With reference to the recent issue with Lady Susan and Ngosi Fulani- at what stage does someone become British?

MerylStreep

Fleurpepper

Mollygro- travel is one thing- but what if you want to settle there and work. A British passport these days will not be any good in Europe, and vice-versa.

How did my ex husband retire to Spain in 2019?
How does my friend, a Shipright go to Spain regularly to work on boats.

2019 was before the Brexit deadline of 1.01.2020.

Work on boats probably covered by special permit, with employer requesting work permit.

Mollygrow- what do you mean by 'what did you expect'. It is no longer possible for anyone from Europe to come to UK to work, even if they learn the language, let alone get nationality, post Brexit.

It is possible to work in the EU if you are in a niche market, but the employer in Germany has to apply for work permit for you and make a special case for employing someone from UK since 01.01.20. So either your DB (what does is mean please)- was there before deadline, or they have special status, with employer doing as described above. No-one from UK (and vice-versa) and now go to Europe to look for work- employer there has to apply, and make special case. Just as it was, btw, before 1973 in uk for Europeans to come and work here.

In those days, people also had to retake driving licence in full, and all sorts of shenanigans.

In most countries you are a citizen if you were born in the country concerned of parents who were citizens.

You are thus British if born in Britain of British parents.
Children of British parents working and living in other countries at the time of the baby's birth probably have to register the child as British at the nearest British Embassy.

You become a citizen of a country you were not born in and that your parents were not citizens of, by the legal process known as naturalization, which often, but not always requires you to give up you former citizenship. And a naturalized citizen is not a citizen until the naturalization papers are signed, stamped and delivered to the person.

France is an exception to these rules, as any child born in France has the right to be regarded as a French citizen. I think the same applies to Switzerland and to the USA.

You do not become a citizen simply be living in a country, irrespective of how many years you live there.

Flurpeper DB-dear brother.
What did you expect means just that.
If you split yourself off from somewhere then the rules might well change.
As to how my DB works in Germany with no problems, I don’t know-but I’ll ask him what, if any hoops he had to jump through.

Perhaps you did not read my posts grandtante-

if a person integrates fully (and that does not mean never criticising any aspect of the country)- learns the language, works, contributes, pays taxes, etc, etc- and the papers are signed, stamped and delivered- and decades ago- what then?
For some people it seems clear that they go back to the 'born here of British parents born here', and nothing else will do.

Is that right, do you believe?

France has birthright citizenship. However, that does not mean that children born in France or one of the 13 overseas territories automatically receive French citizenship. Instead, they will get the nationality of their parents. If the parents are foreign nationals, the children, too, will be foreign nationals.

Not sure where you got your information from, but it is just not true.

child acquires Swiss citizenship at birth by either:

Being the child of a married couple of whom at least one parent is Swiss.[2]

Being the child of a Swiss mother not married to the child's father.[3]

Grandetante, not true in Spain either. DGS was born there and has a Spanish birth certificate, but because neither parent is Spanish, he is British only.

LRavenscroft

Allsorts

Where your heart is.

I agree. In addition, for me, it is where I built the informative years of my childhood. Being multilingual gives me insight into several European cultures which I love and appreciate but no one will ever take the Britishness out of me - it's where I grew up and is part of the very fibre of my being irrespective of my blood line.

Great post. However I am genuinely interested- would this inate Britishness preven you from acquiring another nationality of where you would settle, marry, study, work, have your children, and much more- which would also feel a natural part of you?

I'm not sure which countries will not allow dual nationality now.
We know people of many nationalities who live in Australia, married to Australians but would like their children to have dual nationality ie Australian and the native country of one parent.
Denmark was one, I'm not sure if that is still the case.