United Kingdom - flag United Kingdom - Passport & Nationality - British Citizenship by Marriage (Penang and Malacca)

A person's birth in the former British colony of Penang & Malacca (now part of Malaysia) meant that the person became a Citizen of the UK & Colonies at birth. Upon independence of Malaysia, this status was converted to a British Overseas Citizen (or BOC), and would be retained in the modern day.

The question is: can this BOC status be upgraded to full British citizenship. Given recent changes in British nationality law to remedy gender discrimination, it can now be argued that a marriage before 1 January 1983 to a person who was (or should have been) a British citizen gives this person the Right of Abode. This should enable the BOC status to be upgraded to full British citizenship.

The requirements, therefore, for this solution are:

  • Birth in Penang & Malacca before independence of Malaysia on 30 August 1957; AND
  • Married to a person who was (or should have been, had gender discrimination not applied at the time) a British citizen. 
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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 visass, 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.