Under section 6(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981, the non-
British spouse of a British citizen
British citizen may be naturalised as a
British citizen if he or she has been resident in the United
Kingdom for 3 years up to the date of application. However, the
Secretary of State for the Home Office may waive the need to fulfil this requirement if on the date of application the person to whom the applicant is married is serving abroad in Crown
service or in service designated by the Secretary of State as
being closely identified with the overseas activities of Her
Majesty's Government.
All eligible officials in the government Of a dependent territory, which includes those members of the Hong Kong Police Force who are British citizens and whose recruitment took place in the United Kingdom, are covered by the British Citizenship (Designated Service) Order 1982 and will, therefore, benefit from
the appropriate provisions in the 1981 Nationality Act.