British National (overseas) visa. BN (O) VISA

Apply for a British National (Overseas) visa (known as a BNO visa) to live, work and study in the UK if you or a family member are from Hong Kong.

If you’re from Hong Kong and are a British National (Oversees) you and your family members can apply for a British National (Overseas) visa. This is known as a BN (O) visa. It allows you to live, work and study in the UK.

Someone who was a British overseas territories citizen by connection with Hong Kong was able to register as a British national (overseas) before 1 July 1997.

British overseas territories citizens from Hong Kong who did not register as British nationals (overseas) and had no other nationality or citizenship on 30 June 1997 became British overseas citizens on 1 July 1997.

If you’re not already a British national (overseas), you cannot apply to become one.

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Who Can Apply?

You can apply for a BNO visa if you’re:

  • a) A British National (Oversees)
  • b) 18 or older

Your permanent home must be:

In Hong Kong, if you’re applying from outside the UK in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Hong Kong if you’re applying in the UK 

*Your family members
Your family members can apply for a BNO visa if they’re eligible. They must usually apply at the same time as you.

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Children 18 or older

You or your partner’s child (18 or older) can apply as your dependant if they were born on or after 1 July 1997. They must apply at the same time as you.

They must normally live with you, unless they’re living away from home to study.  If they’re not eligible for a BNO visa, they may be able to apply for another visa to come to the UK to work or study.

Other family members who live with you

  • Other adult family members (18 or older) can only apply if they are very dependent on you for their care. For example, they rely on your care to perform everyday tasks because of illness or disability.

This includes your or your partner’s:

  • parent or grandparent
  • brother or sister
  • son or daughter

If eligible, they can apply as an ‘adult dependent relative’. They must apply at the same time as you.

How long you can stay

You can apply to stay for either:

  • 2 years and 6 months
  • 5 years

You will be able to extend your visa if you want to stay longer. You can apply to extend your visa as many times as you want.

After you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years, you can apply to permanent stay in the UK this is also called Indefinite leave to remain.

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What you can and cannot do:

You can:

  • Work full time or set up business
  • Study (including at school, college or university)
  • You cannot usually apply for most benefits
  • Once you have a BNO visa, you might be able to
  • You’ll be eligible for this in certain financial
    circumstances, for example if you:
  • Do not have a place to live and cannot afford one have a place to live but cannot afford essential living costs like food or heating are at risk of losing your place to live or being unable to afford essential living costs have a very low income, and not having access to benefits would harm your child’s wellbeing.

*Which family members can apply ?

If you’re a British National (overseas), your family members can apply as your ‘dependant’ if they normally live with you.

A dependant can include your:

  • Husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
  • Child or grandchild under 18
  • Child 18 or older, born on or after 1 July 1997 (and their partner or child under 18)
  • Parent, grandparent, brother, sister, son or daughter (18 or older) if they live with you
    and are very dependent on you for their care
  • When you apply, you and your family member will need to provide evidence of your relationship and that you normally live together.
  • Partners
  • Partners must be 18 or older to apply. They can be either:
    • your partner
    • your adult child’s partner
    • They’ll need to prove that they’re either:
    • in a civil partnership or marriage that’s recognised in the UK
  • In a relationship and have been living with their partner for at least 2 years when they apply
  • Children under 18
  • All children under 18 need to apply with both parents, unless one parent or grandparent has sole responsibility for them.
  • The child must normally live with you, unless they’re living away from home to study.

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Costs

When you apply for a British National (Overseas) visa, you must:

  • Pay the visa application fee
  • Pay the healthcare surcharge
  • Prove that you have enough money to support yourself and your family members for at least 6 months while you’re in the UK
  • Visa application fee depends on years of grant 2.5 or 5 years
  • You and your family members will each need to pay a visa application fee.
  • As part of your application, you might need to go to an appointment to give your
    biometric information (fingerprints and a photo).
  • Healthcare surcharge.
  • You and your family members will each need to pay the healthcare surcharge.
  • This is so you can use the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. You’ll still need to pay for some NHS care such as prescriptions, dental care and eye tests.
  • You pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your online visa application.
  • Money to support yourself and your family
  • You’ll need to show you have enough money to pay for your housing and to support yourself and your family for 6 months.
  • This can include:
    • your income and savings as well as your family member’s
    • money you will earn in your current job in the UK
    • money you will earn if you’re transferring to a job in the UK with your current employer
    • an offer of help from family or friends
    • You usually do not need to show you have enough money to support yourself if you’ve
    been living in the UK for 12 months or more. You’ll still need to show this if you’ve
    been in the UK on a Youth Mobility Scheme visa.
  • As well as money for housing costs, you’ll need at least the same amount as someone would get on Income Support in the UK.
  • How much you need depends on how many family members are applying with you.

Applying to settle in the UK

You can apply to settle in the UK (known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’) after you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years on a BNO visa. This means you can stay in the UK without any time limits.

Documents you’ll need to apply

  • When you apply you’ll need to provide a valid passport or other travel document that shows
    your identity and nationality.
  • If you’re a British National overseas – BNO you can use a current or expired BNO passport (or a photocopy) to show your BNO status when you apply.
  • If you no longer have a BNO passport you can still apply. The Home Office will check your
    status but it may take longer to get a decision on your application.

You do not need a BNO passport to travel to the UK. You can use any valid passport or travel document.

You’ll also need to provide evidence:

  • That you have a permanent home in Hong Kong
  • That you have enough money to support yourself and your family
  • Of your relationship with family members
  • Of your tuberculosis (TB) test certificate, if you did not already provide it when you arrived the UK
  • You must provide a certificate translation of any documents that are not in English.