British Nationality Act 1948

1948 CHAPTER 56 11 and 12 Geo 6_cross-notes

^F1An Act to make provision for British nationality and for citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid.

[30th July 1948]

Part I British Nationality

case ^F11, 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cases considering this provision (9)

The Minister of Home Affairs and another v Barbosa (Bermuda)[2019] UKPC 41
Hubert Howard (deceased) (substituted by Maresha Howard Rose) v Secretary of State for the Home Department[2022] EWCA Civ 1068
Secretary of State for the Home Department v Hicks[2006] EWCA Civ 400
Howard, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department[2021] EWHC 1023 (Admin)
Jetly & Anor v The Secretary of State for the Home Department[2019] EWHC 204 (Admin)

and 4 more in the case-law panel for this provision

case 3 Limitation of criminal liability of citizens of countries mentioned in s. 1(3) and Eire. Status of citizens of Eire and British protected persons. _cross-notes

(1)A British subject or citizen of Eire who is not a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies shall not be guilty of an offence against the laws of any part of the United Kingdom and Colonies or of any protectorate or United Kingdom trust territory by reason of anything done or omitted in any country mentioned in subsection (3) of section one of this Act or in Eire or in any foreign country, unless—

(a)the act or omission would be an offence if he were an alien; and

(b)in the case of an act or omission in any country mentioned in subsection (3) of section one of this Act or in Eire, it would be an offence if the country in which the act is done or the omission made were a foreign country:

Provided that nothing in this subsection shall apply to the contravention of any provision of the [^F2Merchant Shipping Act 1995^F2] .

(2)Subject to the provisions of this section, any law in force in any part of the United Kingdom and Colonies or in any protectorate or United Kingdom trust territory at the date of the commencement of this Act, whether by virtue of a rule of law or of an Act of Parliament or any other enactment or instrument whatsoever, and any law which by virtue of any Act of Parliament passed before that date comes into force in any such place as aforesaid on or after that date, shall, until provision to the contrary is made by the authority having power to alter that law, continue to have effect in relation to citizens of Eire who are not British subjects in like manner as it has effect in relation to British subjects.

(3) ^M1^,^M2 In the Aliens Restriction Acts, 1914 and 1919, and in any order made thereunder the expression “alien” shall not include a British protected person.

[^F3 (4) In this section “foreign country” and “British protected person” have the same meaning as in the British Nationality Act 1981 . ^F3]

Cases considering this provision (3)

R (Ullah (Azad)) v Secretary of State for the Home Department[2001] EWCA Civ 659
Moynul Islam, R (on the application of) v The Secretary of State for the Home Department[2024] EWHC 1838 (Admin)
Khan, R (On the Application Of) v The Secretary of State for Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs[2012] EWHC 3728 (Admin)

Part II Citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies

case ^F14—22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cases considering this provision (18)

The Minister of Home Affairs and another v Barbosa (Bermuda)[2019] UKPC 41
Fatima Omar Ali Ahmed Al Hashimi, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department[2026] EWCA Civ 943
Indran Murugason, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department[2023] EWCA Civ 1336
Hubert Howard (deceased) (substituted by Maresha Howard Rose) v Secretary of State for the Home Department[2022] EWCA Civ 1068
Harrison v Secretary of State for the Home Department[2003] EWCA Civ 432

and 13 more in the case-law panel for this provision

Part III Supplemental _cross-notes

^F123—31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

case 32 Interpretation.

^F1(1), (2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3)References in this Act to any country mentioned in subsection (3) of section one of this Act shall include references to the dependencies of that country.

^F1(4)—(11). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cases considering this provision (5)

Secretary of State for the Home Department v Lisa Smith[2023] EWCA Civ 376
Harrison v Secretary of State for the Home Department[2003] EWCA Civ 432
Safa Jama Abdi Al Hashemi & Anor, R (on the application of) v The Secretary of State for the Home Department[2023] EWHC 805 (Admin)
Lysongo v The Foreign And Commonwealth Office & Anor[2018] EWHC 2955 (QB)
Salih, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department[2018] EWHC 2539 (Admin)

33 Channel Islands and Isle of Man.

(1)^F1References in this Act to colonies shall be construed as including references to the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man . . .

^F1(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

34 ^X1†Short title, commencement and repeal.

(1)This Act may be cited as the British Nationality Act, 1948.

