Renouncing British citizenship
A British citizen can formally give up British citizenship, usually because the law of another country requires them to give up other nationalities before they can take that country’s citizenship. The process is a declaration of renunciation, made on the official form and registered by the Home Office, with a fee. Renunciation is a serious step: it cannot be undone simply by changing your mind, and you must be sure that you have, or will immediately acquire, another nationality, because the Home Office will normally refuse the declaration if it would leave you stateless.
Resuming British citizenship
In some cases a person who has renounced British citizenship can resume it. The usual situation is someone who renounced in order to take another nationality, and who then lost or gave up that nationality, or finds that the other country in fact did not require renunciation. A declaration of resumption is made on a registration application, and the right to resume is restricted: it is available in limited circumstances and, in general, only once. After a second renunciation it is at the Home Secretary’s discretion.
What you will need
- The declaration of renunciation form (RN1 or R6, depending on your case).
- Your current passport or your citizenship certificate.
- An official letter from the authorities of your current country confirming that you would have lost your citizenship there, or would not have been able to take it, if you had not renounced British citizenship.
- Additional documents if you were a citizen of the UK and Colonies.
You will also need to book an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) centre to have your fingerprints and photograph taken. You pay the registration fee when you apply. It is not refunded if the application is refused.
While you wait
You must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you receive a decision. Plan around this, because decisions can take months.
Other routes back
If you are not eligible to resume, you may still be able to apply for British citizenship by another route, for example by naturalisation after a period of residence, or by registration through a parent. See naturalisation as a British citizen and citizenship by descent.
How we help
We check whether you can resume, assemble the documents, in particular the letter from the other country, and make the application. Where resumption is not open to you, we advise on the alternatives.
