Renouncing British citizenship is a formal legal process for individuals who wish to give up their British nationality. Visa and Migration provides professional immigration advice to help you understand the legal implications and navigate the process with confidence.
Renunciation is the process of formally giving up British citizenship or another form of British nationality or status. For British citizens, the legal basis is section 12 of the British Nationality Act 1981. People may choose to renounce because they want to acquire or retain another nationality that restricts dual nationality, for personal reasons, or to comply with the nationality laws of another country.
Once a declaration of renunciation takes effect, the rights attached to the nationality or status that has been renounced come to an end. For a British citizen, this normally includes the right of abode in the United Kingdom and the ability to hold a British citizen passport. Renunciation should therefore be considered carefully, particularly if you intend to continue living in or travelling to the UK. In some circumstances, British citizenship can later be resumed under section 13 of the British Nationality Act 1981.
Renunciation means formally giving up British citizenship or another form of British nationality or status. Under section 12 of the British Nationality Act 1981, a British citizen of full age and capacity may make a declaration of renunciation. The Home Secretary will not register the declaration unless satisfied that you already have, or will acquire, another citizenship or nationality. If you do not already have another nationality, you must acquire one within 6 months of registration for the renunciation to take effect.
If your declaration of renunciation is registered, you will receive a registered declaration showing the date on which you ceased to hold the British nationality or status concerned.
You can renounce your:
• British Citizenship
• British Overseas Territories Citizenship
• British Overseas Citizenship
• British Subject Status
• British National (Overseas) Status
You can give up more than one status at a time.
If you give up your citizenship or status, only you are affected and not any other members of your family. However, it could affect the status of any children you have in the future.
If you give up British citizenship, your right to live in the UK will be affected.
If you are a British citizen, British Overseas Territories citizen, British Overseas citizen, British subject or British National (Overseas), you may be able to renounce your citizenship or status if:
• You are a citizen/national of another country, or
• You can satisfy the Home Secretary, or the Governor if you are renouncing British Overseas Territories citizenship, that you will acquire another citizenship or nationality within 6 months of registration of your declaration.
You must also meet the following requirements:
• You are of full age, meaning aged 18 or over. You are treated as being of full age for this purpose if you are aged under 18 and have been married or in a civil partnership.
• You must be of full capacity. The British Nationality Act 1981 defines full capacity as being 'not of unsound mind'. Home Office guidance states that this requirement is met where you have some understanding of the meaning and consequences of renunciation. The Home Secretary or Governor has discretion to waive the full-capacity requirement where it is considered to be in the applicant's best interests.
An application can be made on behalf of another person only where that person is not of full capacity and the person making the application is responsible for them. Evidence should explain the person's mental condition, the relationship to them and why renunciation would be in their best interests. An application must not be made for another person in other circumstances.
Before you apply to renounce your citizenship, you must consider that once the Home Secretary (or Governor if you are renouncing British Overseas Territories citizenship) has registered your declaration of renunciation, your renunciation will take effect on that date, and you will cease to hold the status(es) you have renounced.
The Home Secretary or Governor can withhold the registration in wartime.
If your declaration is registered because you are expected to acquire another citizenship or nationality, but you do not acquire it within 6 months of registration, the renunciation will not take effect and you will be treated as having remained a British national as before.
Importantly, a declaration of renunciation of citizenship or status only affects your status and not the current status of any other members of your existing family.
Once you have decided to renounce your British citizenship, you can apply for it.
Complete the declaration of renunciation using form RN. You can apply online or by post and must pay the applicable fee.
If you live in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or a British Overseas Territory, you must apply by post. You should follow the relevant instructions for where you live.
If you live elsewhere, you can apply online or by post. Where you apply online, you will usually be able to keep your documents while the application is being processed.
If you have more than one type of British nationality, apart from British Overseas Territories citizenship, you can renounce all those nationalities on one declaration, but you will need to complete two separate declarations if you want to renounce British Overseas Territories citizenship and another citizenship or status. This is because you are required to make the application to renounce British Overseas Territories citizenship to the territory's Governor, but all other renunciations to the Home Secretary.
As part of your application to renounce your citizenship, you may be required to provide supporting documentation such as:
• your birth certificate
• proof of your British nationality (such as a passport or a certificate of naturalisation or registration). If you got your citizenship or status through descent from a parent or grandparent, you should send documents proving the citizenship or status of that person and your relationship to them
• your marriage or civil partnership certificate if you are under 18 and have been married or in a civil partnership
• evidence that you hold, or will acquire, another citizenship or nationality after declaring your renunciation:
o your current passport which describes you as a citizen/national of the country concerned or a statement from the authorities of the country concerned which confirms citizenship or
o a statement from the authorities of the country concerned which confirms that you will become a citizen or national of that country if you do not currently hold another country’s citizenship
• If you are applying on behalf of a person who is not of full capacity, provide information about that person’s mental condition, your relationship to them, and why it would be in the best interests of that person to renounce their citizenship.
