GUIDE RN RN1 V5

citizens, British Overseas citizens, , British subjects and British Nationals (Overseas)who

wish to renounce (give up) their citizenship or status.

This guide will help you to decide whether you can renounce your citizenship or status, and

tells you how to do it.

If you have any questions:

office.

Please quote any Home Office reference number of any previous application or

correspondence.

WHAT THIS GUIDE CONTAINS

1. Explains who can renounce British nationality

5. Tells you what happens afterwards

The law covering renunciation is contained in the British Nationality Act 1981 and the

Regulations made under it and (for renunciation of British National (Overseas) status) under

the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986. The information in this leaflet is meant only

statement of either the law or the policy.

If you are a British citizen, a British overseas territories citizen, a British Overseas citizen, a

British subject or a British National (Overseas), you may renounce your citizenship or status

if:

that you wish to renounce. (But see note below).

overseas territories citizenship, that you will acquire another citizenship or nationality after

of unsound mind”. We consider this requirement met if you have some understanding of the

meaning and consequences of renunciation.

The Secretary of State or Governor has discretion to waive the requirement to be of full

capacity if he thinks it is in the applicant’s best interests to do so. If you are completing this

form on behalf of someone else who is not of full capacity and for whom you are responsible

you should complete the form as fully as possible, and explain at part 7 of the form why it

would be in the applicant’s best interests for him or her to renounce their citizenship, despite

their inability to understand fully what is involved. The form should be supported by

confirmation of the applicant’s mental condition and of the fact that they are in your care.

Kong, you ceased to be a British Dependent Territories citizen on 1 July 1997. If you had no

other nationality or citizenship on that date, you automatically became a British Overseas

citizen.

• A person who became a British National (Overseas) can only now be a British overseas

territories citizen if he or she has that citizenship by a connection with a British overseas

territory other than the former dependent territory of Hong Kong.

and the British Virgin Islands.

Note: Before 26 February 2002, British Overseas Territories and British Overseas Territories

citizenship were called British Dependent Territories and British Dependent Territories

citizenship respectively.

You can renounce your British citizenship, British Overseas Territories citizenship, British

Overseas citizenship, British subject or British National (Overseas) status by completing the

declaration of renunciation on form RN. If you hold more than one of these citizenships or

status, apart from British overseas territories citizenship, you can renounce them all on one

form. If you wish to renounce British overseas territories citizenship and another citizenship

British overseas territories citizenship needs to be made to the Governor but all other

renunciations are made to the Home Secretary.

If your declaration is registered in the expectation of your acquiring another citizenship, but

you do not do so within 6 months of the registration, the renunciation will not take effect, and

you will be considered to have remained a British national as before.

NOTES

a right (once only) to resume that citizenship if the renunciation was necessary to enable

him or her to keep or obtain some other citizenship. A person who renounces British

citizenship or British overseas territories citizenship more than once, or for any other

reason, may be allowed to resume that citizenship if the Home Secretary or Governor

thinks fit. A person who renounces British Overseas citizenship, British subject or British

National (Overseas) status cannot later resume that citizenship or status.

 A person who renounces their British citizenship will lose their right of abode in the United

Kingdom, unless they also have that right as a Commonwealth citizen (see

https://www.gov.uk/right-of-abode/commonwealth-citizens). If you renounce British

If you wish to make a declaration of renunciation, fill in both the Official Copy and the

Applicant’s Copy of the form RN. It is important that the details given on both copies are

exactly the same. Sign and date the declaration on both copies – If you do not complete the

declaration part of the form, the declaration of renunciation will be invalid.

Part 7 – Countersignatory

To confirm that you are of full capacity (see section 1), this part must be filled in by a person

who is at least 18 years of age and knows you personally.

our website at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration.

Documents – Send evidence:

That you are a British citizen, a British overseas territories citizen, a British Overseas citizen,

a British subject or a British National (Overseas) (depending upon which citizenship or status

you wish to renounce).

• Normally, a passport will establish your citizenship or status. If you do not have one, you

should send a birth certificate or a certificate of naturalisation or registration. If you have

• You should send a passport issued to you by the other country of which you are a

• You should send a letter from the authorities of the country concerned confirming that

(if you are under 18) that you have been married or in a civil partnership.

• Send your marriage or civil partnership certificate.

Note: Information you give us will be treated in confidence, but may be disclosed to other

Government Departments and agencies and local authorities to enable them to carry out

their functions.

Once you have completed and signed the application form and enclosed the documents,

you must arrange to pay the correct fee. If you are paying by debit/credit card you should

complete the payment slip attached to the fee leaflet. If you are paying by cheque you

should ensure that funds are available in your account. Only cheques issued in sterling and

drawn from a bank which has a UK based presence will be accepted. Those applying from

overseas who wish to pay by cheque should therefore ensure that the issuing bank has a

branch in the UK where the cheque can be cashed. Cash, transcash or postal orders are

not accepted.

Department 1

UKVI

The Capital

New Hall Place

Liverpool

L3 9PP

If you are currently in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man you should send them to the

Lieutenant Governor.

UKVI

The Capital

New Hall Place

Liverpool

L3 9PP

For people in Hong Kong the law about where to send your application changed on 12

Applications for renunciation of British overseas territories citizenship are considered by the

Governor of the relevant territory. All other renunciation applications are considered at the

Home Office.

After the declaration has been registered, the ‘Applicant’s Copy’ of the form, officially signed

and stamped, will be returned to you, together with the documents that you sent. This copy

will be formal evidence that your declaration of renunciation has become effective.

If your declaration was registered in the expectation of your acquiring another citizenship,

but you do not do so within 6 months of the registration, you should send your ‘Applicant’s

Copy’ of the form, together with a letter from the authorities of the other country concerned

confirming that you have not acquired that country’s citizenship, to the appropriate office

mentioned in section 4. Your form will then be forwarded to the UK Visas and Immigration,