CitizenshipEffectiveMedium impactVerified

United Kingdom Citizenship

🇬🇧 United KingdomCitizenship12 recorded versionsLast change 20 Aug 2026

ConfidenceVery high · 100%

Current rules

HM Passport Office staff guidance clarifies when examiners can search for a parent’s EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) record using UK Visa and Immigration’s Atlas system for passport applications. It also includes an update to check for outdated links within the guidance.

Overview

UK Visas and Immigration has updated its guidance for caseworkers regarding the renunciation of British nationality. This update, effective 7 August 2026, aims to align processes with current systems for individuals requesting to give up their British citizenship. It clarifies the legal basis and required evidence for such renunciations.

Who is affected by the latest change

HM Passport Office staff dealing with passport applications
Examiners searching for a parent’s EUSS record
Children born in the UK mainland and Crown Dependencies on or after 28 August 2018 to a national of the EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein with status under the EU Settlement Scheme

What changed in the latest version

Before

HM Passport Office staff dealt with passport applications for children born to EEA citizens with EUSS status, but the process for searching parent's EUSS records using UK Visa and Immigration's Atlas system and handling outdated links might have been less clear or different.

After

This update is crucial for HM Passport Office staff as it provides explicit instructions on a key procedural step: how and when to verify a parent's EUSS status to process a child's passport application. For parents, understanding that this internal guidance has been refined may offer reassurance regarding the consistency and clarity of the passport application process for their children. It ensures that staff correctly identify British nationality claims, particularly for children whose parents acquired settled status after the child's birth, streamlining the verification process and potentially reducing delays related to EUSS status checks. Incorrect application of this guidance could lead to erroneous decisions on nationality and passport issuance.

Explained simply

Imagine you're trying to get a new passport for your younger brother or sister, and your parents are from an EU country but live in the UK under a special rule called the EU Settlement Scheme. Before, it was a bit tricky for the passport office to check if your parents had that special status if they didn't have a specific number ready. Now, the passport office staff have clearer instructions. They can use a special computer system called Atlas to look up your parents' status, even if your parents didn't provide that specific number right away. This makes it easier and faster for kids like your sibling to get their British passports, as long as they were born in the UK after 28 August 2018, and their parents have the right status.

