Supporting documents for applications made inside the UK

This page lists the documents that you you must send us when you apply from inside the UK for a certificate of entitlement to right of abode.

The Right of abode page explains who can and should apply for a certificate. To find out how to apply for a certificate, see the How to apply page.

You must send us:

  • your valid passport or travel document - if your passport was not issued in the UK, it must contain immigration stamps showing that you are living here;
  • 2 passport-size photographs of you, taken within the past 6 months; and
  • the documents needed to prove that you have a right of abode - see below.

You must send us the original documents, not photocopies. Birth certificates and marriage certificates should be the ones issued at the time of birth or marriage. If they are not, please explain why.

If you want us to return your documents by signed-for delivery, you should enclose a pre-paid self-addressed Royal Mail special delivery (or recorded signed for delivery) envelope. The envelope should be the correct one for the size and weight of your documents, and should be insured to the appropriate level for the documents' value. See the Royal Mail website for further information. If you do not enclose this envelope with your application, we will return your documents by Royal Mail 2nd-class post.

If you need us to return your documents urgently, you can phone our nationality contact centre (see the right side of this page). Please do not phone us to check the progress of your application

Documents to prove your right of abode

If you were registered or naturalised as a British citizen on or after 1 January 1983

You should send your registration or naturalisation certificate.

If you were registered or naturalised in the UK as a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies before 1 January 1983

You should send your registration or naturalisation certificate.

If you were born in the UK before 1 January 1983

You should send your full birth certificate, showing your parents' details.

If you are a Commonwealth (not British) citizen born before 1 January 1983 to a parent who was born in the UK

You should send:

  • your full birth certificate, showing your parents' details; and
  • your parent's full UK birth certificate.
If you are a female Commonwealth citizen who was married before 1 January 1983 to a man with right of abode in the UK

You should send:

  • your marriage certificate; and
  • evidence of your husband's right of abode, such as his passport or UK birth certificate.
If you were born in the UK or the Falkland Islands on or after 1 January 1983, or in another qualifying British overseas territory on or after 21 May 2002

You should send:

  • your full birth certificate, showing your parents' details; and
  • evidence of either parent's British citizenship or settled status at the time of your birth, such as a passport describing them as a British citizen or showing that they had indefinite leave to remain at the time of your birth; and
  • your parents' marriage certificate, if you are claiming through your father.
If you were born outside the UK and the Falkland Islands on or after 1 January 1983, or outside the UK and any qualifying British overseas territory on or after 21 May 2002, to a parent who was born in the UK or the Falkland Islands or, on or after 21 May 2002, any qualifying British overseas territory, or registered or naturalised in the UK before your birth

You should send:

  • your full birth certificate, showing your parents' details; and
  • your parents' marriage certificate, if you are claiming through your father; and
  • the relevant parent's full birth certificate, registration or naturalisation certificate.
If you were born outside the UK and the Falkland Islands on or after 1 January 1983, or outside the United Kingdom and any qualifying British overseas territory on or after 21 May 2002, to a parent who, at the time of your birth, was a British citizen in Crown service or a designated service

You should send:

  • your full birth certificate, showing your parents' details; and
  • your parents' marriage certificate, if you are claiming through your father; and
  • evidence of your parent's relevant employment at the time of your birth, such as a letter from the employer.
If you were adopted in the UK, a qualifying British overseas territory, or otherwise under the terms of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption

You should send:

  • your adoption certificate; and
  • evidence of your adoptive parents' citizenship (such as a passport); and
  • if a convention adoption, evidence of your parents' place of habitual residence at the time of the adoption (such as your adoption certificate).
If you were a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies and were ordinarily resident in the UK for a continuous period of 5 years before 1 January 1983, and were settled in the UK at the end of that period

You should send evidence of:

  • your citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies, such as a passport, or certificate of naturalisation or registration; and
  • your settlement and 5 years of ordinary residence in the UK before 1983, such as your passport, P60 tax forms, details of National Insurance contributions, social security claims or employers' letters.
If you were a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies and had a parent who was born, adopted, registered or naturalised in the UK before your birth or adoption

