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Right of Abode: Proof of Identity

Asked by Cameron ThomasIndependentHome OfficeTabled Answered 17 March 2026UIN 119789

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the use of birth certificates and marriage certificates as proof of right to abode for British citizens living abroad.

Answered by Mike Tapp

The Immigration Act 1971 specifies that a British citizen must use a British citizen passport or a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode to enter the UK. There are no plans to change the law in this respect. Birth and marriage certificates on their own may not be sufficient to show that a person has the right of abode.

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