UK Border Agency | Volume 1: The British Nationality Act 1981

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Volume 1: The British Nationality Act 1981 - caseworking instructions

Nationality instructions

Chapter 1: Levels of decision taking (all relate to the British Nationality Act 1981 except where otherwise indicated)
Chapter 2: Automatic acquisition - persons born before 1 January 1983
Chapter 3: Automatic acquisition by birth or adoption
Chapter 4: Automatic acquisition by birth
Chapter 5: Automatic acquisition by people otherwise born stateless
Chapter 6: General Information
Chapter 7: Registration by entitlement of certain people born before 1983 to women who were citizens of the United Kingdom and colonies
Chapter 8: Registration by entitlement of person born in the United Kingdom on or after 1 January 1983
Chapter 9: Registration of minors at discretion
Chapter 10: Registration by entitlement of minors born outside the United Kingdom to British citizens by decent
Chapter 11: Registration by entitlement of minors born outside the United Kingdom to British citizens by decent on grounds of residence
Chapter 12: Registration of British Nationals
Chapter 13: Registration by entitlement of British overseas territories citizens who are United Kingdom nationals for European Community purposes
Chapter 14: Registration and naturalisation under legislation other than the British Nationality Act 1981
Chapter 15: Registration by entitlement of stateless persons
Chapter 16: Registration following renunciation of citizenship of the United Kingdom and colonies
Chapter 17: Registration following renunciation of British citizenship
Chapter 18: Naturalisation at discretion
Chapter 19: Renunciation
Chapter 20: British citizenship "by descent" and "otherwise than by descent"
Chapter 21: General Information
Chapter 22: Automatic acquisition on 1 January 1983
Chapter 23: Automatic acquisition by birth or adoption on or after 1 January 1983
Chapter 24: Automatic acquisition by birth outside the British overseas territories on or after 1 January 1983
Chapter 25: Automatic acquisition by people otherwise born stateless
Chapter 26: Registration by entitlement of minors born in a British overseas territory on grounds of a parent's status
Chapter 27: Registration by entitlement of persons born in a British overseas territory on grounds of residence
Chapter 28: Registration of minors at discretion
Chapter 29: Registration by entitlement of minors born outside the British overseas territories to British overseas territories citizens by decent
Chapter 30: Registration by entitlement of minors born outside the British overseas territories to British overseas territories citizens by descent on grounds of residence
Chapter 31: Registration by entitlement of stateless persons
Chapter 32: Registration following renunciation of citizenship of the United Kingdom and colonies
Chapter 33: Registration following renunciation of British dependent territories citizenship or British overseas territories citizenship
Chapter 34: Naturalisation at discretion
Chapter 35: Renunciation
Chapter 36: British overseas territories citizenship "by descent" and "otherwise than by descent"
Chapter 37: Automatic acquisition - birth before 1 January 1983
Chapter 38: Automatic acquisition - by people otherwise born stateless
Chapter 39: Acquisition by application - Registration of any minor
Chapter 40: Acquisition by application - registration of stateless persons
Chapter 41: Renunciation - Registration of declarartion of reunciation
Chapter 42: British subjects - general information
Chapter 43: Automatic acquisition - birth before 1 January 1983
Chapter 44: Automatic acquisition - by people otherwise born stateless
Chapter 45: Acquisition by application - registration of any minor
Chapter 46: Acquisition by application - claims to remain a British subject by certain Irish nationals
Chapter 47: Acquisition by application - registration of stateless persons
Chapter 48: Renunication - registration of declaration of renunciation
Chapter 49: Renunciation - automatic loss
Chapter 50: British nationals (overseas) - Hong Kong Act 1985 & Hong Kong (British nationality) order 1986 - general information
Chapter 51: British nationality (overseas) - Hong Kong Act 1985 & Hong Kong (British nationality) order 1986 - acquisition
Chapter 52: British National (overseas) - Hong Kong Act 1985 & Hong Kong (British nationality) order 1986 - Renunciation
Chapter 53: Loss of British National (Overseas) status
Chapter 54: British protected persons - general information
Chapter 55: Deprivation (section 40) and nullity
Chapter 56: Restricted - not for disclosure
Chapter 57: Right of abode

This page lists the chapters of the nationality instructions. This guidance is used by UK Border Agency staff deciding applications for citizenship. The contents are arranged into two volumes which are subdivided into chapters and sections. Volume 1 contains the main caseworking instructions.