The Lemon Fool

Thought I’d let you know that I received my British passport today! It was a lengthy and pricey process but I now have dual citizenship and just in time for Brexit. So, if hard-boiled or soft-boiled or none at all - I am ready!
The first question at my (private) citizenship ceremony was: Cash or card? :
Coleywife

Fantastisch und super.

Tschüss.

But slightly different for me a child made in Osnabrück , Bundesrepublik Deutschland but born in UK. British Dad but German mum.
According to learned counsel: German Dad means I'm German, German Mum means I'm not German .
I think there would be some squealing about this if it was a factor in British citizenship.

Sobraon wrote:But slightly different for me a child made in Osnabrück , Bundesrepublik Deutschland but born in UK. British Dad but German mum.
According to learned counsel: German Dad means I'm German, German Mum means I'm not German .
I think there would be some squealing about this if it was a factor in British citizenship.

Another Brit-who's-not-German here, thanks to the your-mother-doesn't-convey-citizenship rules of Germany. Shame really, as a German passport could come in quite handy at the moment!

VRD

what happens if the German mum self identifies as male later ion life?

(quasi serious question!)

didds

didds wrote:what happens if the German mum self identifies as male later ion life?

(quasi serious question!)

didds

Damn. I wont be aboe to stop pondering this one all day!

vrdiver wrote:Shame really, as a German passport could come in quite handy at the moment!

VRD

Those passports seem to be quite elusive, unless you have Irish ancestry.

My mother was Swedish, but that doesn't qualify me for a Swedish passport

I lived and worked long enough in Italy to qualify for what Blighty is now calling "settled status", which would in turn have qualified me for an Italian passport. The downside to that would've been a lot of red tape, tedious waiting/queueing, etc (probably something like Coleywife's recent experience) as well as the inevitable fees. So I didn't bother: my existing passport was perfectly good, wasn't it?

All those might-have-beens

Oh, and of course, congrats to Coleywife on making it through the process.

UncleEbenezer wrote:Those passports seem to be quite elusive, unless you have Irish ancestry.

My mum was born in New Zealand, which makes me eligible for a Kiwi passport.

I've vaguely intended to obtain one, just for the novelty value, but never got round to it. However, my sister, who sails the seven seas on a more or less permanent basis, obtained one years ago.

She says it's been a terrific advantage, as there is an embarrassingly large number of countries, especially in the Islamic world, where a UK passport is not at all welcome (I blame Blair! )

But NZ is a quiet, unassuming little nation, friends with everyone, and my sister is therefore by association universally welcome.

Clitheroekid wrote:But NZ is a quiet, unassuming little nation, friends with everyone,

I remember being on a balcony in Auckland during an office lunch when, in the street below us, a "youf" snatched a handbag and sprinted off down the street. As luck would have it, a rather large chap flung open his car door at an inopportune moment (for the thief) and was out of his car and onto the now prostrate bag snatcher, quickly joined by two more rugby-type gentlemen from the car. The bag was returned its owner, whilst the unfortunate lad received some fairly immediate feedback on the acceptability of his behaviour.

I've always had a soft spot for NZ since then.

VRD

redsturgeon wrote:

Moderator Message:
This is a thread about one person's news, any segways into general points are off topic and have been moved to Polite Discussions. Keep on topic here please.

We just push the topic forwards and it rolls off of its own accord.

DM

dionaeamuscipula wrote:

redsturgeon wrote:

Moderator Message:
This is a thread about one person's news, any segways into general points are off topic and have been moved to Polite Discussions. Keep on topic here please.

We just push the topic forwards and it rolls off of its own accord.

DM

That's how free discussion works. Whether in the pub or coffee house, or its virtual equivalent.

Methinks the issue isn't straying off the topic (for example, into anecdotes of Down Under which escaped the mod), but rather straying into potential controversy.

UncleEbenezer wrote:

dionaeamuscipula wrote:

redsturgeon wrote:

Moderator Message:
This is a thread about one person's news, any segways into general points are off topic and have been moved to Polite Discussions. Keep on topic here please.

We just push the topic forwards and it rolls off of its own accord.

DM

That's how free discussion works. Whether in the pub or coffee house, or its virtual equivalent.

Methinks the issue isn't straying off the topic (for example, into anecdotes of Down Under which escaped the mod), but rather straying into potential controversy.

Thanks for making a serious point but mine was just a stupid joke about Segways.

DM

didds wrote:what happens if the German mum self identifies as male later ion life?

(quasi serious question!)

didds

They are still your mum. You can self-identify as anything you like but you cannot change your actual sex.

Mel

melonfool wrote:

didds wrote:what happens if the German mum self identifies as male later ion life?

(quasi serious question!)

didds

They are still your mum. You can self-identify as anything you like but you cannot change your actual sex.

Mel

OK, but take it to the next level - what if she gets a passport which now identifies her as male?* She (now he) is still your mum, but by law is also now male, which is the important bit for nationality**

Generally, before 1975 citizenship was passed down via male ancestors only. After 1975 it could be passed down by both male and female ancestors. In some cases, such as adoption, statelessness, or children born out of wedlock, citizenship can be passed down by a mother before 1975.

I'm going to go all sensible for a moment and assume the law evaluates the ancestor's gender at time of birth, rather than later, but it could, just, be a loophole...

Now, anybody got a good way to approach the subject with my mum?

VRD


*(https://www.gov.uk/changing-passport-information/gender)
**http://www.passportia.org/citizenship/germany/descent/