Types of British nationality

Printable version

1. Overview

There are 6 different types of British nationality. These are:

Further information

Contact UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) if you’re not sure whether you have British nationality or not.

2. British citizenship

You can live and work in the UK free of any immigration controls if you’re a British citizen. You can also get a UK passport.

You might be a British citizen depending on:

  • where and when you were born
  • your parents’ circumstances when you were born

You can check if you’re a British citizen if you’re not sure.

You do not necessarily get British citizenship if you were born in the UK.

Get British citizenship

If you’re not a British citizen, you might still be able to apply to:

3. British overseas territories citizen

British overseas territories citizenship was called ‘British dependent territories citizenship’ before 26 February 2002.

If you were born before 1 January 1983

You became a British overseas territories citizen on 1 January 1983 if both of these applied:

  • you were a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC) on 31 December 1982
  • you had connections with a British overseas territory because you, your parents or your grandparents were born, registered or naturalised in that British overseas territory

You also became a British overseas territories citizen if you were a woman married to a man who became a British overseas territories citizen on 1 January 1983.

If one of your parents was a British overseas territories citizen

You can apply to become a British overseas territories citizen if you did not automatically become one because either:

  • your parents were not married at the time of your birth
  • your mother was a British overseas territories citizen

You can apply for British citizenship at the same time.

If you were born on or after 1 January 1983

You’re a British overseas territories citizen if both the following apply:

  • you were born in a British overseas territory
  • at the time of your birth one of your parents was a British overseas territories citizen or legally settled in a British overseas territory

You’re also a British overseas territories citizen if one of the following applies:

  • you were adopted in an overseas territory by a British overseas territories citizen
  • you were born outside the overseas territory to a parent who gained British overseas territories citizenship in their own right (known as ‘otherwise than by descent’)

If your parents were not married

You can apply to become a British overseas territories citizen if you did not automatically become a citizen because your parents were not married at the time of your birth.

You can apply for British citizenship at the same time.

Rights as a British overseas territories citizen

You can:

  • hold a British passport
  • get consular assistance and protection from UK diplomatic posts

If you’re not a British citizen, you’re still subject to immigration controls - you do not have the automatic right to live or work in the UK.

British citizenship

You automatically became a British citizen on 21 May 2002 if your British overseas territories citizenship was gained by connection with a qualifying territory.

If you were born in a qualifying territory on or after 21 May 2002, you also automatically became a British citizen if your parent was either:

  • a British or British overseas territories citizen
  • settled in that territory

The qualifying territories are:

  • Anguilla
  • Bermuda
  • British Antarctic Territory
  • British Indian Ocean Territory
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Cayman Islands
  • Falkland Islands
  • Gibraltar
  • Montserrat
  • Pitcairn Islands
  • Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
  • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  • Turks and Caicos Islands

You’ll also be a British citizen if you were born outside the UK or in a British overseas territory to a parent who is a British citizen in their own right.

Register as a British citizen

You may be able to register as a British citizen if you became a British overseas territories citizen after 21 May 2002 and meet certain conditions.

4. British overseas citizen

You became a British overseas citizen on 1 January 1983 if both of these applied:

  • you were a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC) on 31 December 1982
  • you did not become either a British citizen or a British overseas territories citizen on 1 January 1983

Hong Kong

If you were a British overseas territories citizen only because of your connection with Hong Kong you lost that citizenship on 30 June 1997 when sovereignty returned to China.

However, you became a British overseas citizen if either:

  • you had no other nationality and would have become stateless
  • you were born on or after 1 July 1997 and would have been born stateless if one of your parents was a British national (overseas) or British overseas citizen when you were born

Rights as a British overseas citizen

You can:

  • hold a British passport
  • get consular assistance and protection from UK diplomatic posts

Unless you’re also a British citizen:

  • you’re still subject to immigration controls - you do not have the automatic right to live or work in the UK
  • you are not considered a UK national by the European Union (EU)

Become a British overseas citizen

You can only apply to become a British overseas citizen in limited circumstances.

Stateless people

You may be able to register as a British overseas citizen if you’re stateless (not recognised by any country as having a nationality) and both of these apply:

  • you were born in the UK or an overseas territory
  • one of your parents is a British overseas citizen

You may also be able to register if you’re stateless and all of these apply:

  • you were born outside the UK and qualifying territories
  • one of your parents is a British overseas citizen
  • you’ve lived in the UK or an overseas territory for 3 years or more

You have to fill in different forms depending on whether you were:

Children

A child under 18 can be registered as a British overseas citizen in special circumstances.

