The British National (Overseas) passport (or BN(O) passport) is a British passport for the holders of the nationality British National (Overseas). It is mainly held by residents of Hong Kong from 1987.
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BN(O) passports are biometric and bear the "electronic travel document symbol" () on the burgundy coloured cover. The text United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is present above the coat of arms of the United Kingdom, and Passport below. The passport cover is identical to British Overseas Citizen, British Protected Person and British Subject passports and resemble British Citizen passports (where the text European Union is placed on top) closely. [1]
The holder's page is identical to the identification page of British Citizen passports with the nationality indicated as British National (Overseas). The machine-readable zone starts with P>GBR indicating the UK as the issuing country and contains the code GBN for the BN(O) nationality. The passport note (in name of Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of state) is equal to that in British Citizen passports.
The passports contain a contactless chip storing digital data including holder's personal data .[2]
Since the implementation of the BN(O) nationality 1987, most Hong Kong permanent residents have had the choice between two passports. Before the transfer of sovereignty in 1997, they could opt for the British Dependent Territories Citizen passport, or register for the BN(O) nationality and obtain the BN(O) passport. After 1997, they could opt for the BN(O) passport (if they had registered) and/or the HKSAR passport.
As registration was not popular in the early years (e.g. from 1 July 1987 to 21 December 1989, only 15% of the issued passports were BN(O) and the majority held British Dependent Territories citizen passports. In the early years after the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong, the British National (Overseas) passport was the most popular travel document amongst Hong Kong people. From April 1997 to the end of 2006 the British government had issued a total of 794,457 British National (Overseas) passports. The number of BN(O) passports issued reached a peak in 2001, when 170,000 were issued in a single year. However, the number issued since then has declined sharply (probably due to the popularity of the less-expensive HKSAR passport), so that only 30,000 British National (Overseas) passports were issued in 2006. As of May 2007, around 2.6 million out of 3.4 million of British Nationals (Overseas) did not hold a valid British National (Overseas) passport.[3] As the BN(O) nationality can not be passed to children, the number of nationals holding it and thus the number of passports issued is expected to decrease in future.
The cover of British National (Overseas) passport was originally black as in all British passport. When machine-readable passports were introduced on 1 June 1990, the cover colour was changed to burgundy.
Although the status of British National (Overseas) is not granted right of abode anywhere, British Nationals (Overseas) are Hong Kong permanent residents and thus the following statement is printed in each British National (Overseas) passport:
| “ | The holder of this passport has Hong Kong permanent identity card number XXXXXXX(X) which states that the holder has the right of abode in Hong Kong. | ” |
British Nationals (Overseas) enjoy visa-free access for up to six months to enter the United Kingdom and the following statement is also printed in each British National (Overseas) passport:
| “ | In accordance with UK immigration rules the holder of this passport does not require an entry certificate or visa to visit the UK. | ” |
Since 1 July 1997, all applications for renewal of British National (Overseas) passports were dealt with by the British Consulate-General Hong Kong or the nearby British Embassy and British High Commission, or by the Identity and Passport Service if the applicant is in the United Kingdom. The applicant should bring along the following documents when submitting an application:[1]
The adjustment of the application fee is subject to the change of the consular exchange rate between the pound sterling and the Hong Kong dollar. As of 7 February 2011, the passport fees are:[2]
| 32-page adult (16 and over) passport:[4] | HK$1,626 |
| 48-page adult 'jumbo' passport: | HK$1,963 |
| 32-page 5-year passport for a child under 16: | HK$1,036 |
In order to honour the contributions made by British nationals during the Second World War, all British nationals including British Nationals (Overseas) who were born on or before 2 September 1929 can renew their passport for free from 18 October 2004.[5]
In recent years, the British National (Overseas) passport has been criticized for being too expensive compared to the much less expensive Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport, which has also gained visa-free access in a large number of countries. As a result, the popularity of British National (Overseas) passport has sharply declined and the number of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport holders has substantially surpassed the number of British National (Overseas) passport holders.
In the early years after the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong, the issue of fake British National (Overseas) passports once aroused international attention as they were being circulated and used by illegal immigrants from the mainland China who wished to gain access to the United Kingdom. Those illegal immigrants were easily discovered by the Hong Kong immigration officers since they failed to speak fluent Cantonese, which is the native (spoken) dialect in Hong Kong.[6]
Neither the BN(O) mor the HKSAR passport is accepted for travel to Mainland China by Chinese government, which considers most BN(O) passport holders as Chinese citizens and travel between Hong Kong and Mainland China to be a domestic matter requiring a Home Return Permit.
In other countries, the passport is accepted. Eligibility for visa-free travel might however be dependent on the presence of proof a right of abode in the UK (which can be obtained under certain conditions).
The Republic of China on Taiwan only fully recognizes British citizens but not British Nationals (Overseas) since they are mostly ethnic Chinese and technically nationals of the People's Republic of China. Holders of British National (Overseas) passports or Hong Kong Special Administration Region passports need an Exit & Entry Permit (landing visa), issued for a fee, specific for them to enter Taiwan.[7]
On 1st September 2010 onwards, the Ministry of the Interior, Republic of China (Taiwan) issued a new policy to allow Hong Kong people holding British National (Overseas) passport or HKSAR passport to apply online and print the Exit & Entry Permit (landing visa) themselves. Holding this landing visa allow to stay in Taiwan for 30 days after landing. In this sense, it is almost a synonym of "visa exemption".
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