TNAG-2936-FCO40-4211-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-British-National-(Overseas)-1993 — Page 108

Your Reference: BPP/CON/1/7

Our Reference:

15 June 1993

NTN 340/393/1

Mrs K L Chow

Hong Kong Immigration Department

7 Gloucester Road

Wan Chai

HONG KONG

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

Nationality, Treaty & Claims Department

Clive House

Petty France London SWIH 9HD

Telephone: 071-270-4070

Dear

Dens Mrs Chom,

BN(0) STATUS/BRITISH CITIZENSHIP

Миа

MUD 340

RECE

INDE,

19 OCT 1993

1. Thank you for your letter of 14 May and your previous letter of 24 February in which you asked whether a person eligible to register as a BN (O) must in the process of registration be issued with, and hold, a passport in which he is so described before 1 July 1997. As you point out, this question has practical application in the case of persons who are British citizens and wish to travel with passports describing them as such and who are also eligible for BN(0) status and wish to register before 1 July 1997.

2.

Since the only way to register as a BN (O) is to apply for a passport there is no alternative to following that procedure. However, it has been agreed that a British citizen who is placed on the register of BN (0)s and wishes to retain a passport in which he is described as a British citizen may do so with an endorsement as follows:-

"The holder of this passport has Hong Kong permanent identity card number

which states that the holder has the right of abode in Hong Kong. The holder is also a British National (Overseas)."

It has been agreed that a passport describing the holder as a British citizen with the above endorsement would constitute "such a British passport" as required by the UK Memorandum associated with the Joint Declaration. Diplomatic Service Procedure, Consular Volume 2, Part 1 (Passports) will be amended accordingly and the United Kingdom Passport Agency will inform Passport Offices along the same lines.

3.

Adoption of this procedure answers all the questions raised by you with one exception, sub para (e) falling away. The only unanswered question is that raised by you at sub

/para (f)