3
ISSUES: Citizenship
Chapter 1: Citizenship in the UK
Types of British nationality
Overview
There are six different types of British
nationality. These are:
Ö
British citizenship
Ö
British overseas territories citizen
Ö
British overseas citizen
Ö
British subject
Ö
British national (overseas)
Ö
British protected person.
British citizenship
You can live and work in the UK free
of any immigration controls if you’re
a British citizen – check if you’re a
British citizen if you’re not sure.
You may be able to apply to register
as a British citizen if you have another
type of British nationality.
If you were born in the UK
before 1 January 1983
You became a British citizen on 1
January 1983 if both of the following
apply:
Ö
you were a citizen of the UK and
Colonies
Ö
you had the ‘right of abode’ in the
UK
‘Right of abode’ means you:
Ö
are entirely free from UK
Immigration Control and don’t
need
permission
from
an
Immigration Officer to enter the
UK
Ö
can live and work in the UK
without restriction.
This includes people who:
Ö
were born in the UK
Ö
were born in a British colony and
had the right of abode in the UK
Ö
have been naturalised in the UK
Ö
had registered as a citizen of the
UK and Colonies
Ö
could prove legitimate descent
from a father to whom one of
these applies.
If you were born in the UK on or
after 1 January 1983
You don’t automatically get British
citizenship if you were born in the UK.
If you were born on or after 1 January
1983, you’ll be a British citizen if your
mother or father was either:
Ö
a British citizen when you were
born
Ö
‘settled’ in the UK when you were
born.
In most cases you’ll be a British citizen
if your mother or father was born in
the UK or naturalised there at the
time of your birth.
If you were born before July 2006,
your father’s British nationality will
normally only pass to you if he was
married to your mother at the time of
your birth.
If your circumstances are more
complicated, you can get more
information about British citizenship.
Born outside the UK
You
might
qualify
for
British
citizenship depending on your
circumstances – check if you’re a
British citizen if you’re not sure.
If you’re a foreign national or
Commonwealth citizen, you don’t
automatically gain citizenship just
because you live in the UK.
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:
Ö
you were a citizen of the United
Kingdom and Colonies on 31
December 1982
Ö
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 you were born on or after
1 January 1983
You’re a British overseas territories citizen
if both the following apply:
Ö
you were born in a British overseas
territory
Ö
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:
Ö
you were adopted in an overseas
territory by a British overseas
territories citizen
Ö
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’)
Rights as a British overseas
territories citizen
You can:
Ö
hold a British passport
Ö
get
consular
assistance
and
protection fromUKdiplomaticposts.
Unless you’re also a British citizen:
Ö
you’re still subject to immigration
controls – you don’t have the
automatic right to live or work in the
UK
Ö
you aren’t considered a UK national
by the European Union (EU).
British citizenship
YouautomaticallybecameaBritishcitizen
on 21 May 2002 if your British overseas
territories citizenship was gained by
connection with a qualifying territory.
The qualifying territories are:
Ö
Anguilla
Ö
Bermuda
