TNAG-1406-FCO40-1881-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 93

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CONFIDENTIAL

A

AN EXPLANATION OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ISSUE OF BN(O) PASSPORTS

Responsibility for Issue

1.

BN(O) passports will be issued in Hong Kong by the

Governor acting as agent of the Foreign and Commonwealth

Secretary. It will be possible to apply also for passports from passport offices in the United Kingdom and from consular

posts overseas.

2.

The fact that BN(O) passports are issued in the name of

the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary rather than that of the

Governor will enable the passport to be issued in the same form

after 1 July 1997 as before.

3.

The Governor will continue to be responsible for the issue of Hong Kong BDTC passports.

Passport Format

as

4.

The format of the BN(O) passport will be the s ame

that issued by UK passport issuing posts to other British nationals. Such posts at present issue the traditional blue

hard cover passport and the first BN (O) passports are likely to

be issued in that format.

5.

There will however be a change in the format of all

British passports as a consequence of the decision to give a common format to the National passports of European Community

member states. Once that change has been made, and the exact timing has yet to be settled, the BN (O) passport will be the same as that issued by issuing posts to those British nationals

CONFIDENTIAL

Q.