UK Visit Overseas Territory
Introduction:
Before 26 February 2002, the British overseas territories were known as the British dependent territories, and British overseas territories citizenship was known as British dependent territories citizenship. On this page, we refer to it by its current name, British overseas territories citizenship.
In Preceding days this category 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 Ruler 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.
About British Overseas Territories Citizenship:
BOT citizenship is a category of citizenship that was designed by the British Nationality Act 1981, which came into force on 1-January-1983. It is for people connected with the British overseas territories.
You became a British overseas territories citizen on 1-January-1983 if you were a citizen of the UK and Colonies on 31-December-1982 and:
- You did not become a British citizen on 1 January 1983; and
- You had associates with a British overseas territory because you, your parents or your grandparents were born, registered or naturalized in that British overseas territory. If you did not have these connections, you may have become a British overseas citizen.
In most situations, you became a British citizen on 1-January-1983 if you were a citizen of the UK and Colonies by birth, descent, legal adoption, naturalization or registration in the UK or if you lived in the UK, while a citizen of the UK and Colonies, for at least 5 years at any time before 1-January-1983.
On 21-May-2002, British overseas territories citizens became British citizens automatically if they had British overseas territories citizenship by association with a qualifying territory. A qualifying territory is any of the British overseas territories except for the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia.
When St Christopher and Nevis became an independent Commonwealth country on 19 February 1983, British overseas territories citizens lost that citizenship if they were connected only with St Christopher and Nevis.
On 30-June-1997, when dominion of Hong Kong returned to China, British overseas territories citizens lost that citizenship if they were connected only with Hong Kong. Special rules were presented in 1986 to allow British overseas territories citizens from Hong Kong to acquire the new status of British (national) overseas. Those who did not register as British nationals and had no other nationality or citizenship on 30-June-1997 became British overseas citizens on 1-July-1997.
Click here for more information about UK visit overseas territory