Any advantages to becoming a British Citizen?

[CdnGirl09]

Yeah being able to travel around Europe is a huge advantage. With companies like RyanAir and EasyJet, it's very easy to get cheap flights around Europe and not get hassled at the airports. You also don't need to stand in long "foreign" lines at the airport if you're flying in from Canada or elsewhere. That's my take on it.

[stargazer]

Does anyone know if, when you apply for British citizenship, if you have to do anything to keep your Canadian citizenship? Or are you automatically dual? Anyone done this recently.

ps I don't want to give up my little blue passport even though I've been here 21 years!

Cheers - J

[Joanne]

You are dual automatically, some countries won't let you have 2 citizenship (and ask to renounce your previous citizenship) but not Canada and UK.

Joanne

[deblonge]

I have lived in the US, the UK and other countries, and can tell you for a fact that the United Kingdom looks after its own. That is one great advantage of being a british citizen.

Toyin Longe

[Steven]

I've had mixed experiences with UK consular services. I get the impression the FCO got a big budget cut a few years ago because they do seem to have gone downhill.

[suvi_tytto]

Anyone heard of having triple citizenship? I have dual already with Canada & Finland. Not sure that acquiring British on top of that is (a) possible or (b) of any use.

[Canucky Woman]

I have a girlfriend who was a dual British-Canadian through her British-born parents but lived in Canada all her life.She gained Dutch citizenship a couple of years ago through naturalization since she lives there now. No biggie.

I figure having citizenship where you live, especially if you intend to stay there, is always a benefit.

[LDN]

I got my British citizenship a while ago. I didn't do it immediately, because the most important thing in my mind is the ability to vote. Since Commonwealth citizens can vote here anyway, I didn't feel as compelled to naturalise. Eventually I did get it for a number of reasons:

1. Mobility within Europe so I could dream about relocating somewhere warmer!
2. Shorter queues at Heathrow, especially when you arrive at 7am with every other transatlantic flight
3. With two passports I have more options when I travel. When I went to Brazil I didn't need a tourist visa on my UK passport, while Canadians need one. I paid less for a Turkish visa by using my British passport instead of my Canadian one.
4. You can leave the UK for long periods of time without risking your status. With ILR, once you are out of the country for a certain amount of time the status can become void, and you have to start at the beginning again.
3. Similarly, if you are out of the country for shorter periods of time it affects your ability to apply for naturalisation. When you apply, they ask you to prove you haven't been out of the country for more than a certain amount of days during the last 3 or 5 years.

I didn't think it was going to be a big deal, but when I was at the citizenship ceremony I actually felt a bit emotional. There were about 20 people in my group, from around 15 different countries. Everyone was clearly pleased and some were overjoyed. It made me feel much more connected. I have been in the UK for almost 8 years, and I am married to a brit, and my daughter is a Brit (and Canadian), and I thought by now I really am both British and Canadian, so getting the citizenship reflected that new reality.

By the way, Canucky Woman, before I moved to London I lived in Amsterdam, and I never had any positive feelings about being foreign in the Netherlands. I found that torture. After 3 1/2 year I ran away, and ended up in here, and my life decidedly picked up. I really hope you are finding the Dutch experience better than I did!