What is British citizenship?
This page explains what British citizenship is, and what other types of British nationality there are.
British citizenship is one of the six different forms of British nationality. Some of these were defined in the British Nationality Act 1981, which came into force on 1 January 1983. The laws that define how citizenship can be obtained changed on that date, which is why you will often see references to 1983 on this site.
The forms of nationality are:
- British citizenship;
- British overseas citizenship;
- British overseas territories citizenship;
- British national (overseas);
- British protected person; and
- British subject.
Of these, only British citizens have an automatic right to live and work in the United Kingdom and to apply for a British passport. Those with other forms of British nationality must obtain permission to live and work here. They may be entitled to register as British citizens in certain circumstances.
You may already be a British citizen or be able to apply for citizenship or another form of British nationality. See Eligibility for more information.
A person may be a British citizen:
- by descent; or
- otherwise than by descent.
This is a legal difference that affects whether or not a person can pass on citizenship to his/her children.
A person is a British citizen otherwise than by descent if he/she was:
- born in the United Kingdom after 1 January 1983 and one or both of his/her parents are British citizens, or were settled in the United Kingdom at the time of the birth; or
- adopted in the United Kingdom and one or both parents are British citizens.
A citizen otherwise than by descent can pass on British citizenship automatically to his/her children born outside the United Kingdom. But any children born outside the United Kingdom will be British citizens by descent, and cannot normally pass their citizenship to their own children born abroad. However, they can register their children as British citizens in certain circumstances.
A British citizen by descent cannot become a British citizen otherwise than by descent.
The position may be different for people born before 1 January 1983. In most cases, if you have a passport issued before 1983 which describes you as a British subject (or Commonwealth citizen) citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies with right of abode in the United Kingdom, you will automatically be a British citizen.
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Terms explained
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British overseas territory
These were formerly known as the British dependent territories. The territories are: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands and Dependencies, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, St Helena and Dependencies, the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Virgin Islands. (The sovereign bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia do not count as qualifying territories for nationality purposes.)
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands were the dependencies of the Falkland Islands, but were not British overseas territories between 3 October 1985 and 3 December 2001.
Hong Kong stopped being a British overseas territory on 30 June 1997 when sovereignty returned to China. St Christopher and Nevis was a British overseas territory until 18 September 1983, when it became an independent Commonwealth country.
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By descent
British citizenship gained through your parents. This type of citizenship cannot normally be passed on to your own children. (See also Otherwise than by descent.)
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Otherwise than by descent
British citizenship gained in your own right (not by descent through your parents or grandparents). This type of citizenship can be passed on to your own children. (See also Descent.)