Does it make sence to get a uk/ brittish passport ?
Posted by tuxedomummy1@reddit | AskABrit | View on Reddit | 125 comments
So I am Canadian.. my mum and grandparents moved here 50+years ago . I saw i could be able to get a brittish passport. But I am wondering if its worth getting. Are there any pros or cons
FlapsFive@reddit
I think it’s worth getting every passport you’re entitled to. I have 4. You never know what the future holds and it’s good to have options.
Shitelark@reddit
FIFA want to know about you.
FlapsFive@reddit
I never know who to support in the World Cup or olympics. Born in. England, Irish mum, Canadian dad, naturalised American. I probs feel more English than anything with a strong Irish leaning.
Shitelark@reddit
So you wear no clothes in America?
dannywalk@reddit
Me too - and you beat my 3 😛. Although I know a person with 6. Wonder if there’s a limit?
Fun-Brush5136@reddit
Often limited by countries that don't allow you to have more than one passport (eg japan)
Leading_Study_876@reddit
And Singapore.
redheadedwildgypsy@reddit
I have 4 too ha ha
FlapsFive@reddit
It gets expensive renewing but I stagger mine so it’s not all at once. Wonder if there’s a limit too.
anabsentfriend@reddit
I had an argument with some recently who swore blind that is was illegal for anyone to have more than two passports. He said that my friend with three was lying.
Aaaahfuckit@reddit
I agree with this sentiment wholly. Unfortunately I am only entitled to my UK passport which, since Brexit has lost a lot of its value. You never know what the future holds and having the passports you are entitled to gives you options, especially during uncertain times.
THXORY@reddit
Fortunately, the UK now seems to be making moves back towards the EU. It may not be too long until your passport is more valuable again.
BillyD123455@reddit
It wouldnt hurt, who knows what the future holds.
I imagine a Canadian passport will get you into most places (probably more) as easily as a British passport .. except the UK.
Make sure you spell it British on the application though 😉
Livewire____@reddit
No, but it makes sense to get a British one.
Jo-Wolfe@reddit
If you have a UK passport you can also live and work in Ireland
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Oh cool
Jo-Wolfe@reddit
Forgot to add, there is the Common Travel Agreement between Ireland and the UK which provides for free movement between the two countries.
Key Features of the CTA Free Movement: British and Irish citizens can travel freely between the UK and Ireland without needing a passport. Minimal Border Controls: The CTA maintains minimal border checks, although some identity verification may occur.
Rights Under the CTA British and Irish citizens enjoy several rights while traveling within the CTA: Residence: Citizens can live and work in either jurisdiction without needing a visa or residence permit. Access to Services: They have access to social welfare benefits and health services in both countries. Voting Rights: Citizens can vote in certain elections in their respective countries.
G7VFY@reddit
a BRITTTISH PASSPORT? Are you sure you mean BRITTTTTISH ????
vzzzbxt@reddit
You would have to obey the tea alarm, regardless of what country you are in
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
I already drink like 14 cups a day
Tosin12345s@reddit
I have 2 and one of them is the UK passport. Get it. Never know the future.
oraff_e@reddit
I know visiting, living and working in the UK are the obvious benefits to having a British passport, but it will open up opportunities to live and work in Ireland, too - at least while the CTA is active.
Norman_debris@reddit
There is absolutely no downside to having a second passport, especially a British one.
_debowsky@reddit
If money is not an issue I’d alps consider getting a British passport too alongside the Brittish one 😉
intergalacticspy@reddit
If you are a British citizen by descent from your mum, then as of 2026, you are no longer able to enter the United Kingdom unless you hold a British passport. This is because when you apply for an electronic travel authorisation to enter the UK on your Canadian passport, you will be asked if you are a British citizen, and if you are, you will not be eligible for an electronic travel authorisation.
So you have no choice if you want to visit the UK - you will have to apply for a British passport.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
I wasn't born in UK I was born in Canada .. so I thought I only needed to apply for the visa that came out
intergalacticspy@reddit
If you were born after 1982, then you are automatically British by descent from your mother (assuming your mother was born in the UK) even if you haven't applied for citizenship.
