I'm trying to get my month old son his first British passport. I've searched posts but it seems like the situation changes a lot. If anyone has been through the process in the past few months, please PM me. Thanks.

You will need reams of paperwork. It is outsourced now and you haveto pay for a helpline. Email british embassy consultae section they sghould tell you.
I did it for an irish kid last year and we needed
certified English translation of the bIrth certificate by the MFA( asuming you are on the birth certificate, if not you might have an issue). We go this through the noary in Canadia tower about $100. Same for mum and one for you from uk
marriage certificate if applicable
proof of relationship
etc etc.
So we took a shortcut. For $300 we had a UK legal immigration dna test done and witnesed by the embassy. they cannot argue with that!
If you intend to use the child to get a visa for mum to Eu or even uk you might want to pay extra and have a double dna donewhich proves you are dad and she is mum. they can get arsey because mum has the right to accompany an eu child if she is the primary carer or guardian. Will not matter after brexit

pczz wrote: ↑Fri Feb 15, 2019 10:21 pm You will need reams of paperwork. It is outsourced now and you haveto pay for a helpline. Email british embassy consultae section they sghould tell you.
I did it for an irish kid last year and we needed
certified English translation of the bIrth certificate by the MFA( asuming you are on the birth certificate, if not you might have an issue). We go this through the noary in Canadia tower about $100. Same for mum and one for you from uk
marriage certificate if applicable
proof of relationship
etc etc.
So we took a shortcut. For $300 we had a UK legal immigration dna test done and witnesed by the embassy. they cannot argue with that!
If you intend to use the child to get a visa for mum to Eu or even uk you might want to pay extra and have a double dna donewhich proves you are dad and she is mum. they can get arsey because mum has the right to accompany an eu child if she is the primary carer or guardian. Will not matter after brexit

Thanks, the DNA test is exactly what we were hoping to hear. Spending an extra couple of hundred to not have to deal with reams of paperwork that may get rejected on technicalities seems totally worth it (and yes I'm on the birth certificate, both the one from the hospital and the official government one).

Pretty sure a DNA test isn't valid for a UK passport, here's the list as it was in November:

Here is a comprehensive list of documents we require to process your children’s passport applications.

Overseas Application forms showing your children’s overseas address (attached) to be completed in full.

Government issued birth certificates for both children
Hospital issued birth certificates for both children
Photocopies of all pages of their current passports
Your full birth certificate
A full birth certificate for your wife
Photocopies of all pages of all passports held by yourself and your wife at the time of the children’s conception
Your marriage certificate
Complete sets of medical ante natal records including ultrasound scans
A selection of family photographs showing the children with their parents from birth to present day these should be named and dated.
Your wife’s identity documents
Proof of your wife’s address in Cambodia
A payment of £88.51 per application.

Please note these documents must be submitted via the local service office in Phnom Penh so that they can be forwarded to HMPO Liverpool the only photocopied documents which are acceptable are copies of the passports.

Bubble T wrote: ↑Fri Feb 15, 2019 10:48 pm

pczz wrote: ↑Fri Feb 15, 2019 10:21 pm You will need reams of paperwork. It is outsourced now and you haveto pay for a helpline. Email british embassy consultae section they sghould tell you.
I did it for an irish kid last year and we needed
certified English translation of the bIrth certificate by the MFA( asuming you are on the birth certificate, if not you might have an issue). We go this through the noary in Canadia tower about $100. Same for mum and one for you from uk
marriage certificate if applicable
proof of relationship
etc etc.
So we took a shortcut. For $300 we had a UK legal immigration dna test done and witnesed by the embassy. they cannot argue with that!
If you intend to use the child to get a visa for mum to Eu or even uk you might want to pay extra and have a double dna donewhich proves you are dad and she is mum. they can get arsey because mum has the right to accompany an eu child if she is the primary carer or guardian. Will not matter after brexit

Thanks, the DNA test is exactly what we were hoping to hear. Spending an extra couple of hundred to not have to deal with reams of paperwork that may get rejected on technicalities seems totally worth it (and yes I'm on the birth certificate, both the one from the hospital and the official government one).

Ok be aware that
1. it must be a full immigration level dna test from an approved provider. We used https://www.oqps.ie/ its ireland but the testing is done in UK and court and immigration approved. Home tests do not count. It has to check 20 oe 22 gened pairs for immigration. paternity can be done on about 8 but that would not be able to tell between you and a close relative as the father so no good legally.
2. You should get the british embassy to agree to the DNA test so it is properly witnessed. They may want the test observed at https://www.iom.int/ on Norodom i think or they may tell you to go in with bulk tests done for the American or Australian. The test is sent to the witness organsisation, its all filmed and all paperwork is checked then they take the test and send it to the lab. You do not touch it or its invalidated.
We have used the DNA test several times at immigration to save wasting time while they check everything else. Different people have different experiences. In your case you need to prove you are the father for the passport. Mum is a bit irrelevant UNTIL you start wanting to travel with her. the you need to prove she is the mum

cptrelentless wrote: ↑Fri Feb 15, 2019 11:39 pm Pretty sure a DNA test isn't valid for a UK passport, here's the list as it was in November:

Here is a comprehensive list of documents we require to process your children’s passport applications.

