British Overseas Citizens; British subjects without right of abode. in the UK; British Protected Persons; and in due course BN (0)s.
Passport Format
(i) At 1 July 1987
It will be the same traditional blue hard covered passport as is issued by UK passport offices and consular posts to all British nationals at present.
(ii) Timing of change to new format
We shall introduce the new format as soon as possible but the timing has yet to be settled. It is of course linked with the investment which we are making in the production of passports which can be printed by computers and which will be machine readable.
It remains
[If pressed on the common EC format passport. our aim to issue common EC format pssports by 1987.]
(iii) Proposed new BN (0) format substandard?
We are aware of no feeling in Hong Kong that the passport is in anyway substandard. It is clearly within the 'family' of British passports, and as with the traditional passport it is issued with the authority of 'Her Brittanic Majesty's Secretary of State'. It differs only from the common EC format in the removal of EC references. It is the same passport as will be issued to others who are not UK nationals for EC purposes and the holders right of abode in Hong Kong will be clearly endorsed in the passport.
(iv) Too many passport formats for Hong Kong
This is not a problem. A great deal of change is underway around the world in passport format. There will be four types of passport issued in Hong Kong until the end of the century; in the UK we shall have three; in other EC states there will be at least two; and in the United States, Canada and Australia also at least two as they change to machine readable passports.
Properly explained as we intend, none of this poses a problem. The essential thing is that third countries understand the rights of the BN (0) status and, as will be the case, that the right of abode is clearly stated on the passport.
Issuing Policy
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