The terms ‘British national' and ‘British citizen' are often used interchangeably, but what do they really mean? If you're asking what is a UK national, it's a broad category encompassing various types of British nationality tied to the UK or its territories.
A UK or British citizen is a specific type of UK national. A UK national is a broader category that includes people who have been granted British nationality, usually with their connection to a British territory or former British colony.
The UK currently has six different types of British nationality, which are set out below:
- British citizen - This is the most common type of British nationality. British citizens have full rights, including the right to live, work, and study in the UK, as well as access to public funds and services.
- British overseas territories citizen - This nationality applies to people who are connected to the British Overseas Territories (e.g., Bermuda, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar etc). BOTCs have the right to reside in their specific territory but do not have an automatic right to live or work in the UK unless they are also British citizens.
- British overseas citizen – This category is now largely historical. It applies to people who were connected to British territories that were previously part of the British Empire but are no longer part of the UK (e.g., former colonies that became independent Commonwealth countries). BOCs do not have the right to live in the UK automatically.
- British subject – This category mainly applies to individuals who were subjects of the British Empire before 1949, and is largely obsolete due to the very few number of individuals remaining who would still have this status.
- British national (overseas) - This status is for people from Hong Kong who were British nationals (usually British dependent territories citizens) before Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997. BN(O) status does not grant the right to live or work in the UK, but since 2020, holders of this status may be eligible for the BN(O) Visa to move to the UK.
- British protected person - This is an uncommon and limited status, typically granted to individuals who have a connection to a former British protectorate or a region under British protection. British Protected Persons are not full British citizens as this status does not confer an automatic right to live or work in the UK.
- Since 1 January 1983, it has only been possible to apply for the first two types of British nationality listed above, with the most common one being British citizenship.
Most crucially, only British citizens have the right of abode in the UK, with other types of British nationals still being subject to immigration control. All types of British nationals have the right to seek consular assistance from the UK government abroad, and to vote in general elections if they are lawfully residing in the UK.
To put it simply, all UK citizens are UK nationals, but not all UK nationals are UK citizens.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
