Skip to Content

Immigration and Emigration

Immigration & Emigration

Immigration and Emigration
Immigrant Ships Transcribers' Guild

For information about ships' passenger lists and a continually increasing online facility for viewing them, go to

Born in the United Kingdom and British Nationality 

Home Office
Immigration and Nationality Directorate
India Building, Water Street, Liverpool L2 0QN
Switchboard 0151 237 5200  Fax 0151 237 5386

23 December 2003

'Nationality can only be determined conclusively by the courts. It is determined by applying legislation to the facts of an individual's circumstances, date and place of birth.

Nationality legislation in the United Kingdom states that anyone who was born in the United kingdom before 1st January 1983 was automatically a Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies, under section 4 of the British Nationality Act (BNA) 1948 (unless their father was a serving foreign diplomat at the time of their birth).  The individual would then have have automatically become a British citizen under section 11 (1) of the BNA 1981, when that Act came into force on 1st January 1983.


Anyone who is born in the United Kingdom on or after 1st January 1983, whose mother or legitimate father is either, a British citizen or settled in the United Kingdom at the time of birth is automatically a British citizen under Section 1(1) of the BNA 1981.  "Settled" means that the person is ordinarily resident in the UK and free of any immigration restrictions,'