If you were born before 1983, then you are not a British citizen unless you apply.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
1990 mum and all her family were born there
Dic_Penderyn@reddit
You need to apply for a UK passport, as UK citizens are not allowed to enter the UK using an ETA. The ETA system is linked to other government databases and cross-checks them. It could well search the birth registration index. If it matches you to your mother who was born here, it will realise you are a British citizen and deny you a ETA. This is a new thing come into being recently. If you manage to get an ETA somehow, it will still double check when you use it to enter the UK. There is a chance that only then the system will notice you are an automatic UK citizen. Worse case scenario - you get arrested at Heathrow because you made a fraudulent decalaration when applying for the ETA that you were not a British citizen.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
So I should get my passport? Not sure what info sho I ld do I tried calling but they don't help with that stuff
Wiles_@reddit
I went through this a few years ago but with a British father. Start here https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports
I needed my father's British passport, his birth certificate, my birth certificate and my parents marriage certificate.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Oh thank you
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
I didnt see that do you perhaps have the link to rhat information
intergalacticspy@reddit
https://www.aircanada.com/uk/en/aco/home/book/travel-news-and-updates/2026/eTA-for-flights-to-uk.html#/
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Thanks! Its confusing to read but I luckily have time
slappy_mcslapenstein@reddit
I'm waiting for my approval. I did the biometrics a few months ago. They're hella backed up right now. My sister got approval last Autumn and is still waiting for the date for her ceremony.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Ceremony fkr what exactly?
slappy_mcslapenstein@reddit
Her citizenship ceremony.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Do you need to do one even if you're just applying for a passport? I would not become a citizen just have the passport
slappy_mcslapenstein@reddit
Sounds like a great question for a British consulate official.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Great thank you..ill see how i can get ahold of them
KimonoCathy@reddit
If you qualify for one, go for it. You’ll need to be born after 1 January 1983 and your mother to still have been a British citizen at the time of your birth to qualify.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
She never gave it up she was always a permanent resident in canada never a citizen
KimonoCathy@reddit
OK, so as long as you were born after 1 January 1983 (and your mother was born in the UK herself) you should be a British citizen. A passport is not citizenship, it’s a travel document, but it’s also commonly used as a way of proving citizenship so if you get one now it would save you the hassle of trying to do it in a hurry later should you ever need to.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
I understand its not a citizenship and that its just a travel document.. I just wanted to see if there were benefits to getting one
AgingLolita@reddit
Yes. You have some nasty neighbours who might start thinking about moving into your garden and helping themselves to anything you've got. The UK has less of what they might want.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Sorry we're not moving just visiting
AgingLolita@reddit
You might change your mind, given the circumstances, and it's good to have options
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Yes true but as of now I have no plans to move there
PeachImpressive319@reddit
IF (it’s a big if) Farage gets in, his zealots and taggers on will start roaming the streets looking for anyone who they think doesn’t “look British”. (As if looking British is a thing, people look different, and Britain has always been a melting pot of nationalities). If you want to avoid any potential trouble in the future, having proof of your citizenship can only be a positive thing.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Even for people just visiting. I wouldn't be living there
PeachImpressive319@reddit
Yep. You see what’s happening in the USA with those who can’t prove their citizenship (even those who can)… they’re being swept up and put into literal prison camps.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Yikes well my husband may have an issue there then
PeachImpressive319@reddit
I doubt that it will ever get that bad here…we British have a good history of standing up to bullies. Farage has lied to us so much in the past, and a lot of us fell for it (brexit…myself included). Plus we can see how it’s panning out in the USA, so I don’t think that we are likely to let a paedophiles friend into power. Hopefully the British public will come out in force to end his career in the upcoming elections next month.
1kBabyOilBottles@reddit
Yes and actually I found the process of applying for British passport by descent incredibly easy. I did it online, sent all the documents and had my passport arrive less than two weeks later. And I lived in rural Australia at the time so that’s pretty efficient considering it’s the opposite side of the world
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Thank you
minty_tarsier@reddit
Definitely. Dual nationality is a gift. More places you can work and live. If there was suddenly a reason you needed to move from your country, you could. It's a massive privilege.
Dinnerladiesplease@reddit
Seconded. I'm a UK citizen and it's all I'm eligible for unless Scotland go independent. It also gives yo the right to live and work in Ireland if you ever wanted to
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Oh great thank you
Both-Silver-8783@reddit
Come across many passport collectors over the years, can’t say I agree with it. If you apply for a passport you should have to do military service or spend time in an equivalent service.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Ok...
Polly265@reddit
If you travel with a Canadian passport, you just need to complete the ETA and pay £20. It lasts 2 years and you can stay for up to 6 months. So if you don't want to live there or travel often it is not difficult.
On the other hand the only "con" might be the cost £102.00. Why wouldn't you get a second passport if you can?
