Guidance

Cayman Islands: Knowledge Base profile

Published 8 April 2024

About: Cayman Islands

This document contains useful information about Cayman Islands which will assist HM Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email the Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 2.0
• published for Home Office staff on 28 March 2024

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with minor formatting changes.

Cayman Islands: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in the Cayman Islands

Cayman Islands are a British overseas territory.

Dual nationality is recognised in the Cayman Islands.

‘Belonger status’ is a legal term normally associated with British overseas territories. It refers to people who have close ties to a specific territory, normally by birth or ancestry. The requirements for ‘belonger status’ vary from territory to territory.

If the customer has ‘belonger status’ in a territory, it’s the same as having indefinite leave to remain or indefinite leave to enter (being settled).

Cayman Islands: legitimacy and parental responsibility

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy and parental responsibility in the Cayman Islands

Legitimacy

The Cayman Islands legitimacy laws changed on 1 June 2004.

Before 1 June 2004, a child born in the Cayman Islands is considered:

• legitimate:
  • if the parents were married at the time of their birth
  • if the parents married after the birth but before 1 June 2004
  • by operation of the Status of Children’s Law 2003 (which does not confer British nationality)
• illegitimate if the parents were both married after the date of birth and married after 1 June 2004

Since 1 June 2004, the Cayman Islands do not recognise a difference between legitimate or illegitimate births. All children born after this date are considered legitimate whether their parents are married or not.

Parental responsibility

Both parents will have parental responsibility in the Cayman Islands if they were married at the time of birth.

Only the mother will have parental responsibility if the parents were not married to each other at the time of the birth.

An unmarried father can obtain parental responsibility for the child if he and the child’s mother, register the birth of the child or if he is given it in accordance with Cayman Islands law.

Cayman Islands: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoption in the Cayman Islands

Adoption is legal in the Cayman Islands.

Cayman Islands: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents from the Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands have a central registry for recording births, marriages and deaths.

Birth certificates

A customer can obtain a replacement certificate if the original is lost.

Marriage certificates

Only a state issued certificate confirms a legal marriage.

Nationality certificates

If a BOTC (British overseas territories citizen) naturalisation or registration certificate is damaged or lost, the Cayman Islands authorities issue a proof of nationality letter. The BOTC naturalisation or registration certificate is not reissued.