United Kingdom - flag United Kingdom - Passport & Nationality - British Overseas Citizen (BOC)

The BOC status is a legacy status from British colonial days, though the status is still valid today and BOC passports can still be issued. The British Overseas Citizenship (BOC) status can be upgraded to full British Nationality status, but this relies on a case-by-case analysis and is considered a Non-Standard claim to British nationality.

How do I find out if I can upgrade my BOC status?

We suggest following these three steps, designed to simplify the complex laws of British nationality and to avoid unnecessary and expensive application fees, to find your answer:

Step 1: Complete our free Nationality Assessment
Step 3: Order a free Status Trace
Step 4: Conduct a Citizenship Report


A British Overseas Citizen (BOC) is based on birth in a British Territory where nationality of that territory has not been granted. In most cases, this is caused by the Independence Day arrangements as to how nationality was granted to the residents of the newly-Independent country. 

 

The BOC status is one of the three forms of British protection offered to former British Subjects, the other two being British Protected Person (BPP) and British National Overseas (BNO). It is possible - in certain circumstances - to upgrade this status to full British Nationality.

The solutions that WhatPassport.com have discovered under this category are:

BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZEN (BOC) - TERRITORIES

UPGRADE OF EXISTING BOC STATUS

UPGRADE OF BOC QUALIFIER

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Ask Philip Gamble whether you (or your children) have a claim to British nationality.

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Learn more about these routes to British Nationality:

WhatPassport.com is a specialist UK Nationality and British Citizenship site offering an online search and assessment. Claims to hold a British Passport can be complex and the site offers a quick, simple search to give you the answers. While many people qualify for the UK Ancestry Visa based on holding a Commonwealth passport with a UK born grandmother or grandfather, we have found that if you have a grandparent born in the UK, or if your mother is British or your father is British, then there are several scenarios where you can claim British Nationality and the right to hold a British Passport. This stems from Britain’s collection of British Colonies, British Protectorates and British Protected States in the middle of last century and the Nationality rules concerning what are now the countries of the Commonwealth.

WhatPassport.com is a subsidiary of Sable International.

Sable International offers a range of services relating to UK and Australian immigration. For over 20 years, we have been helping people with their UK and Australian visa applications. We assist with applications for Ancestry visas, spouse visas, work visas, Tier 1 visas, UK working holiday visas, UK dependant visas, Tier 4 visas, UK Visitor visas, sponsorship visas or UK permanent residency or indefinite leave to remain. We also specialise in UK visa extensions. If you’ve overstayed your visa, our Overstayer Status Trace service can assist to regularise your visa status.