You will need to prove your parent's citizenship so a birth certificate and certificate of marriage if the parent now has another name
headline-pottery@reddit
British Citizens like OP can now only enter the UK on a British passport, not an ETA. It’s unclear how exactly airlines or border agents would know this but it’s technically against the rules now.
Polly265@reddit
Good point but how would anyone know? I guess the thing to do would be to check. There is a quiz on the government website to find out. The govt website also says there is no official record of people with automatic citizenship.
Fundamentally it depends on whether OP's mother kept her British citizenship.
I guess that adds to the pros of getting a passport, then there is no issue
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Ok thank you I think I can get thoes. However, my mum passed away and so did both grandparents sp that might be an issue
Prestigious-Gold6759@reddit
Might be an idea to learn to spell it first; it's British.
skullturf@reddit
Yeah, I came here to say this.
Normally I don't correct people's spelling on Reddit, but given the topic, this seemed like a fair exception.
If someone wants to get a legal document saying that they're British, then they should know how to spell "British"!
JulesCT@reddit
Get a British passport. Maybe not for you but so that, eventually, your children can travel freely and live in Europe!
ProfPathCambridge@reddit
British by descent doesn’t pass on to children
JulesCT@reddit
Not automatically. But possible.
https://www.gov.uk/apply-citizenship-british-parent
"Who can apply
You may be eligible for British citizenship if you have a British parent.
It depends on where and when you were born, and your parents’ circumstances."
"You were born outside the UK
British citizenship is normally automatically passed down one generation to children born outside the UK.
For example, you might automatically become a citizen if you’re born outside the UK to a British parent. But your children will not automatically be citizens if they’re born outside the UK.
If you’re not automatically a citizen, you may be eligible to apply to ‘register’ as one."
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Hahah I am cjildfree but thank you
JulesCT@reddit
I had your marketing already lined up!!! Damn!
Well, no sense in letting it go to waste...
Free with every baby... European citizenship!!! (Eventually - note that this is a forward looking statement and might differ materially from events. Uncertainty lies in the level of gullibility Vs intelligence in the UK).
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
🤣
EUskeptik@reddit
It makes no sence. But it might make some sense.
-oo-
BellendBuilder@reddit
Freedom of movement across the EU without a visa. Access to the NHS. Can live work and stay in the UK minus a visa. Citizenship would pass onto your kids. This is a plus as in Canada you only get automatic citizenship from the generation before. If you didn’t get it your kids would have to spend 5 years here on an ancestry visa before getting citizenship.
Downsides. Depending on if you were born before 1983 and it was your British mother wasn’t married to a British husband/father. You would have to fill in a Form UKM. Takes around 6 months to process. It’s online only from Canada. You’d also have to pay £116.50 for a passport that needs and £130 for a mandatory citizenship ceremony in this case
If your British mother was married to British father at the time of birth pre 1983 you won’t need to do the form. Or if you were born after 1983 this also would apply and in these cases you’d just have to pay for the passport and ceremony and not fill out form UKM.
ProfPathCambridge@reddit
Can’t pass on to kids*, not that it seems relevant here
*without moving and living in the UK for a prolonged period of time
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Oh ok thank you. No kids and no plans on having any. I was born in 1990. My mum married my canadian dad. She moved when she was about 18 and my grandparents lived there most of their life.
BellendBuilder@reddit
You’ll be fine then dude. Can just apply for the passport straight away.
Minus the £246.50 total cost there’s not really a downside to it.
I’m dual citizen. English and naturalised US citizen, married to an American. Now that process was long and expensive 😅
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Oh wow
BellendBuilder@reddit
It’s the same now for my wife. Kids are dual citizen but we are living in the UK until she can get naturalised status. Makes things easier for travelling with the kids etc should anything happen to me. This way she will still have easy access to come back to the UK and visit this side of the family, be able to work if she decided to stay for an extended period without messing about with time and money on visa applications.
redheadedwildgypsy@reddit
The advice is usually to get everything you're entitled to, if you can afford it. It is good to have a golden ticket to different countries as it opens up possibilities and opportunities for travel and work. I have 4 passports like some others here and I live in one country but when I travel I use whatever passport is easier for travel to that country. I have also lived all over the world. Its great for you to visit family and if you have children you can pass on those benefits to your descendants. One of my passports and citizenships is due to my father having a citizenship and passport to that country and he died decades ago. Surely its also easier for you to travel to the UK using your British passport and you could potentially stay longer and clear the red tape.