The current Home Office fee for an application to renounce British nationality is £513.
This fee has applied since 8 April 2026 and should be checked against the current Home Office fee table before an application is submitted.
If your declaration of renunciation is registered, you will receive your declaration showing that it has been officially registered.
Your form will show the date your citizenship or status stops.
You will get your supporting documents back whether you are successful or not.
If your declaration was registered on the basis that you would acquire another citizenship or nationality, you must acquire it within 6 months of registration. If you do not, the renunciation will not take effect and you will be treated as having remained a British national as before.
If you renounce British citizenship, you will lose your right of abode in the United Kingdom unless you also have that right as a Commonwealth citizen. If you held permission to enter or remain in the UK, including indefinite leave to remain, before becoming a British citizen, that previous immigration permission does not revive after renunciation because it ceased to have effect when you became British.
If you renounce British citizenship and want to live in the UK, you will need to qualify for immigration permission under the Immigration Rules. If you have lived in the UK lawfully and continuously for 10 years, you may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain (settlement) under Appendix Long Residence, provided you meet the relevant requirements. Importantly, Home Office Long Residence guidance confirms that time spent in the UK as a British citizen can count towards the 10-year qualifying period where the person has renounced British citizenship (as opposed to having been deprived of it). A person who is renouncing British citizenship can make a valid Long Residence application so that they can remain in the UK with immigration status once the renunciation takes effect. The Long Residence application may be made at the same time as the renunciation application, but it cannot be granted while the applicant remains a British citizen and must only be decided after the declaration of renunciation has been registered.
If you renounce British citizenship or British Overseas Territories citizenship because it was necessary to enable you to retain or acquire another citizenship, you have a right, once only, to resume that citizenship if the statutory requirements are met.
If you renounce British citizenship or British Overseas Territories citizenship more than once, or renounce it for another reason, resumption is discretionary and may be granted where the Home Secretary or Governor considers there are good reasons. British Overseas citizenship, British subject status and British National (Overseas) status cannot be resumed after renunciation.
Renouncing British citizenship is a significant decision that can have lasting consequences for your nationality, immigration status, and ability to live and work in the UK. Before you proceed, you must understand the legal requirements and the impact of giving up your British citizenship.
Our experienced immigration advisers understand that renouncing British citizenship is often linked to obtaining the nationality of another country or meeting the nationality laws of another country. So, we provide clear, practical advice to help you make an informed decision and ensure your application is prepared correctly.
Whether you are considering renouncing your British citizenship or want to apply to resume your British citizenship after renunciation, Visa and Migration Ltd. can provide professional guidance throughout the process.
For expert advice and queries on renunciation or resuming your British citizenship, you can call us at +44 (0)20 3411 1261 or write to info@visaandmigration.com
Under the British Nationality Act 1981, Renunciation is the legal process of formally giving up your British citizenship.
You may renounce for reasons such as acquiring the citizenship of a country that does not allow dual nationality, personal reasons, or family considerations.
You may apply if you hold a form of British nationality or status that can be renounced, meet the full-age and capacity requirements, and already hold or will acquire another citizenship or nationality as required by law.
Not necessarily. You may already hold another nationality, or you may satisfy the Home Secretary (or Governor, where applicable) that you will acquire another citizenship or nationality within 6 months of registration of your declaration.
The Home Secretary will not register a declaration unless satisfied that you will have or acquire another citizenship or nationality. If you do not already have another nationality and fail to acquire the expected nationality within 6 months of registration, the renunciation will not take effect.
Once your renunciation takes effect, your British passport or certificate of entitlement to the right of abode will be cancelled.
Not automatically. If you renounce British citizenship, you will normally lose your right of abode unless you have it on another basis. To live in the UK you will need to have or obtain an appropriate immigration status under the Immigration Rules.
You can make a declaration of renunciation using form RN online or by post. If you live in the Channel Islands, Isle of Man or a British Overseas Territory, you must apply by post.
The current Home Office fee is £513. Fees can change, so the amount should be checked before applying.
If your declaration is not registered, the Home Office should explain the outcome. Depending on the reason, it may be possible to address the issue and make a fresh application.
In certain circumstances, yes. British citizenship or British Overseas Territories citizenship may be resumed if the relevant legal requirements are met. Other forms of British nationality or status cannot necessarily be resumed.
No. A separate application is required. There is a once-only entitlement to resume British citizenship or British Overseas Territories citizenship where the earlier renunciation was necessary to retain or acquire another citizenship; in other cases, resumption is discretionary.
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