British citizenship by double descent

[cemalk]

Hi everyone,

I am interested to identify if there is any potential qualification to British Citizenship via double descent (through my grandfather).

My grandfather was born in a former British Colony (Cyprus). He was then appointed to work in a British Crown service there (as British police). He might have been given British Citizenship at that time since he is stated as British in their marriage certificate with my grandmother. That's the only document that I've been able to find so far. My father was also born in Cyprus before its independence so it was still a colony and my grandfather was still in the crown service during his birth.

According to you, is there any potential for me to qualify?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Riley Haas]

And your father doesn't have a UK passport? Did he get Cypriot citizenship at independence?

 

[cemalk]

Thanks for your response. He never asked for British Citizenship (actually he has never researched about his eligibility till date). So he doesn't have a UK passport. On the other hand, he (my father) indeed got the Cypriot citizenship at independence. My grandfather might have retained his British citizenship (this to be confirmed). Would you see any potential possibility under those circumstances?

 

[Riley Haas]

So the issue is that, in most cases, people who received new citizenship at independence of British colonies, lost all claim to British citizenship.

 

[cemalk]

Indeed, thank you. Nevertheless, there are number of exceptions that could prevent the automatic loss. For instance, if my grandfather was naturalized in the colony before the independence since he was in the crown service, I am not sure what happens.

The following is stated "The British Nationality (Cyprus) Order 1960":

1. Any citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies who on the date of this Treaty (or, in the case of a person born between that date and the agreed date, who on the date of his birth) possesses any of the qualifications specified in paragraph 2 of Section 2 of this Annex shall on the agreed date cease to be a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies unless he possesses any of the qualifications specified in paragraph 2 of this Section.

The qualifications referred to in paragraph 1 of this Section are that the person concerned is—
(a) a person born outside the Island of Cyprus in the United Kingdom or in a colony; or
(b) a person naturalised in the United Kingdom and Colonies; or
(c) a person who was registered as a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies; or
(d) a person who became a British subject by reason of the annexation of any territory included in a colony outside the Island of Cyprus; or
(e) a person whose father or father's father is or was such a person as is referred to in subparagraph (a), (b), (c) or (d) of this paragraph; or
(f) a person born in a protectorate, protected State or United Kingdom trust territory; or
(g) a person whose father or father's father was born in a protectorate, protected State or United Kingdom trust territory and was at any time a British subject; or
(h) a person who was born on or after the 1st ofJanuary, 1949, and whose father was, or would but for his death have been, a British subject without citizenship at the date of that person's birth and immediately before the date of this Treaty; or
(i) a person who was born before the 1st of January, 1949, and whose father was, or would but for his death have been, a British subject at the date of that person's birth and a British subject without citizenship immediately before the date of this Treaty; or
(j) a person who was immediately before the date of this Treaty ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom or in a colony, protectorate, protected State or United Kingdom trust territory or in the territory of any country within the British Commonwealth of Nations then having separate citizenship from that of the United Kingdom and Colonies or any dependency of that territory; or
(k) a person who was born between the date of this Treaty and the agreed date and whose father was a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies who was immediately before the date of this Treaty (or, if he was dead at that date, then at the date of his death) ordinarily resident in any country or territory referred to in sub-paragraph (j) of this paragraph.

 

[Riley Haas]

So I'm sorry to say but the best way of finding out whether or not your father is British is for him to apply for a passport.