What is renunciation of citizenship?

Renunciation of citizenship means formally giving up British citizenship or another British nationality status by making a declaration to the Home Secretary. It is voluntary and affects only the person who makes it, and it takes effect once the declaration is registered. A person normally needs to hold, or be about to gain, another nationality.

How renunciation works

You can apply to give up (renounce) your British citizenship or status. If the application is accepted, you get a “declaration of renunciation” that you can use to show you are no longer British. GOV.UK gives an example of why someone might do this: they want to become a citizen of another country that does not allow dual citizenship.^{[1]Home Office, Give up (renounce) British citizenship or nationality}

A declaration of renunciation covers five statuses: British citizenship, British overseas territories citizenship, British overseas citizenship, British subject status and British national (overseas) status. You can give up more than one at a time.^{[1]Home Office, Give up (renounce) British citizenship or nationality} If you hold more than one type, apart from British overseas territories citizenship, you can renounce them all on one declaration. Renouncing British overseas territories citizenship goes through the Governor of the territory, so it needs a separate declaration.^{[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Form RN: guidance (accessible version)}

The law is in the British Nationality Act 1981 and the regulations made under it. Renunciation of BNO status is covered by the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986.^{[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Form RN: guidance (accessible version)}

Who can renounce

These are the conditions in the Home Office guidance for form RN.^{[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Form RN: guidance (accessible version)} GOV.UK sets out the same rules and adds that you can only renounce if you already have another citizenship or are going to get one after giving up British citizenship or status.^{[1]Home Office, Give up (renounce) British citizenship or nationality}

Applying, cost and when it takes effect

You can apply online or by post. If you live in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or a British overseas territory, you must apply by post.^{[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Form RN: guidance (accessible version)} The fee is £513.^{[3]UK Visas and Immigration, Fees for citizenship applications and the right of abode}

Once your declaration is registered by the Home Secretary (or the Governor), your renunciation takes effect on that date and you stop holding the status you gave up. After registration, the declaration is sent to you showing the date. This copy is formal evidence that the renunciation has taken effect.^{[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Form RN: guidance (accessible version)}

If the declaration was registered because you expected to gain another citizenship, but you do not do so within 6 months of registration, the renunciation does not take effect. You are treated as having remained British as before.^{[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Form RN: guidance (accessible version)}

What you lose

A British citizen who renounces loses the right of abode in the UK, unless they also have that right as a Commonwealth citizen. See right of abode. Once the declaration is registered, a British passport or certificate of entitlement is cancelled.^{[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Form RN: guidance (accessible version)}

If you want to live in the UK after renouncing British citizenship, you need to apply under the Immigration Rules. If you previously held permission to stay, including indefinite leave to remain, before you became a British citizen, you cannot get that status back. Any permission you held before becoming a British citizen fell away automatically at that point.^{[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Form RN: guidance (accessible version)} If you live in the UK, you can apply for settlement at the same time as you apply to renounce. The Home Office decides the settlement application only after it has processed the renunciation.^{[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Form RN: guidance (accessible version)}

Renunciation only affects the person making it. It does not change the status of any other family member, although GOV.UK says it could affect the status of any children you have in future.^{[1]Home Office, Give up (renounce) British citizenship or nationality}

Resuming British nationality

A person who renounces British citizenship or British overseas territories citizenship has a right, once only, to resume it if the renunciation was necessary to keep or obtain another citizenship. A person who renounces more than once, or for another reason, may be allowed to resume if the Home Secretary or Governor thinks there are good reasons. A person who renounces British overseas citizenship, British subject or British national (overseas) status cannot later resume it.^{[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Form RN: guidance (accessible version)}

Example

Anil is a British citizen and has been offered citizenship of a country that requires him to give up other citizenships. He is 40 and of full capacity. He applies to renounce and pays £513. The Home Secretary registers his declaration, and he receives it showing the date his British citizenship ended.

He then has 6 months from registration to get the new citizenship. If it does not come within that time, he can send his copy of the declaration with a letter from the other country’s authorities, and the renunciation is endorsed as never having taken effect.

What people get wrong

People often assume renunciation can be undone at any time. It cannot. A British citizen has a right to resume citizenship once only, and only in certain cases. Renouncing British overseas citizenship, British subject status or BNO status cannot be reversed at all.

The guidance on form RN says the same.^{[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Form RN: guidance (accessible version)} A second mistake is to forget what is lost with the citizenship. The right of abode ends, a British passport is cancelled and any earlier indefinite leave to remain cannot be revived.^{[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Form RN: guidance (accessible version)}

The bottom line

Renunciation is a formal, voluntary step that ends British citizenship or another British nationality status once the declaration is registered. You must hold another nationality or show you will get one within 6 months. The cost is £513. The right of abode, the passport and any earlier settled status do not come back with it. Both the other country’s rules and the person’s immigration position in the UK matter.