British Citizenship (Naturalisation) · sub-route
British by descent
Free · automatic, apply for passport only
Sourced from GOV.UK · Updated April 2026The short answer
British by descent is one way to qualify for the British Citizenship (Naturalisation). The core rules of the British Citizenship (Naturalisation) apply, the specifics that set this route apart are below.
£1,839Application fee from
, IHS per year
For life (revoked only in rare national-security cases)Initial leave
, To settlement (ILR)
Who qualifies for this route
- At least one parent is a British citizen by birth (not by descent)
- Born outside the UK
Good to know
No application or registration needed, you are British automatically.
Apply for a British passport directly: £94.50 adult standard.
Cannot pass British citizenship to your own children born outside the UK (no double descent).
Other British Citizenship (Naturalisation) sub-routes
Standard naturalisation
£1,839 · 12 months on ILR required
ViewSpouse of British citizen
£1,839 · no waiting period after ILR
ViewChild registration (Form MN1)
£1,000 · no ceremony required
ViewSource: GOV.UK, British by descent · Last verified April 2026
Written & verified by
UKDesk Editorial, Editor & Researcher
Reads gov.uk, HMRC and ONS source pages, verifies every figure, and writes the plain-English explainers on UKDesk.