Minor Registration s.3(2) — British by Descent + 3y UK Residence

The route is an ENTITLEMENT (not discretionary): where the s.3(3) conditions are met, registration follows as of right on a valid in-time application while the person is a minor (under 18). The applicant must be born outside the UK and the qualifying territories; one parent must have been a British citizen by descent at the time of the applicant's birth; that parent's own parent (the applicant's grandparent) must have been a British citizen otherwise than by descent; and there must be a qualifying 3-year UK/qualifying-territory parental presence period preceding the birth. This is the principal statutory channel for the SECOND generation born abroad — i.e. a grandchild of a British citizen otherwise than by descent — to acquire British citizenship by registration where automatic transmission under s.2 (one-generation cut-off) has run out.

s.3(3) sets three cumulative conditions for the s.3(2) entitlement: (a) the applicant's parent ('the parent in question') was a British citizen by descent at the time of the applicant's birth; (b) the parent of that parent (the applicant's grandparent) (i) was a British citizen otherwise than by descent at the time of that parent's birth, or (ii) became a British citizen otherwise than by descent at commencement (1 Jan 1983) or would have done but for death; and (c) the parent in question was in the UK or a qualifying territory at the start of the period of three years ending with the date of the applicant's birth, and the number of days on which that parent was absent from the UK and the qualifying territories in that period does not exceed 270. The applicant must be a minor at the date of application.

Applications are made to the Secretary of State for the Home Department (UK Visas and Immigration) on the prescribed registration form (form MN1 for minors registering as British citizens), supported by evidence of the applicant's birth abroad, the parent's British citizenship by descent, the grandparent's status as a British citizen otherwise than by descent, and evidence of the parent's 3-year UK/qualifying-territory presence (≤270 days absent). On a successful entitlement application the SoS 'shall' cause the minor to be registered. A citizenship is conferred from the date of registration; for a person aged 10 or over at the date of application the good-character requirement (s.41A) applies. A registration ceremony with citizenship oath/pledge is required where the person is aged 18 or over at registration.

Registration of a child as a British citizen carries the standard child registration application fee. Per the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018 (SI 2018/330) Table 19 line 19.3.1, the child registration fee is £1,000 as shown on the consolidated regulations current to 1 June 2026 (a figure that DECREASED from the earlier £1,012/£1,214 levels). A further fee uprating takes effect 8 April 2026 at 09:00 (SI 2026/311) — verify the in-force-on-application-date figure. A citizenship ceremony fee (£130) applies only where the registered person is 18 or over at registration; a minor under 18 at registration does not attend a ceremony. There is no separate biometric enrolment fee for nationality applications. A Home Office fee-waiver/affordability policy exists for children's registration following the PRCBC litigation.

GB-DSC-03 is governed by the British Nationality Act 1981 (c.61) s.3(2)-(3), the entitlement route by which a minor born outside the United Kingdom and the qualifying territories to a parent who is a British citizen by descent may be registered as a British citizen on application. The Act came into force on 1 January 1983 (SI 1982/933 art.2). The 'qualifying territories' wording in s.3(2)-(3) was inserted on 21 May 2002 by the British Overseas Territories Act 2002 (c.8) Sch.1 para.3; the operative phrase 'while he is a minor' was substituted on 13 January 2010 by the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 (c.11) s.43(2) (SI 2009/2731). The page is up to date with all changes in force on or before 1 June 2026.