The really fun part is that in order to apply for a British passport you have to submit documentation that only someone living in Britain would have. Like, gas bills, bank statements, that sort of thing. It is almost impossible to get a passport if you haven't lived in that country for a few years.

So you can basically wind up in a situation where the only way to return to the country of your birth is to revoke your citizenship there. Absolutely deranged.

[–] HamsterRage@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago (3 children)

My wife and I are dual citizens born in Canada but with fathers that were born in the UK. We decided to get our passports pre Brexit because we are planning to move to France soon.

We've never lived in the UK, but had no problem getting British passports. We just needed our fathers' birth certificates and marriage certificates. And, of course, our own birth certificates.

We renewed our passports back in the fall, just before this news broke.

PS: We are old enough that our mothers' nationality didn't matter, even though they both were born in the UK.

[–] Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

Yeah, fun fact, because you weren't born in the UK the rules on what documentation is required are different for you.

[–] HamsterRage@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yes, but how do you get out of the country to live somewhere else without getting your first UK passport while you are still in the UK?

I'm not sure, but I think the requirements when you are renewing an expired passport are somewhat easier to meet.

[–] Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 month ago

No, not if it's been expired for a while. There's a grace period where it counts as a renewal, after that it's treated as a "first time" application.

Also, if you're born in the UK as a dual national, you don't have to ever get a British passport. I flew to Canada on my Canadian passport. There's nothing stopping you from doing that.

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