Guidance

Renunciation (accessible)

Published 29 May 2025

Version 5.0

This guidance tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff about the renunciation (giving up) of British nationality. It tells staff who can renounce their citizenship, how they can renounce their citizenship, how we can check if it has been renounced and what happens after a customer renounces citizenship.

About: Renunciation

This guidance is for His Majesty’s Passport Office staff, it explains:

• how we are told a customer has renounced (given up) their British nationality,

• how to check if a customer has renounced their British nationality

Contacts

If you have any questions about the guidance and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the guidance has factual errors then email the Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this guidance (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the guidance then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the guidance was published:

• version 5.0

• published for Home Office staff on 20 August 2024

Changes from last version of this guidance

This guidance has been updated to make minor terminology changes.

When customers renounce their British nationality

This section tells HM Passport Office staff why a person may renounce their British nationality. It includes why we must not issue a passport to someone who has renounced their nationality and how to check if you doubt they still hold British nationality.

Some overseas countries do not allow their nationals to be citizens of other countries (known as dual nationality) and may require a person to renounce any other nationality they hold when they:

• reach a certain age if they held dual nationality from birth (see Knowledge base)

• naturalise or register for nationality of that country

A person renouncing British nationality will no longer be eligible for a British passport and their right to live in the UK will also be affected. Any children born after a (claim) parent has renounced British nationality will not have a claim to British nationality unless the parent is free from immigration control at the time of the birth.

HM Passport Office will not issue a passport to someone who has renounced their British nationality or to a child born after their claim parent has renounced British nationality.

Who can renounce British nationality

A British citizen, British overseas territories citizen, British overseas citizen, British subject or British national (overseas) can only give up (renounce) their British nationality if either of the following apply:

• they already have another citizenship or nationality

• they are going to get another citizenship or nationality within 6 months of renouncing their British nationality (see, When renunciation is not completed)

they must also be:

• aged 18 or over (unless they’re under 18 and married)

• of sound mind (unless it is decided that it is in their best interest)

If accepted, the customer will get a ‘declaration of renunciation’ that shows they’re no longer British.

How we are told a person has renounced British nationality

UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) keeps a record of all renunciations registered in the UK, British High Commissions in Commonwealth countries overseas and British overseas territories.

UKVI will tell HM Passport Office if a person has renounced their British nationality and whether they have returned their passport. When we receive notification from UKVI, the Intelligence Hub will:

• cancel the passport as ‘revoked’ on passport records and add a passport note explaining the cancellation

• add the person’s details to the watchlist

When renunciation is not completed

The British Nationality Act 1981 makes provision under section 12(3) for British nationals to retain their British nationality if they do not take up another citizenship or nationality within 6 months of renouncing.

The British national must contact UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) to update the records, if they do not take up another nationality within 6 months. See, Guide RN, Declaration of renunciation guidance for customers

When the Intelligence Hub receives confirmation from UKVI that the renunciation never took effect the Intelligence Hub will update our records.

How a customer reacquires their British nationality

A customer may be able to reacquire British nationality after they have renounced it by registering under sections 10 or 13 of the British Nationality Act 1981 subject to section 24, if they fit the criteria. Depending on where the customer lives they can apply to:

• UKVI if they live in the UK or overseas

• the Governor of their British overseas territory

• the Governor of the Isle of Man, Jersey or Guernsey

The customer will be issued with a registration certificate (confirming their new British nationality status) and must send it with their application when they apply for a British passport.