Overseas Application forms showing your children’s overseas address (attached) to be completed in full.

Government issued birth certificates for both children
Hospital issued birth certificates for both children
Photocopies of all pages of their current passports
Your full birth certificate
A full birth certificate for your wife
Photocopies of all pages of all passports held by yourself and your wife at the time of the children’s conception
Your marriage certificate
Complete sets of medical ante natal records including ultrasound scans
A selection of family photographs showing the children with their parents from birth to present day these should be named and dated.
Your wife’s identity documents
Proof of your wife’s address in Cambodia
A payment of £88.51 per application.

Please note these documents must be submitted via the local service office in Phnom Penh so that they can be forwarded to HMPO Liverpool the only photocopied documents which are acceptable are copies of the passports.

I've done enough checking to know already that a marriage certificate isn't required (as marriage isn't required either, he just has to be my son to be entitled to citizenship), and that they allow you to do a DNA test if they feel there are still questions after paperwork. What I'd rather do is skip as much of the paperwork as possible and just cut straight to the test, we aren't in any doubt and are happy to just do whatever is fastest and easiest do it doesn't turn into some long drawn out ordeal (as these things sometimes do). I just wasn't (and still am not) sure whether there is an option to just go do the test from the outset. I hate dealing with this kind of stuff so if there are legit legal shortcuts, I'll be taking them. I guess in any case I'm going to need to go to the embassy again and get the lowdown from them.

if your name is not on the birth certificate you can get it on. The original may have no fathers name or it may have a family member who is tkaing resonsibity for the child (that happened in our case) then you have to go and claim the child. Birth records may still be local depending on where child was born. if so local commune can fix any mistakes fairly easily.
be aware that, if your name is on the birth certificate then you have joint guardianship with mum which can fuck up her rights of entry to the EU. If you are not intending to visit the Eu before brexit its not an issue. She can go in for free as the sole guardian of a minor chiold, but if you are also a guardian thyen they may give you a hard timw. The wedding certificate is not Required, but it is proof of a relationship and if youwere married before conception can count as evidence the child is yours so skipping the DNA. they are looking for a probablity you are dad. if you met her less than 3 months after conception and baby was a little premature its possible the previous boyfriendis the dad. thats where they are coming from on that. I would email or call the embassy. They will refer you to VIS or whoever it is and they will refer you to a £1 a minute phone line in the UK

I am on the birth certificate and we have plenty of evidence of our relationship, DNA test just sounds like the quickest and easiest way. We aren't going to EU or UK, this is just about making sure he has his British passport if it's ever needed.

Bubble T wrote: ↑Sat Feb 16, 2019 12:04 pm I am on the birth certificate and we have plenty of evidence of our relationship, DNA test just sounds like the quickest and easiest way. We aren't going to EU or UK, this is just about making sure he has his British passport if it's ever needed.

there are advantages to not having your name on the birth certificate for both of you under certain circumstances. That is why we chose to go the DNA route and the birth certificate says fathr unknown.
For example:-
travel to the EU while we are in it, as I think I mentioned before,
issues with parental consent if she needs to travel with him on her own she will need a notarised consent from you because you are on the birth cert and therefore a guardian
potential issues of inheritance if you live here, especially if you have other children at home or whatever
Rights on communal property
Child support

You can get added to the birth cert at any time in the future. if you want him to have a passport and you want to take him to uk to live then go for it otherwise you have more flexibility if you can avoid it.
My friends gf qualifies for an eu residence permit because the is not on the birth cert. if he was she would not qualify. It gets real complicated real quick depending on your future plans , if you live here is different consequences to if you live at home and just come out for visits.
Good luck

pczz wrote: ↑Sat Feb 16, 2019 12:21 pm

Bubble T wrote: ↑Sat Feb 16, 2019 12:04 pm I am on the birth certificate and we have plenty of evidence of our relationship, DNA test just sounds like the quickest and easiest way. We aren't going to EU or UK, this is just about making sure he has his British passport if it's ever needed.

there are advantages to not having your name on the birth certificate for both of you under certain circumstances. That is why we chose to go the DNA route and the birth certificate says fathr unknown.
For example:-
travel to the EU while we are in it, as I think I mentioned before,
issues with parental consent if she needs to travel with him on her own she will need a notarised consent from you because you are on the birth cert and therefore a guardian
potential issues of inheritance if you live here, especially if you have other children at home or whatever
Rights on communal property
Child support

You can get added to the birth cert at any time in the future. if you want him to have a passport and you want to take him to uk to live then go for it otherwise you have more flexibility if you can avoid it.
My friends gf qualifies for an eu residence permit because the is not on the birth cert. if he was she would not qualify. It gets real complicated real quick depending on your future plans , if you live here is different consequences to if you live at home and just come out for visits.
Good luck

I'm already on the birth certificate and don't see anything on your list that I would consider to be "better for both of us". Thanks though.