US mom + US dad = US/UK baby?

DH and I are US citizens with 3-year visas. If we have a child here, would they have dual US/UK citizenship?

(It seems that most of the citizenship questions here involve 1 UK + 1 US spouse--I haven't been able to find anything pertaining to a US couple living in the UK...)

Thanks!

No. Your child would need a dependant visa.

I believe that since 1 January 1983, for a child born in the UK to receive British Citizenship at birth either: one (1) parent must acutally be a British Citizen; OR, one (1) parent must have Indefinate Leave to Remain (allowed to live permanently in the UK).

British Nationality
The British Nationality Act 1981 came into force on 1 January 1983. It defines who is British by birth and how people may become British through naturalisation or registration.

Birth in the UK

People who were born in the UK before 1983 were automatically British citizens by birth. The only exception to this was children whose parents were working here as diplomats at the time they were born.

Anybody born here after 1 January 1983 is automatically British if at the time of the birth:


•One of their parents was a British citizen.
•One of their parents was allowed to stay here permanently.

Yup, that is my understanding too.

Hmm...so much for our well-laid (not really) plan to have a dual nationality kid.

Thanks for the responses!