The type of citizenship you will acquire

If your application is successful, you will become a British citizen. Your registration certificate will state if you are a British citizen by descent or a British citizen otherwise than by descent.

British citizen by descent

You will become a British citizen by descent if, prior to registering as a British citizen:

• you were a British dependent territories citizen by descent before you registered as a British national (overseas), or, because you failed to register, became a British overseas citizen on 1 July 1997; or
  • a British overseas citizen; or
  • a British subject; or
  • a British protected person.

In general, British dependent territories citizens who were born outside Hong Kong became British dependent territories citizens by descent.

As a British citizen by descent you will not normally be able to pass on British citizenship to any children born outside the United Kingdom.

British citizenship otherwise than by descent

You will become a British citizen otherwise than by descent if prior to registration as a British citizen:

• you were a British dependent territories citizen otherwise than by descent before you registered as a British national (overseas), or
• because you failed to register, became a British overseas citizen on 1 July 1997.

British dependent territories citizens who were born, naturalised (in some cases registered) or adopted in Hong Kong became British dependent territories citizens otherwise than by descent.

As a British citizen otherwise than by descent you will be able to pass on British citizenship to any children born to you after you have registered, even if they are born outside the United Kingdom. Any children born before you have registered for British citizenship will need to qualify and apply for British citizenship in their own right.