UK British Citizenship Registration Guidance Updated for Irish Citizens and British Nationals

What changed

UK Visas and Immigration has updated its 'Form MN1: guidance' document, used for registering a child under 18 as a British citizen. Effective 20 August 2026, the 'Citizenship-related queries' section has been updated. Additionally, the guidance now confirms that the priority service for these applications is live, a new section titled 'when will the child become British?' has been added (effective 7 July 2026), and the section on returning Biometric Residence Permits has been updated and renamed 'destroy your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)'. These updates apply to individuals seeking to register a child under 18 as a British citizen through various qualifying circumstances.

What changed

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and Immigration Enforcement have updated the 'Powers and operational procedure: caseworker guidance'. This change took effect on 20 August 2026. The update adds new guidance called 'Post-incident procedures: in the event of death or serious injury'. This new guidance is for immigration staff who deal with enforcement matters in the UK. It adds to the current rules on how officers use their administrative and criminal powers. It expands how they must handle serious incidents.

What changed

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has updated its Country Policy and Information Notes (CPINs) for Albania. These notes help UKVI decide asylum and human rights applications. On 7 April 2026, UKVI replaced the CPIN on domestic violence against women with a new CPIN on gender-based violence. On 17 August 2026, UKVI removed the CPIN on human trafficking from July 2024 because it was old. On 3 October 2025, UKVI updated information about sexual orientation and gender identity. On 21 July 2025, UKVI added a new CPIN about unaccompanied children. On 22 November 2022, UKVI removed information about Roma and Balkan Egyptians.

What changed

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.