BNO Passport Holders
If you are holding onto an expired BNO (British National Overseas) passport which was issued to Hong Kong residents in 1987 before the changeover to China then you can still renew this passport today. There has been much criticism about the passport such as its cost and it benefits.
Between the years of July 1987 to December 1989 only 15% of Hong Kong residents took up the offer of a BNO passport which was on offer to all citizens of Hong Kong. This however grew in the later years and interest in it grew as those on the BNO passport did not need a visa for many countries where as their new Chinese passports required a visa or visa application for most countries they wished to visit. This hit its peak in 2001 when the British Embassy in Hong Kong issued more than 170,000 passport in one single year.
The cost however became a major issue and many opted to hold onto their Hong Kong passport which was much cheaper since they would not be traveling abroad. The registration for new BNO passports then dropped to less than 30,000 per year in 2006. In 2007 of the 3.4 million citizens only 800,000 held a BNO passport in Hong Kong. The advantage of the passport is that you do not need to apply for a visa to visit the UK as the passport states:
"In accordance with UK immigration rules the holder of this passport does not require an entry certificate or visa to visit the UK."
The passport however does not give you the right to live in the UK but only enter and stay in the UK for 6 months at a time. The passport does however allow for BNO visa free entry into a number of other countries and that full listing is located here.
Note that the BNO has the following characteristics and does not expire. You cannot however get your children onto a BNO if they are not already British Nationals Overseas. The characteristics are as follows:
These are the main characteristics of the BNO passport holder. If you have further questions about the BNO then you should contact the British Embassy in Hong Kong for more details.
Between the years of July 1987 to December 1989 only 15% of Hong Kong residents took up the offer of a BNO passport which was on offer to all citizens of Hong Kong. This however grew in the later years and interest in it grew as those on the BNO passport did not need a visa for many countries where as their new Chinese passports required a visa or visa application for most countries they wished to visit. This hit its peak in 2001 when the British Embassy in Hong Kong issued more than 170,000 passport in one single year.
The cost however became a major issue and many opted to hold onto their Hong Kong passport which was much cheaper since they would not be traveling abroad. The registration for new BNO passports then dropped to less than 30,000 per year in 2006. In 2007 of the 3.4 million citizens only 800,000 held a BNO passport in Hong Kong. The advantage of the passport is that you do not need to apply for a visa to visit the UK as the passport states:
"In accordance with UK immigration rules the holder of this passport does not require an entry certificate or visa to visit the UK."
The passport however does not give you the right to live in the UK but only enter and stay in the UK for 6 months at a time. The passport does however allow for BNO visa free entry into a number of other countries and that full listing is located here.
Note that the BNO has the following characteristics and does not expire. You cannot however get your children onto a BNO if they are not already British Nationals Overseas. The characteristics are as follows:
- BNO is not automatic and is acquired by registration;
- BNO could only be acquired before the period in 1997 and the handover;
- BNO can be held with another nationality or citizenship;
- BNO cannot be trnaffered to your children;
- BNO once renounced, it cannot be regained;
- BNO cannot be lost automatically;
These are the main characteristics of the BNO passport holder. If you have further questions about the BNO then you should contact the British Embassy in Hong Kong for more details.
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