BN 12
HOME OFFICE
Information about registration as a British citizen by someone who is a British Dependent Territories citizen, a British Overseas citizen, a British subject, or a British protected person
British Nationality Act 1981
1
Section 4 of the British Nationality Act 1981 gives an entitlement to registration as a British citizen to British Dependent Territories citizens, British Overseas citizens, British subjects (under the British Nationality Act 1981) and British protected persons (see Notes 1-4) who can meet certain residence requirements. Both adults and minor children may apply. The Home Secretary has discretion, in the special circumstances of a particular case, to register as a British citizen any of the persons mentioned above who are or have at any time been in Crown service under the government of a dependent territory or similar service in a dependent territory (see Note 5). This leaflet explains briefly the provisions of this part of the Act. If after reading this leaflet you are still unsure about whether you can apply for British citizenship under this provision, please write to the address at the end of the leaflet quoting your full name, address, date, place and country of birth, present nationality, the place and date of your first arrival in the United Kingdom and details of your residence in this country.
Requirements
2 The applicant must:
3
i
ii
be either a British Dependent Territories citizen, a British Overseas citizen, a British subject under the British Nationality Act 1981 or a British protected person; and
meet the residence requirements in paragraph 3 below.
The residence requirements are that:
i
ii
the applicant was in the United Kingdom (see note 6) at the beginning of the five year period ending with the date of the application, except that the requirement to be in the United Kingdom at the beginning of the five year period does not apply to a person who was settled (see note 7) in the United Kingdom immediately before 1 January 1983; and
in the five year period referred to in (i) above he or she was not outside the United Kingdom for more than 450 days; and