Anyone born before then is eligible to apply for a British National (Overseas) passport, known as a BNO. If you need to check whether an individual is a British national (overseas) you can contact the BNO team in Her Majesty’s Passport Office.” Therefore, if 3.4 million persons were initially registered as BN(O)s, 3.4 million would have been issued BN(O) passports. More than 350,000 people have BNO passports, says the British government, which also estimates that there are 2.9 million who are eligible for BNO status in Hong Kong. Besides, a person fulfills the transitional arrangement under the same Ordinance is also eligible to enjoy the right of abode. The British National (Overseas) status itself does not automatically grant the right of abode anywhere (including the United Kingdom and Hong Kong). British passports issued to British citizens after 29 March 2019 no longer carry the words "European Union" on the cover, making them identical to BN(O) passports in appearance. To further differentiate British Nationals (Overseas) from British citizens regarding EU freedom of movement rights, BN(O) passports renewed after 29 March 2019 carry the additional endorsement: The Holder is not entitled to benefit from European Union provisions relating to employment or establishment. “Today, about 350,000 of the territory’s people hold British National (Overseas) passports and another 2.5 million would be eligible to apply for them. Earlier, residents of Hong Kong were Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies and their relevant passports bore the texts 'British Passport' at the top and 'Hong Kong' at the bottom of the cover. [16], Upon crossing the Hong Kong-Mainland China border, those illegal immigrants were easily detected by Hong Kong immigration officers, since the Mandarin-speaking immigrants invariably failed to understand or respond to officers communicating in Cantonese, the first language among Hong Kong's native population.[17]. Like Hong Kong SAR passport holders, BN(O)s must obtain ″Exit & Entry Permit″ which can be obtained either online at no cost or for a fee on arrival, to enter Taiwan. The UK said it will expand the visa-free access of Hong Kong's BNO passport holders from six months to five years and give them the right to work and study in Britain during that period. [9], As of 24 February 2020, there were 349,881 holders of BN(O) passports and the UK Home office estimates that there are around 2.9m BN(O)s in Hong Kong. Under the Immigration Ordinance, six categories of people are eligible to enjoy the right of abode in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). From April 1997 to the end of 2006, the British government has issued a total of 794,457 BN(O) passports. After the passage of the Hong Kong national security law, the UK government made it possible for BN(O) holders to move to the UK permanently through a series of steps. Go through the following to understand where it is that you exactly stand on the British nationality scale and whether or not you qualify for a British passport. Holders of BN(O) passports are permanent residents of Hong Kong who were British Dependent Territories citizensuntil 30 June 1997 and had registered as BN(O)s. From 31 January 2021, BN(O) passport holders can … Those eligible are advised to apply for a passport ahead of time if they think they will want to apply to the BNO route in the future. When machine-readable passports were introduced on 1 June 1990, the cover colour was changed to burgundy. Under the new visa, holders will be permitted to remain in the UK for 5 years, at which point they become eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain. It was created by the Hong Kong Act 1985 for British Dependent Territories citizens of Hong Kong. After the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997, the British National (Overseas) passport became the most popular travel document among the people of Hong Kong. This is something the UK considers a violation of the principle of 'One country, two systems' as set out by the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984, an internationally binding treaty.[4]. Dependants of BNO passport holders who were born after 1 July 1997 are not eligible to apply for a BN(O) passport since they are born after the UK’s handover of Hong Kong to China. The cover of British National (Overseas) passport was originally navy blue, as in all other types of British passport. Under current rules, BNO passport holders can visit the UK for up to six months without a visa. Based on existing restrictions, as current passport holders die, the number of British National (Overseas) passports in circulation will continue to decline over the next decades and eventually will fall to zero. from 1 July 1987 to 21 December 1989, only 15% of newly issued passports were of the BN(O) type; the majority still held the British Dependent Territories Citizen passports). The UK’s special visa for BNO passport holders. However, if the parents are BN(O) passport holders, they will also be eligible for this route to obtain British citizenship. These passports are also recognised by many other countries for visa-free travel purposes. Holders can live, study and work in the UK for 5 years, after which they can apply for permanent residence and register as a British citizen after a further year's residence. [13][14] The following statement is printed in each British National (Overseas) passport: In accordance with UK immigration rules the holder of this passport does not require an entry certificate or visa to visit the UK. Some 2.6 million out of the 3.4 million British Nationals (Overseas) did not renew their passports upon expiry. You are eligible for a BN(O) Passport if you are a Chinese citizen of Hong Kong who was born before Hong Kong’s handover in 1997. By 2015, the less-expensive Hong Kong SAR passport has been granted visa-free access to more than 150 countries and territories. Must sign, date and certify 1 of the 2 Passport sized photographs provided (Only 1 photo is to be used the other is to be left blank!) Since the start of registration for the British National (Overseas) nationality on 1 July 1987, permanent residents of Hong Kong who were British Dependent Territories Citizens could either remain as BDTCs or register for the new type of nationality. Published 25 August 2015 Last updated 15 July 2020 — see all updates Innovator visa Who is eligible for a BN(O) passport? Others born before the July 1, 1997 handover were eligible to apply before that … The British National (Overseas) passport, commonly referred to as the BN(O) passport, is a British passport for persons with British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) status. That may explain why there is such a sudden surge in demand among Hongkongers for a renewal of their British National (Overseas) (BNO) passport – or so it … During and after the 2014 Hong Kong Protests, many BN(O) holders began to renew their passports with 22,022 renewals in 2014, this was up from 7,654 in 2011. The passport was first issued in 1987 after the Hong Kong Act 1985, from which this new class of British nationality was created. Millions of Hong Kong residents hold British National (Overseas), or BNO, passports. [15], In the early years after the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997, the issue of counterfeit British National (Overseas) passports aroused international attention and government scrutiny, as such passports were being manufactured and used by illegal immigrants from the mainland of the People's Republic of China, who wished to gain direct access to the United Kingdom by way of Hong Kong. The holders can then apply for citizenship after 12 more months. British National (Overseas) status is a specific type of British nationality. Millions of Hong Kong residents hold British National (Overseas), or BNO, passports. The machine-readable zone starts with P
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