Registration (Adults)

Who is eligible to apply for Registration

Registration is a similar process to naturalisation, although this route is for adults aged 18 and over who have a right to register as a British citizen. This might be because when you were born, the citizenship laws that were in place were unfair towards you, and you can now claim citizenship retrospectively.

For example, if you were born outside the UK, Isle of Man and Channel Islands, your Father was British at the time of your birth but wasn’t married to your Mother, in some cases you could not claim British citizenship. However, you can now apply to register as a British citizen using one of the below forms.

A new registration route for Irish citizens has been introduced by the UK Government. Under section 4AA of the British Nationality Act 1981, Irish citizens may be registered as a British citizen if:

  • You have lived in the UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands for a five-year period, ending on the date of your application

  • You have not been absent for more than 450 days or 90 days in a 12-month period ending with the date of your application

  • You have not been in breach of immigration laws at any time in that five-year period

  • You are of good character

Application forms

The link to the most current Application Forms can be found below:

Form UKF (Father was British).

Form UKM (Mother was British).

Form ARD (Historical Unfairness).

Please read the form carefully before submitting, as any errors or missing information may delay your application. Outdated forms will not be accepted.

Guidance and requirements

The link to the most current Guidance and Requirements for Adult Registration can be found below:

Form UKF Guidance.

Form UKM Guidance.

Form ARD Guidance.

Acquisition of British Citizenship: Irish Citizens.

These notes are useful to have whilst completing your application form. Below is a short list of requirements that applicants may need to submit (please be aware this may not be everything you need to include):

  • Residential requirement: you must be a permanent resident on Island to submit your application through the Isle of Man Nationality Office

  • Good Character requirement: you must be of good character to apply to register as a British citizen. Please read the Guidance Notes carefully for more information

  • Proof of relationship: you must be able to prove your relationship to the person you are claiming citizenship from. This must include your birth certificate and usually includes the birth certificate of the person you are claiming citizenship from

    • If your name has changed and does not match your birth certificate, we will need to see how this was changed (for example, marriage or deed poll certificate)

Fee

The current fee for Adult Registration applications is £149.20. This fee is subject to change in line with Home Office Fee Orders.

The current fee for Nationality Registration as a British Citizen (under provisions for Irish citizens) is £872.20. This fee is subject to change in line with Home Office Fee Orders.

Payment can be made by cash, cheque or credit/debit card. Cheques should be made payable to the Isle of Man Government.

Application fees cannot be refunded in full where an application fails or is refused.

Process

Currently, the Isle of Man Nationality Office aims to have Registration applications completed within 12 months of submission. However, these timelines cannot be guaranteed. If your application takes longer than 12 months, this may be because:

  • We are waiting on checks to be returned from the UK Home Office
  • We are waiting on additional information from you to complete your application
  • The Lieutenant Governor has requested more information for your application
  • We are upgrading our processes or technology to help streamline applications
  • We are waiting for your Certificate Number to be returned from the UK

More information on the Registration process can be found on our website.

It is your own responsibility to ensure that you meet all the requirements and disclose everything on your application form before making and paying for your application. It is also your responsibility to ensure that you have provided all the necessary supporting documentation, as failure to do so may delay your application from being processed.

If you have any questions or need further guidance, you can contact us.