect the child's status as a British citizen?

[Backer]

1) We intend to register the child as a Singaporean national at the Singaporean High Commissioner in London, and subsequently aquire a Singaporean passport for him. How does this affect his status as a British citizen? It does not. The UK permits dual citizenship.

2) If the child then travels using his Singaporean passport and returns to the UK with his Singaporean passport accompanied by one his parents (who has Indefinite Leave), under which provision will the child be admitted into the UK? And how will this affect the child's status as a British citizen?
Why not apply for a British passport for him?

[nax_72]

Singapore does not allow dual citizenship. If I were you and if I prefer UK passport for the baby I will straight away register the child as a British and get a British passport and forget about Singaporean citizenship.

[Backer]

But the thing is that the child is already a British citizen from birth.

The fact that he has a or hasn't got a British passport does not make a difference.

[a-gavriel]

Both myself and my wife are Singaporean nationals living in the UK.

We had a child born in the UK in August 2010. Both my wife and myself have Indefinite Leave to Remain when our child was born.

It is clear to us that under the British Nationality Act 1981 our child is a British citizen because his parents were both legally settled in the UK at the time of his birth. (Ref: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/briti ... territory/)

I have the following questions:

1) We intend to register the child as a Singaporean national at the Singaporean High Commissioner in London, and subsequently aquire a Singaporean passport for him. How does this affect his status as a British citizen?

2) If the child then travels using his Singaporean passport and returns to the UK with his Singaporean passport accompanied by one his parents (who has Indefinite Leave), under which provision will the child be admitted into the UK? And how will this affect the child's status as a British citizen?

That's a complicated legal problem:
if Singapore does not allow a dual citizenship, you cannot register your child as a Singaporean citizen without denouncing his British citizenship. Otherwise you violate the law of Singapore.
I think that this is the key issue.

From the point of view of the UK your child is British (unless you denounce his British citizenship). He is allowed, of course, to enter the UK.

As a matter of principle, a passport is not needed to enter a citizen's home country. The purpose of a passport is to allow travel to foreign countries.

Therefore, in principle, your child is entitled to enter the UK even without a UK passport, provided that you can prove that the child is a British citizen. In your case it is pretty easy: the child was born to parents who hold an ILR.

In practice I wouldn't try to go the route you are going:
if Singapore does not allow a dual citizenship, why do you try to violate its law ?

[flyer]

Thank you everybody for your replies.

I am fully aware that Spore does not allow dual-citizenship.

I know I am being a bit cheeky here, but I do not want my baby to lose his British citizenship because I have applied for a Sporean passport for him - he might decide when he reaches legal age that he prefers to be British rather than Sporean!

As a matter of principle, a passport is not needed to enter a citizen's home country. The purpose of a passport is to allow travel to foreign countries.

Therefore, in principle, your child is entitled to enter the UK even without a UK passport, provided that you can prove that the child is a British citizen. In your case it is pretty easy: the child was born to parents who hold an ILR.

A follow-on question:

Assuming we go ahead with my baby's Sporean passport, what stamp will the immigration officer at Border control put on his brand spanking new Sporean passport when he re-enters the UK?

Or will my baby be just waived past because he is British, even though he is holding a Sporean passport (as UK allow dual-nationality)? And like you said above, it is vey simple to prove that he is British because his Sporean passport will state that he was born in UK and his parents has ILR in their passports!

[a-gavriel]

Thank you everybody for your replies.

I am fully aware that Spore does not allow dual-citizenship.

I know I am being a bit cheeky here, but I do not want my baby to lose his British citizenship because I have applied for a Sporean passport for him - he might decide when he reaches legal age that he prefers to be British rather than Sporean!

As a matter of principle, a passport is not needed to enter a citizen's home country. The purpose of a passport is to allow travel to foreign countries.

Therefore, in principle, your child is entitled to enter the UK even without a UK passport, provided that you can prove that the child is a British citizen. In your case it is pretty easy: the child was born to parents who hold an ILR.

A follow-on question:

Assuming we go ahead with my baby's Sporean passport, what stamp will the immigration officer at Border control put on his brand spanking new Sporean passport when he re-enters the UK?

Or will my baby be just waived past because he is British, even though he is holding a Sporean passport (as UK allow dual-nationality)? And like you said above, it is vey simple to prove that he is British because his Sporean passport will state that he was born in UK and his parents has ILR in their passports!

I don't understand: if you wish to keep the two nationalities, why don't you issue him a British passport ???

[boloney]

Thank you everybody for your replies.

I am fully aware that Spore does not allow dual-citizenship.

I know I am being a bit cheeky here, but I do not want my baby to lose his British citizenship because I have applied for a Sporean passport for him - he might decide when he reaches legal age that he prefers to be British rather than Sporean!

As a matter of principle, a passport is not needed to enter a citizen's home country. The purpose of a passport is to allow travel to foreign countries.

Therefore, in principle, your child is entitled to enter the UK even without a UK passport, provided that you can prove that the child is a British citizen. In your case it is pretty easy: the child was born to parents who hold an ILR.

A follow-on question:

Assuming we go ahead with my baby's Sporean passport, what stamp will the immigration officer at Border control put on his brand spanking new Sporean passport when he re-enters the UK?

Or will my baby be just waived past because he is British, even though he is holding a Sporean passport (as UK allow dual-nationality)? And like you said above, it is vey simple to prove that he is British because his Sporean passport will state that he was born in UK and his parents has ILR in their passports!

fill up NS form, cost about 80 GBP that will be proof of his nationality status.with it I`m sure they will let him into UK

[geriatrix]

Using a Singaporean passport while exiting UK may not be a problem, but will it be the same when returning to UK?

When returning to the UK:
1.Will Singapore Immigration allow a passenger to pass through without a valid visa in the passport?
2. If you show evidence of British nationality at Singaporean immigration control, will they not confiscate / invalidate the Singapore passport (if, as stated, Singapore does not allow dual citizenship)?



regards

[vinny]

Singapore does not allow dual citizenship. If I were you and if I prefer UK passport for the baby I will straight away register the child as a British and get a British passport and forget about Singaporean citizenship.

See also Dual citizenship.