Frequently asked

Version history

v12Effective 20 Aug 2026EffectiveMedium impact
UK Clarifies Staff Guidance for Passport Applications of Children Born to EU Settlement Scheme Parents, Enhancing EUSS Record Search Capabilities
Effective 20 August 2026, the United Kingdom's HM Passport Office has updated its guidance for staff concerning the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) and its impact on passport applications. The update clarifies the conditions under which examiners can search for a parent's EUSS record using UK Visa and Immigration's Atlas system. This guidance specifically applies to children born in the UK or Crown Dependencies on or after 28 August 2018 to parents who are nationals of the EU, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein and hold status under the EUSS.
v11Effective 20 Aug 2026EffectiveMedium impact
UK Guidance for Registering a Child Under 18 as a British Citizen (Form MN1) Updated with Priority Service and Digital Status Information
UK Visas and Immigration has updated its guide for registering a child under 18 as a British citizen. This guide is called 'Form MN1: guidance'. From 20 August 2026, the section on 'Citizenship-related queries' is updated. The guide now confirms that the priority service for these applications is available. A new section has been added, called 'when will the child become British?', which took effect from 7 July 2026. Also, the section about returning Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) is updated and renamed 'destroy your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)'. These updates apply to people who want to register a child under 18 as a British citizen under different qualifying rules.
v10Effective 20 Aug 2026EffectiveLow impact
Guidance on British Overseas Territories Citizen Registration (BOTC(F)) Updated for Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) Process
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has changed its guidance for 'Registration as a British Overseas Territories citizen (BOTC(F))'. This change became active on 20 August 2026. The update specifically changes what to do with a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) — a permit that proves your immigration status. This guidance affects people born before July 2006 whose fathers were unmarried and had a connection to a British overseas territory. It also affects people born on or after 1 July 2006 who did not become a British Overseas Territories citizen because their mother was married to someone other than their natural father. This change is about administrative steps for documents after someone becomes a citizen.
v9Effective 19 Aug 2026EffectiveMedium impact
UK Guidance for Registration as British (Mother's British Overseas Territory Connection) Updated
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has published guidance. This guidance shows how some people born before 1983 can apply for British nationality. The guidance is called 'Registration as British if your mother had connection to a British Overseas Territory Guidance'. It helps people who did not get British nationality when they were born. This happened because old rules did not let their mothers pass on their status. Applicants can now use form BOTC(M) to fix this past problem. They can register as a British Overseas Territories Citizen (BOTC) and/or a British citizen. UKVI first published this guidance on 28 June 2022.
v8Effective 17 Aug 2026EffectiveMedium impact
UK British Citizenship Registration Guidance Updated for Irish Citizens and British Nationals
UK Visas and Immigration has updated its 'Form B(OTA): guidance' document. This change took effect on 17 August 2026. The update replaces the email address for nationality questions on 'Guide B1: registration as a British citizen – a guide for British Overseas Territories citizens'. Instead, it now gives a direct link to the contact UKVI webform. This change affects British Overseas Territories citizens who use Guide B1 to apply for British citizenship.
v7Effective 17 Aug 2026EffectiveLow impact
UK Guidance for British Citizenship Restoration (Form RS1) Updated: Nationality Enquiries Contact Method Changed
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) released new guidance for 'Form RS1' on 17 August 2026. This form is for people who want to become British citizens again after giving up their citizenship. The new guidance changes how to contact UKVI for nationality questions. It replaced the old email address with a link to a web form. It also updated information about how long applications take to process, how to return your Biometric Residence Permit (a card that shows your immigration status), and rules for travel after you become a British citizen. Other sections that changed are 'Good character', immigration advice, how to give your biometric information (like fingerprints and photos), proof of identity, travel after you apply, and citizenship ceremonies. The guidance now includes a new section about digital status. It no longer has the section called 'citizenship ban'.
v6Effective 17 Aug 2026EffectiveMedium impact
UK Guidance for British Citizenship Registration for Stateless Persons (Form S) Updated: Nationality Enquiries Contact Method Changed
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) updated the 'Form S: guidance' document on 17 August 2026. This update changed how people contact them for nationality questions. Before, an email address was given for these questions. Now, people must use a link to the 'contact UKVI webform'. This guidance applies to people without a country they can call home — legally called stateless persons. It applies when they want to register to become a British citizen, a British overseas territories citizen, or a British overseas citizen. This is true whether they were born before, on, or after 1 January 1983. It also applies no matter where they were born, inside or outside the UK or UK overseas territories.
v2Effective 10 Aug 2026EffectiveMedium impact
Form UKF: Guidance Updated for Registration as British Citizen (Unmarried Parents, British Father)
UK Visas and Immigration has updated its guide called 'Form UKF: guidance'. This guide explains how to register as a British citizen if your father was British and your parents were not married. A major update on 7 October 2024, changed the summary. It now confirms that you can use Form UKF if you were born before or after 1 July 2006. Other updates on 10 August 2026, improved sections about applying and questions about citizenship. On 20 July 2026, changes were made to how long applications take to process and how to return your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). A Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) is a document that proves your right to live or remain in the UK. The guide also made clearer points about citizenship, proof of fatherhood, and going to a citizenship ceremony on 21 July 2025. Links to pay fees were updated on 23 July 2024.
v3Effective 7 Aug 2025EffectiveMedium impact
Updates to Guidance and Form for Registering a Child as a British Overseas Territories Citizen
UK Visas and Immigration has updated its guidance and application form (MN2). These updates are for registering a child under 18 as a British Overseas Territories Citizen (BOTC). The 'Citizenship-related queries' part of the guidance was updated on 7 August 2026. The declaration on the application form was updated on 25 February 2026. On 28 July 2025, the 'introduction' part was updated. This update added information about automatic claims and having two nationalities. Also on this date, 'the requirements' part was made clearer. The 'good character' part was updated on 2 May 2025. This update reflected changes in policy. It affects people applying for BOTC citizenship for children.
v4Effective 7 Aug 2026EffectiveMedium impact
Guidance on registering as a British citizen (Form T) updated
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) updated its 'Form T: guidance' document. This document tells people how to register as a British citizen. It is for people born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983. These people must have lived in the UK until they were 10 years old. The update happened on 7 August 2026. This change updated the section called 'Citizenship-related queries'. Other updates happened before this. On 8 July 2026, UKVI added information about how long priority service takes. On 28 July 2025, UKVI added a section called 'after you have submitted your application'. On 28 April 2025, UKVI changed rules in the 'good character' section. This guidance helps specific people born in the UK who want to register for British citizenship.
v5Effective 7 Aug 2026EffectiveMedium impact
Updates to Application and Guidance for Registering a Child Under 18 as a British Overseas Citizen (Form MN3)
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has updated the contact details in the guidance for Form MN3. People use Form MN3 to register a child under 18 years old as a British Overseas citizen. This change started on 7 August 2026. The old guidance had old contact information. The new guidance has the current contact details. This update helps people who look at the guidance for contact information about their application.
v1Effective 7 Aug 2026EffectiveMedium impact
Renunciation of British nationality: caseworker guidance updated
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has updated its instructions for staff who deal with requests from British citizens who want to give up their British nationality. These new instructions start on 7 August 2026. The update matches how these requests are handled today.

