UK Citizenship and Naturalisation Helplines

British protected person

A British Protected Person (BPP) is a member of the class of certain persons under the British Nationality Act 1981 associated with former protected states, protectorates, mandated and trust territories whose external affairs and defence were under British control

You would have become a British protected person on 1 January 1983 if you:

were a citizen or national of Brunei
were already a British protected person
would otherwise have been born stateless (without a country) in the UK or an overseas territory because, when you were born, one of your parents was a British-protected person

In most cases, you would have lost your British protected person status if:

you gained any other nationality or citizenship
the territory you were connected with became independent and you became a citizen of that country

Rights as a British protected person

You can:

hold a British passport
get consular assistance and protection from UK diplomatic posts

However, you:

are subject to immigration controls and don’t have the automatic right to live or work in the UK
aren’t considered a UK national by the European Union (EU)

Become a British protected person

You may be able to register as a British protected person only if all the following apply:

you’re stateless and always have been
you were born in the UK or an overseas territory
your father or mother was a British-protected person when you were born

Contact UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) if you think you might qualify as a British protected person.