Read the guidance notes before you apply using Form MN3.

British citizenship

You may be able to register as a British citizen if you’re a British overseas citizen and meet certain conditions.

5. British subject

Until 1949, nearly everyone with a close connection to the United Kingdom was called a ‘British subject’.

All citizens of Commonwealth countries were collectively referred to as ‘British subjects’ until January 1983. However, this was not an official status for most of them.

Since 1983, very few people have qualified as British subjects.

Who is a British subject

You became a British subject on 1 January 1983 if, until then, you were either:

  • a British subject without citizenship, which means you were a British subject on 31 December 1948 who did not become a citizen of the UK and Colonies, a Commonwealth country, Pakistan or Ireland
  • a person who had been a citizen of Ireland on 31 December 1948 and had made a claim to remain a British subject

You also became a British subject on 1 January 1983 if you were a woman who registered as a British subject on the basis of your marriage to a man in one of these categories.

Ireland citizens

You’re a British subject if you were a citizen of Ireland on 31 December 1948 and made a claim to remain a British subject.

If you did not make a claim to remain a British subject you can apply to the Home Secretary to become a British subject if either:

  • you’ve been in Crown service for the UK government
  • you’re associated with the UK or a British overseas territory by descent, residence or another way

You can do this by applying for a British subject passport.

Children of British subjects

British subjects cannot normally pass on that status to their children if the children were born after 1 January 1983.

However, a child may be a British subject if they were born on or after 1 January 1983 in the UK or a British overseas territory and all the following apply when they are born:

  • one of their parents is a British subject
  • neither parent is a British citizen, British overseas territories citizen or British overseas citizen
  • they would be stateless without British subject status

Rights as a British subject

You can:

  • hold a British passport
  • get consular assistance and protection from UK diplomatic posts

However, you:

  • are usually subject to immigration controls and do not have the automatic right to live or work in the UK (there are only rare exceptions to this)
  • are not considered a UK national by the European Union (EU)

Becoming a British subject

Stateless people

You may sometimes be able to register as a British subject if:

  • you’re stateless (not recognised by any country as having a nationality)
  • you were born outside the UK or British overseas territories on or after 1 January 1983

You must meet certain conditions. Read the guidance notes before you apply using Form S2.

Children

A child under 18 can be registered as a British subject in special circumstances.

Read the guidance notes before you apply using Form MN4.

Becoming a citizen of another country

Since 1 January 1983 anyone gaining citizenship of any other country cannot be a British subject, unless they’re also a citizen of Ireland.

British citizenship

You may be able to register as a British citizen in very limited circumstances if you meet certain conditions.

6. British national (overseas)

Someone who was a British overseas territories citizen by connection with Hong Kong was able to register as a British national (overseas) before 1 July 1997.

British overseas territories citizens from Hong Kong who did not register as British nationals (overseas) and had no other nationality or citizenship on 30 June 1997 became British overseas citizens on 1 July 1997.

If you’re not already a British national (overseas), you cannot apply to become one.

Rights as a British national (overseas)

You can:

  • hold a British passport
  • get consular assistance and protection from UK diplomatic posts

However, you:

  • are subject to immigration controls and do not have the automatic right to live or work in the UK
  • are not considered a UK national by the European Union (EU)

British National (Overseas) visa

If you’re a British national (overseas), you and your family members may be able to apply for a British National (Overseas) visa. It allows you to live, work and study in the UK.

British citizenship

You may be able to register as a British citizen if you’re a British national (overseas) and meet certain conditions.

7. British protected person

You would have become a British protected person on 1 January 1983 if you:

  • were a citizen or national of Brunei
  • were already a British protected person
  • would otherwise have been born stateless (without a country) in the UK or an overseas territory because, when you were born, one of your parents was a British protected person

In most cases you would have lost your British protected person status if:

  • you gained any other nationality or citizenship
  • the territory you were connected with became independent and you became a citizen of that country

Rights as a British protected person

You can:

  • hold a British passport
  • get consular assistance and protection from UK diplomatic posts

However, you:

  • are subject to immigration controls and do not have the automatic right to live or work in the UK
  • are not considered a UK national by the European Union (EU)

Become a British protected person

You may be able to register as a British protected person only if all the following apply:

  • you’re stateless and always have been
  • you were born in the UK or an overseas territory
  • your father or mother was a British protected person when you were born

Contact UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) if you think you might qualify as a British protected person.

British citizenship

You may be able to register as a British citizen in very limited circumstances if you meet certain conditions.