Timeline

Takes effect
20 Aug 2026
HM Passport Office staff guidance clarifies when examiners can search for a parent’s EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) record using UK Visa and Immigration’s Atlas system for passport applications. It also includes an update to check for outdated links within the guidance.
Takes effect
17 Aug 2026
The guidance for Form S now directs users to a link to the contact UKVI webform instead of an email address for nationality enquiries.
Takes effect
10 Aug 2026
The Form UKF guidance has been updated to reflect that it can now be used by individuals born both before and after 1 July 2006 for registration as a British citizen if born to a British father and parents were not married.
Takes effect
7 Aug 2026
The guidance for Form T has been updated to specifically address 'Citizenship-related queries' as of 7 August 2026. This is part of a series of updates including information on processing times for priority service (8 July 2026), amendments to the 'Travelling to and from the UK after becoming a British citizen' section (6 March 2026), a new 'after you have submitted your application' section (28 J
Takes effect
7 Aug 2026
The contact details in the guidance for Form MN3 have been updated.
Takes effect
7 Aug 2026
The updated caseworker guidance, effective 7 August 2026, includes revised processes to reflect current systems for considering requests from British citizens to renounce their status. It continues to provide information on the legal basis, supporting evidence, and procedures for those holding additional forms of British nationality.
Takes effect
2 May 2025
The guidance for registering a child under 18 as a British overseas territories citizen (Form MN2) has been updated. Specifically, the 'Citizenship-related queries' section in the guidance was updated on 7 August 2026. The declaration in the application form was updated on 25 February 2026. The 'introduction' section was updated to include information on auto claims and dual nationality, and 'the
Announced
22 Nov 2023
HM Passport Office has updated its EU Settlement Scheme: passport staff guidance to clarify how staff must handle passport applications for children born in the UK to parents with EUSS status. The new guidance, effective from 20 August 2026, details when examiners can search for a parent's EUSS record using UKVI's Atlas system, streamlining the process for confirming British citizenship claims ba
Announced
22 Mar 2019
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has revised its 'Form S: guidance' for stateless individuals seeking British citizenship. The update, effective 17 August 2026, replaces the previous nationality enquiries email address with a direct link to the UKVI webform, streamlining the contact process for applicants. This change is part of ongoing efforts to update guidance for British nationality applicatio
Announced
22 Mar 2019
The guidance for Form UKF, used for registering as a British citizen, has undergone several updates. Most recently, on 10 August 2026, sections related to applying for registration for those born to an unmarried British father and citizenship-related queries were updated. Significantly, as of 7 October 2024, the form can now be used by individuals born both before and after 1 July 2006, expandi
Announced
22 Mar 2019
Guidance for individuals applying for British citizenship via Form T, specifically those born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983, and resident until age 10, has been updated. Key revisions include clarification on citizenship-related queries, processing times for priority service, and changes to 'good character' and application submission procedures. These updates aim to provide clearer instruc
Announced
27 Jul 2017
UK Visas and Immigration has updated its guidance for caseworkers regarding the renunciation of British nationality. This update, effective 7 August 2026, aims to align processes with current systems for individuals requesting to give up their British citizenship. It clarifies the legal basis and required evidence for such renunciations.
Announced
1 Dec 2012
Recent updates have been made to the MN3 form and guidance for registering children under 18 as British Overseas Citizens. Key changes include revised contact details on 7 August 2026, and an updated declaration on 25 February 2026. Policy changes impacting the 'good character' section were reflected on 29 April 2025, and changes related to the Illegal Migration Act 2023 were incorporated on Ju
Announced
1 Jun 2002
Guidance and the application form (MN2) for registering children as British overseas territories citizens have undergone multiple updates. Key changes include policy adjustments to the good character section as of 2 May 2025, and clarity provided on auto claims, dual nationality, and meeting registration requirements. These updates aim to improve the clarity and applicability of the registration

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