dual citizenship (British-Filipino) for 7 month old son

We are currently in the Philippines. How do we apply for a dual citizenship (British-Filipino) for our 7 month old son?

The hospital in the Philippines where my son was born misspelled my Scottish boyfriend's UK address. We informed this to the registrar but they said the embassy/consul will not bother looking at it and that the important thing is the names are spelled right? Is this true?

We plan to go to the UK this Christmas. Will the wrong spelling also affect my visa application since my boyfriend will be sponsoring me? (We are not married yet so I will be applying as a general visitor).

You don't apply for British Citizenship, you either have it or you don't! Provided that at least one of the natural parents of a child is a British Citizen, then the child is a de facto British Citizen. In a case where the birth took place outside the UK, that birth should be registered with the British Embassy and a Consular Birth Certificate obtained; you will need that certificate in order to obtain a British Passport.

Registration of births should be made as soon as possible after the birth and the Embassy requires the following:

• Original NSO or authenticated Hospital-issued Birth Certificate
• Copies of all Ob/Gynae records including scans - the estimated date of conception should be indicated
• Original plus one copy of both parents' Birth certificates
• Copies of the British parent's Passport (the Passport itself must also be produced) - details page plus proof that he was with the mother at the time of conception. If conception took place in a third country, both parents' Passports will be required to prove that they were together.
• Copies of the hospital's records for the delivery
• Photos of both parents together taken at various stages during the pregnancy
• Photos of both parents plus baby taken at the hospital shortly after the birth and at regular intervals afterwards

You can apply for the child's British Passport at the same time and the requirements for that are published on the Embassy's web site. Be particularly aware of two things, however:

1. Two copies of the baby's Passport-sized photo which must show the eyes open and an expressionless face taken against a plain white background. No part of either parent must be visible even if they are supporting the baby.
2. The Passport application form and one of the photos must be authenticated by a "qualified" British Citizen who has known the British parent for at least one year. In exceptional cases only will the Embassy accept authentication by a Filipino lawyer.

Yep, I agree - all immigrant-type visas must be applied for in the country of origin.

This interactive guide should assist in registering the birth of your baby...

https://www.gov.uk/register-a-birth/y


For the documentary requirements, consult this document...

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...ippines_-_Birth_registration_requirements.pdf

It would appear that you would apply to register the birth under category A, as your child has been born since 2006 and is based on the father's citizenship (I assume the father is British by birth, rather than descent)

If either of you are still married to someone else, I think you would have to wait until there is documentary confirmation that any marriage has ended before applying for registration of the birth.

We, or rather my wife, registered our son's birth with Moya Jackson, the Honorary Consul for Cebu, and the list I provided earlier was "lifted" from an email she sent me beforehand. The US does require DNA tests and I asked Mrs Jackson about this and she replied that a DNA test might be required if an application is made later in the the child's life or if, in the Consul's view, there may be some doubt as to natural parentage. I agree that there is a chance of a DNA test being required if the parents are not married to each other.

One very important point I forgot to mention is that if the Filipino spouse is registering the birth, she must have a notarised letter of authority from her husband: this should be addressed to HM Consul at the British Embassy with the request that he accepts the application.

Why, thank you so much for the reply... I've read the UKBA website numerous times and I think I pretty much understand it although I still have some doubts which is why I came to this site. We plan to marry next year but not in the UK but here thus the reason for not choosing the spouse/fiance route. Could you please copy me the link (if any) where it states that I cannot re-enter the UK for another 6 months for any other type of visa?

I swear I read somewhere before that the UK offers a multiple-entry visa like the US does. I've been searching for that page but failed. Maybe I was dreaming or something

His father is British by descent. Thank you for the response and the links you provided. We're both never married before so that's one less problem

My boyfriend will be back here in Oct. so we're doing all these stuff together.

Oss, that's a terrible thing. I hear some consuls can be real jerks.

Why is the reply with quote not working for me? It must be me, lol!

If I decide to gamble to enter the UK as a general visitor, will having 3 sponsors make a big difference? Will this assure the consul that I will have more than enough financial backup therefore I will not be a burden to her majesty, the Queen? *curtsy* and *bow*

Sorry, I meant my son's British by descent, his father is British by birth.
Do you think you could help me out with my other question above? thanks!

Not really. The onus is on you to prove that you have the financial resources to fund your trip and stay in the UK - and sponsors are taken into account - but more importantly that you have compelling reasons to return to the Philippines at the end of your permitted stay.

There is a multiple entry visit visa of 1, 2, 5 or 10 years with a maximum of six months in the UK on any one entry, but there would have to be special reasons for granting such a visa and I am guessing you have no previous history of visting the UK.

It is a tough enough for Filipinos to get a single entry visit visa for six months, especially if they wish to bring a child too. I think your only real chance is to apply for a single entry visa and to leave your child in the Philippines; you then have a reason for returning there.

I have been to the UK more than once but on a seafarer's visa as I used to work for a cruise ship. I don't think that makes any difference does it? My child is the main reason we're going to the UK, his grandparents are dying to see him. We'll surely work something out. Thanks for the reply Howerd.

I am not sure whether your seafarer's visa would make any difference, unless you came to the UK whilst you were in a relationship with your UK partner and can show you met him here and still returned to the Philippines.

I guess it would not hurt if you can show wedding plans being made in the Philippines, epecially if those plans are within 6 months of your Visit Visa entry date to the UK. But I think a multiple entry visa is probably not the best idea as that would give the UKBA just more ground for refusal (which they probably would) and you have lost money because multiple enttry visas are more expensive and you get no refund, I believe, if your application is unsuccessful.

Have you also looked at the comparative costs of a multiple entry visa to a single entry visa and how many times you intend to enter the county on a visit visa? If you are only going to visit, say 3-4 times then a single entry visa may not be that much more expensive.

You can find out about multiple entry visas on the UKBA website here...

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/visiting/general/apply/

Go to the bottom of the page and click on: Short-term and long-term visit visas

Again, thank you for replying. Indeed the multiple entry visa is much more expensive. We considered trying the multiple visa but will not pursue it as the ultimate plan anyway is for the family to settle in the UK after we get married. Wish me luck on my visa application :scotland::scotland::scotland::scotland: