Guidance

Accepting foreign awards: UK rules

UK citizens must have His Majesty The King's permission to accept and wear a foreign award. Permission will only be given if the award meets these UK rules.

• From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
• Published: 15 June 2012
• Last updated: 12 December 2025 — See all updates

Documents

Rules governing the acceptance and wearing of foreign, Commonwealth, Realm and International Orders, Honours, decorations and medals by nationals of the United Kingdom and her Overseas Territories

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Details

UK nationals need to have His Majesty The King’s permission to accept and wear a foreign award. This permission will only be given if the award meets the UK rules on the acceptance of foreign awards.

The award should be for direct and intentional service to the foreign country with a sufficient proportion within the past 5 years. Crown servants are not normally given permission to accept and wear foreign awards.

If a foreign country wishes to give an award to UK military personnel (serving or retired), they should provide the relevant details to the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Services Secretary. For all other UK nationals, details should be sent to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)’s Honours Secretariat. If the relevant UK ministry assesses that the proposed award is in line with the rules, they will consider granting permission for the foreign country to confer the award and for the individual concerned to accept and wear it.

Published 15 June 2012

Last updated 12 December 2025 + show all updates

1. 12 December 2025

   Guidance has been fully reviewed and updated.

2. 24 November 2021

   Updated to make the rules clearer and add information on non-military missions relating to some international organisations.

3. 15 June 2012

   First published.