You should send:

  • your full birth certificate, showing your parents' details, or your adoption certificate; and
  • your parents' marriage certificate, if claiming through your father; and
  • the relevant parent's full birth certificate or certificate of adoption, registration or naturalisation.
If you were a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies and had a grandparent who was born, adopted, registered or naturalised in the UK before your parent's birth or adoption

You should send:

  • your parents' marriage certificate, if you are claiming through your father; and
  • your relevant parent's full birth certificate or adoption certificate; and
  • your full birth certificate, showing your parents' details, or your adoption certificate; and
  • your grandparents' marriage certificate, if you are claiming through your grandfather; and
  • the relevant grandparent's full birth certificate, or certificate of adoption, registration or naturalisation.

Frequently Asked Questions

See also

Terms explained

  • Adopted

    An adopted child is one who has legally become the child of a parent or parents who are not the child's biological parents. To be legally recognised in the United Kingdom, the adoption must be made by order of a court or under the terms of the Hague Convention (see Hague Convention). A foreign adoption order will be recognised in the United Kingdom if it was made in a 'designated country' - a country included in the Adoption (Designation of Overseas Adoptions) Order 1973. The current list of these countries is on the Department for Children, Schools and Families website.

  • British overseas territory

    These were formerly known as the British dependent territories. The territories are: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands and Dependencies, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, St Helena and Dependencies, the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Virgin Islands. (The sovereign bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia do not count as qualifying territories for nationality purposes.)

    South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands were the dependencies of the Falkland Islands, but were not British overseas territories between 3 October 1985 and 3 December 2001.

    Hong Kong stopped being a British overseas territory on 30 June 1997 when sovereignty returned to China. St Christopher and Nevis was a British overseas territory until 18 September 1983, when it became an independent Commonwealth country.

  • Crown service

    Working in the direct employment by the United Kingdom Government, the Northern Ireland Government, the Scottish Administration, the Welsh Assembly Government (from 6 November 2009) or, on or after 21 May 2002, the governments of the qualifying territories. (See Qualifying territory.) This does not include someone who is subcontracted on government projects or in the service of Crown servants, such as Royal Navy laundrymen or teachers working in schools on British bases.

  • Designated service

    Types of employment with specific employers which the Home Secretary has agreed may be treated the same as Crown service for the purpose of British nationality law. See Chapter 4 of the Nationality Instructions, under Law and policy.

  • Habitual residence

    Proven close link with a country that shows that country is where you normally live. Proof of habitual residence would be the length of time you have spent in the country, the continuity and general nature of the residence.

  • Indefinite leave to remain

    Indefinite leave to remain (often known as 'ILR' and 'settlement') is permission to remain in the UK without any time restrictions on the length of stay. It is not the same as naturalisation as a British citizen and may, in specific circumstances, be ceased or invalidated, for example, if a fraudulent application is uncovered, if the person resides outside of the UK for more than 2 years or as a result of a criminal conviction that results in a Deportation Order coming into force.

  • Intercountry

    A process that occurs between two countries. The term is usually used in connection with the adoption of a child from another country by parents in the United Kingdom.

  • Naturalised in the United Kingdom

    A term that describes someone who was not born a British citizen but became one through the legal process of naturalisation.

  • Ordinary residence

    Proven close link with a country that shows that country is where you are settled and normally live. Proof of ordinary residence would be the length of time you have spent in the country, the continuity and general nature of the residence, which must be voluntary and legal.

  • Parent

    A parent is the biological mother of a child, the biological father if he was married to the mother when the child was born or if he can prove paternity, or the adoptive mother or father of a child who has been legally adopted.

  • Registered in the United Kingdom

    To be registered as a British citizen.

  • Settled status

    You are normally resident in the United Kingdom with no immigration restriction on the length of your stay. To be free of immigration restriction you must have the right of abode or indefinite leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom.

  • United Kingdom

    The United Kingdom (UK) includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are considered as part of the UK for nationality purposes, but they have their own immigration laws and policies. The Channel Islands are not treated as part of the UK for value added tax (VAT) purposes.

All glossary terms