Guidance

Gibraltar: Knowledge Base profile

Published 9 April 2024

About: Gibraltar

This document contains useful information about Gibraltar 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.

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Publication

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

• version 2.0
• published for Home Office staff on 3 April 2024

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with minor formatting changes.

Gibraltar: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Gibraltar.

Change of name

Name changes are allowed in Gibraltar.

Women normally take on their husband’s names when married. Double-barrelled names are allowed.

Gibraltar: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Gibraltar.

Gibraltar is a British overseas territory.

Dual nationality is allowed in Gibraltar.

‘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).

Belonger status in Gibraltar is now called Gibraltarian Status.

Gibraltar: legitimacy and parental responsibility

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy and parental responsibility in Gibraltar.

Legitimacy

Gibraltar recognises a difference between illegitimate and legitimate births.

A person will be considered:

• legitimate:
  • if their parents were married at the time of the birth
  • from the time of the marriage if previously unmarried parents marry after the birth
• illegitimate if their parents never marry

Parental responsibility

In Gibraltar both parents will have parental responsibility if they were married at the time of the birth.

Only the mother will have parental responsibility if the child’s parents are not married.

Where a child’s father and mother were not married to each other at the time of his birth, the father shall acquire parental responsibility for the child if he is registered as the child’s father.

Gibraltar: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoption in Gibraltar.

Adoption is legal in Gibraltar.

Gibraltar: surrogacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about surrogacy in Gibraltar.

Surrogacy is not legal in Gibraltar.

Gibraltar: gender recognition

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about gender recognition in Gibraltar.

Transgender citizens are not recognised in Gibraltar.

Gibraltar: civil partnership and marriage

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about civil partnership and marriage in Gibraltar.

Civil partnerships and same sex relationships are recognised in Gibraltar.

Gibraltar: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents from Gibraltar.

The Civil Status & Registration Office issue:

• birth certificates
• marriage certificates
• death certificates
• ID cards
• Civilian registration cards

Birth certificates

All births in Gibraltar are registered and should be done within 21 days, a certificate is issued on request. Late registrations are allowed.

Marriage certificates

All marriages in Gibraltar are registered with the Central Registry of Marriages. A certificate is produced 10-15 days after the marriage.

Death certificates

All deaths in Gibraltar are registered and must be registered within 8 days (or when a coroner instructs the registrar) and a certificate issued on request.

Identity documents

Gibraltar identity cards are issued to British citizens living in Gibraltar. Civilian Registration cards are issued to foreign nationals living in Gibraltar. Identity cards and Civil Registration cards are mandatory.