Section 17E: Citizen of UK and Colonies unable to become citizen at commencement

British Nationality Act 1981 · 1981 c. 61View on legislation.gov.uk

Part II: British overseas territories citizenship

A person (“P”) is entitled to be registered as a British overseas territories citizen on an application made under this section if—

P meets the general conditions;
P—
was a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies immediately before commencement, or
would have become such a citizen as mentioned in section 17A(2)(a), or
would have been such a citizen immediately before commencement as mentioned in section 17A(2)(b);
P would then have automatically become a British Dependent Territories citizen at commencement by the operation of section 23, had P’s mother been married to P’s natural father at the time of P’s birth; and
P would then have automatically become a British overseas territories citizen by the operation of section 2 of the British Overseas Territories Act 2002.

A person who is registered as a British overseas territories citizen under this section is a British overseas territories citizen by descent if the citizenship which the person would have acquired at commencement (as mentioned in subsection (1)(c)) would (by virtue of section 25) have been citizenship by descent.

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Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.