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British Overseas Citizen Rights (BOC)

Despite being British nationals, most British overseas citizens do not have UK right of abode. These citizens would have retained their British nationality after independence took place.

Individuals would have become a British overseas citizen (BOC) on the 1st of January 1983 if (both):

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

Your Rights as a British Overseas Citizen

British overseas citizens can:

  • Hold a British passport.
  • Get consular assistance and protection from United Kingdom diplomatic posts.

But, unless you are a British citizen as well as a British overseas citizen:

  • You would still be subject to immigration controls. In this case, you would not have the ‘automatic’ right to live or work in the United Kingdom.
  • The European Union (EU) would not consider you as a United Kingdom national.
Having a Connection with Hong Kong

The rules changed on the 30th of June 1997 when the sovereignty of Hong Kong returned to China. A British overseas territories citizen (with only a Hong Kong connection) would have lost that citizenship.

Nonetheless, you would have become a British overseas citizen if either of these apply to your situation:

  • You held no other nationality and you would have become a ‘stateless’ person.
  • You were born on or after the 1st of July 1997 and you would have been born stateless if, at the time of your birth, one of your parents was a British national (overseas) or a British overseas citizen.

Becoming a British Overseas Citizen

Note: There are only limited circumstances in which you can apply to become a British overseas citizen (BOC).

People who are Stateless

Being stateless means you are not recognised by any country as having a nationality. But, if you are ‘stateless’, you might be able to register as a British overseas citizen if (both):

There is another way for a stateless person to register as a British overseas citizen. It may be possible if all these apply to your situation:

  • You were born outside of the United Kingdom and outside the qualifying territories.
  • One of your parents is a British overseas citizen.
  • You lived in the United Kingdom or in an overseas territory for at least three (3) years.

There are two different application forms depending on when you were born. Fill in the most appropriate form for your situation:

Registering a Child as a British Overseas Citizen

There are special rules to register a child under 18 as a British overseas citizen. Use the ‘form to register a child under 18 as a British Overseas citizen: form MN3‘.

Registering as a British Citizen

As a British overseas citizen, you may be able to register as a British citizen if you meet certain conditions. You can check your eligibility to become a British citizen in a different section.

British Overseas Citizen Rights and Entitlements Explained