Apply to Register a Child as a British Citizen after 10 Years of Birth in the UK - Form T Application

: Written by: Arshad Mahmood; Last Updated: 03 May 2026

You can apply for registration as a British citizen if you were born in the UK after 1 January 1983 and have continuously lived in the UK for the first 10 years of your life. Such an application for registration as a British citizen is made under Section 1(4) of the British Nationality Act 1981 using the application form T. The applicant can apply for registration as a British citizen using form T even if the applicant has turned 18. Most applicants register as British citizens soon after their 10^th birthday in the UK. The child's residence in the UK can be lawful or unlawful during the relevant 10-year period after his/her birth in the UK.

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Requirements for Registering a UK-born Child as a British Citizen after 10 Years of UK Residence

Section 1(4) of the British Nationality Act 1981 states as follows:

"A person born in the United Kingdom after commencement who is not a British citizen by virtue of subsection (1) [(1A)] or (2) [or section 10A] shall be entitled, on an application for his registration as a British citizen made at any time after he has attained the age of ten years, to be registered as such a citizen if, as regards each of the first ten years of that person’s life, the number of days on which he was absent from the United Kingdom in that year does not exceed 90."

To be eligible to register as a British citizen under Section 1(4) of the British Nationality Act 1981, you must:

have been born in the United Kingdom; and
have been born on or after 1 January 1983; and
be 10 years of age or over; and
have spent no more than 90 days outside the United Kingdom in each of the first 10 years of your life.

It may be possible for the Home Office UKVI to make an exception to the requirement to have spent fewer than 90 days outside the United Kingdom. If you have exceeded this number of days but believe there are special circumstances, you should explain these on your application form. Registration under section 1(3A) gives British citizenship otherwise than by descent.

Evidence Required for Form T Application

Applications for registration as a British citizen under section 1(4) must be supported by the following evidence:

applicant’s full birth certificate to confirm that they were born in the UK and that they are 10 years or over on the date of application
evidence of residence to cover the first 10 years of the applicant’s life.

The evidence of residence will differ for the different periods of a child’s life, and therefore, the following documents must be provided:

aged up to 5 years:
- passport or travel document
- medical records
- vaccination records
- doctors’ letters
- personal child health record (red book)
- letters from the child’s nursery
aged 5 to 10 years:
- letters from the child’s school confirming attendance
- passport or travel document for the full 10-year period to confirm absences during the period.

Parental Consent

As the applicant has an entitlement to be registered as a British citizen if the requirements in Section 1(4) are met, the absence of parental consent (where the applicant is a minor) should not be a reason for refusal. It is good practice to obtain the consent of all those with parental responsibility for the child, but this is not mandatory. If consent is not obtained, it is not grounds for refusing the application.

Discretion to Allow Excessive Absences in the First 10 Years of a Child’s Life

Section 1(7) of the British Nationality Act 1981 gives discretion to allow absences of more than 90 days in any one or more of the first 10 years of the person’s life. Home Office UKVI may normally waive excess absences if:

the number of days absent from the UK in any one of the years does not exceed 180 days, and the total number of days over the 10-year period does not exceed 990 days
the number of days absent exceeds 180 or 990 respectively but was due to circumstances beyond the family’s control, such as a serious illness.

The Home Office UKVI will not waive excess absences over 180 days in a single year or 990 days in the 10-year period where:

the applicant was unaware of the requirements
the parents’ absences with the child were entirely voluntary

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Our expert team of nationality law solicitors in London can represent you in your application for registration as a British Citizen and carry out all the work on your British Citizenship application until a decision on your application is received from the Home Office UKVI. As part of our professional legal services in relation to your application for registration as a British Citizen, our specialist team of immigration solicitors will carry out the following immigration casework:

Our nationality solicitors will assess your eligibility for registration as a British Citizen by considering all the relevant information, including your past immigration history.
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Our nationality solicitors will assess all the supporting documents to ensure that the documents you provide satisfy the Home Office UKVI requirements for registration as a British Citizen.
Our nationality solicitors will complete the online application form T for your registration as a British citizen, submit it online, help you pay the Home Office UKVI fee for the application, and schedule your appointment with the application centre for the enrolment of your biometrics.
Our nationality solicitors will prepare a detailed cover letter in support of the application explaining in detail your eligibility for registration as a British Citizen by referring to all the relevant information, documents, laws and requirements;
Our nationality solicitors will upload all supporting documents online, including our cover letter, to support your application.
Our nationality solicitors will carry out all the work on your application for registration as a British Citizen until a decision is received from the Home Office UKVI on your application.

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