ProfPathCambridge@reddit
OP can’t pass British citizenship on to their children under this scenario.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Oh great thank you
Snowy_Sasquatch@reddit
I think everyone who is entitled to a passport should get it, regardless of how many passports they end up having. So much can change and so quickly.
SignificanceHead9957@reddit
Similarly, I've been in the UK for just over 50 years (come from US). Getting a UK passport is usually a grind for most people and if the likes of Reform ever get power it will become even more difficult.
I strongly recommend you get your passport now. I've just started the process of getting mine - previously it didnt really matter to me.
Check out r/ukvisa for excellent advice from people who know their stuff.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Thank you I plan on getting it asap as I want ro go in 2027
Alone-Cellist3886@reddit
Might as well - it gives you options and they might make it stricter in future. That's my two cents anyway.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Thank you I am looking at applying
Ecstatic-Low7929@reddit
It'll be useful when Trump invades
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
He already wants us to be a 51st state
Ta_mere6969@reddit
I can't tell if this post is for real or not.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Real
Ta_mere6969@reddit
What might a con be of getting a British passport?
JimDixon@reddit
I have a sister-in-law, a niece, and a nephew who all have dual citizenship. (SIL was born American and naturalized British. Her children were born in UK but entitled to US citizenship because of their mother.) My SIL tells me that whenever they travel to America, they have to carry both passports. I think the American agents know when you have dual citizenship, and they demand to see both passports. I don't know why. I don't know if the UK has the same rules.
I suppose you also have to renew both passports when they expire.
SnooDonuts6494@reddit
£100
BellendBuilder@reddit
Depending on when he was born and if his mum was married to a British husband/father there can be time implications. Some people won’t want to wait 6 months for citizenship approval.
Ta_mere6969@reddit
Serious answer:
Cons: - it costs money for both the passport itself and all the administrative work / document collection, possibly hundreds or thousands of dollars - it's not always easy to gather all the documents needed to demonstrate eligibility
Pros: - you can live and work in the UK (and Ireland) - you can pick and choose what line to use when going through various queues - you have something to talk about at parties
No_Editor_6895@reddit
It is advantageous if you can at least spell the name correctly.
Peteat6@reddit
It does make travel much easier. I’d go for it. When I applied it was cheap, and very little paperwork was involved. I gather they’ve got more nasty about it now, though.
PainterOfRed@reddit
The UK passport is still slightly stronger than a Canadian passport, internationally (although close). We decided to help my son get his because over the years he will have more choices for work depending on economic fluctuations between different countries (US/UK family). Submitting the paperwork was rather easy. There is good step by step guidance online at UK dot gov.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Thank you
smnhdy@reddit
Nothing but upsides…
Not sure on your age, family status or work plans…
But imagine one day there’s a role at work which means you get to go to London… for you… you could start tomorrow.
If you fancy ever going to live there… you can.
Depending on your age… you’re likely already British anyway… so it’s just getting a passport (with some birth certificates for you and your parents to confirm) and job done.
Stratospheric-Ferret@reddit
How long is a piece of string.
It depends on a lot of things that you haven't told us.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Ok. But what info would you need ?
torhysornottorhys@reddit
Why would you want one?
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Easier to go see family
Blue1994a@reddit
Does having a Canadian passport make it difficult to enter the UK? I really wouldn’t have thought it would.
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Not really
Happy-Mastodon-7314@reddit
E.g., Do you travel much to the UK? Are you considering working abroad - UK or elsewhere?
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
I go once or twice every 2-4 years
Happy-Mastodon-7314@reddit
If your answer is no to both these questions then I don't see the point having a British passport.
JeVousEnPrieee@reddit
Are you even old enough to use Reddit?
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Yes
Total_Rules@reddit
Yes it makes sense to get one.
It gives you the right to live and work in the UK and Ireland.
Balthierlives@reddit
What would be the down side to having one in your circumstances?
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Nothing really it wpuld be easier while traveling to see family
Balthierlives@reddit
Well that’s your answer then.
Due_Peak_6428@reddit
Are you a real person
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Yeah why do you ask
Due_Peak_6428@reddit
I mean. Are you stuck on this question for real
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Yes for real
ulez8@reddit
The benefits are that it'll be easier to travel to and work/live in the UK.
The drawbacks are... Some paperwork and the cost of a passport.
I would totally do it..
tuxedomummy1@reddit (OP)
Thank you
Unusual_residue@reddit
Some patriots may get bent out of shape by your inability to communicate in English
qualityvote2@reddit
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