TNAG-1560-FCO40-2124-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 69

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

the Galswortly telephoned Davis, Treasug

today.

прека

Bu2wks 275

210 6010

Telephone 01-

MON

24/2

B Nelson Esq

HM Treasury

ниносюн

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

Your reference

XFE 451/9

Our reference

2 5FEB 1936

21 February 1986

Date

DESK OFFICER INDEX

PA

Dear Banny

HONG KONG: ISSUE OF BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) PASSPORTS

1. We have considered carefully the points you raise in your letter of 6 January about the issue of passports to BN(0)s in Hong Kong. Our exchanges have been very useful in clarifying the issues involved.

2. I should first explain what may not earlier have been suffi- ciently apparent, namely that we believe that the procedure we adopt should be consistent with existing procedures in Hong Kong and in other dependent territories. The passports which the Hong Kong Government issue at present are not United Kingdom passports. (Applications from British citizens resident in Hong Kong are sent to London for processing by the Passport Office). In dependent territories generally the Governor exercises the royal prerogative in the issue of passports, the name of the dependent territory is printed on the front cover of passports, supplies are ordered direct and paid for by the dependent territory government, and it rests with that government both to set the passport fee and to use the revenue as it sees fit. Although we encourage the dependent territory governments to set their passport fee at a level comparable to the United Kingdom fee charged under our Consular Fees Order, there is no compulsion on them to do so.

3. Hong Kong will of course remain a dependent territory until 30 June 1997. The arrangements I have described above will continue to apply to the passports which Hong Kong issue until that date in which the holders are described as citizens of British dependent territories, BDTCs. (Such passports will have a maximum validity to 30 June 1997.) The passports which are the subject of our correspondence are those which will be issued to Hong Kong BDTCs who elect to apply for BN (0) status in order to preserve an entitlement to a form of British nationality after 30 June 1997. Until that date they will have both BDTC and BN (0) status, although they will be allowed to hold only one passport at any given time. The reason why the passports issued to BN (O)s will be UK ones (issued in the name of the Secretary of State and consequently attracting the appropriate fee under the UK Consular Fees Order) is that they will have the usual ten year validity and the colonial implications of a passport issued in the name of the

/Govenor