^F1(2), (3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SCHEDULES

^F1FIRST SCHEDULE

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^F1SECOND SCHEDULE

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^F1THIRD SCHEDULE

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^F1FOURTH SCHEDULE

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in force	Provision is in force
in force*	In force only for specified purposes (for detail about the purposes see/hover footnote)
not in force	Not in force in England (may be in force in other geographies, see footnotes)
italics	Defined term
_dfn	Defined term (alternative style)
gry bckgrd	the in-force status of the provision is complex, check the footnotes

in force

Provision is in force

in force*

In force only for specified purposes (for detail about the purposes see/hover footnote)

not in force

Not in force in England (may be in force in other geographies, see footnotes)

italics

Defined term

_dfn

Defined term (alternative style)

gry bckgrd

the in-force status of the provision is complex, check the footnotes

footnote	commentary	transitional and savings	related provisions	insert/omit
C1	Act: saved by Ireland Act 1949 (c. 41), s. 3(1)(a); extended by Ireland Act 1949 (c. 41), s. 3(1)(b) and Cyprus Act 1960 (c. 52), s. 4(7); and applied by Medical Act 1950 (c. 29), s. 31(5)
C2	Words of enactment omitted under authority of Statute Law Revision Act 1948 (c. 62), s. 3
C3	Act saved for E.W. by Children Act 1975 (c. 72, SIF 49:9,10), s. 8(9), Sch. 1 paras. 3, 7(2)(a); and saved for S. by Children Act 1975 (c. 72, SIF 49:9,10), s. 8(10), Sch. 2 para. 1(1)(4)(a) (which saving Act is repealed (14.10.1991) by Children Act 1989 (c. 41, SIF 20), s. 108(2)(7), Sch. 15); and saved for E.W. by Adoption Act 1976 (c. 36, SIF 49:11), s. 47(2)(a)
C4	S. 3(1) saved by Civil Aviation Act 1949 (c. 67), s. 59(1); excluded by Antarctic Treaty Act 1967 (c. 65), s. 10(8)
C5	S. 3(2) amended by Ireland Act 1949 (c. 41), s. 4
C6	S. 3 excluded (N.I.) by Criminal Jurisdiction Act 1975 (c. 59, SIF 39:2), s. 1(4)
C7	Pt. III amended and applied by Acts listed in Chronological Table of the Statutes
C8	Pt. III modified by Solomon Islands Act 1978 (c. 15, SIF 26:37A), s. 6(2); by S.I. 1978/1030, art. 3(5), 1978/1899, art. 3(5), 1979/917, art. 3(5), by Belize Act 1981 (c. 52, SIF 26:7A), s. 5(6) and by S.I. 1981/1105, art. 3(6)
F1	Act (except ss. 3, 32(3), 33(1) (from the beginning to the words “Isle of Man”), 34(1)) repealed by British Nationality Act 1981 (c. 61, SIF 87), s. 52(7)(8), Sch. 9 (with transitional provisions in Sch. 8); and Act amended in so far as it still applies (28.6.2022) by 1981 c. 61, ss. 4C(3D), 4I(1A), 17A(4), 17F(2) (as inserted by Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (c. 36), ss. 1(2), 2(2), 6(2)(3), 87(1); S.I. 2022/590, regs. 1(2), Sch. 1 paras. 1, 2, 5 (with Sch. 2 para. 1))	this amendment is subject to savings and/or transitional provisions, see the commentary.	this amendment (text inserted, repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	inserted, repealed
F1	Act (except ss. 3, 32(3), 33(1) (from the beginning to the words “Isle of Man”), 34(1)) repealed by British Nationality Act 1981 (c. 61, SIF 87), s. 52(7)(8), Sch. 9 (with transitional provisions in Sch. 8); and Act amended in so far as it still applies (28.6.2022) by 1981 c. 61, ss. 4C(3D), 4I(1A), 17A(4), 17F(2) (as inserted by Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (c. 36), ss. 1(2), 2(2), 6(2)(3), 87(1); S.I. 2022/590, regs. 1(2), Sch. 1 paras. 1, 2, 5 (with Sch. 2 para. 1))	this amendment is subject to savings and/or transitional provisions, see the commentary.	this amendment (text inserted, repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	inserted, repealed
F1	Act (except ss. 3, 32(3), 33(1) (from the beginning to the words “Isle of Man”), 34(1)) repealed by British Nationality Act 1981 (c. 61, SIF 87), s. 52(7)(8), Sch. 9 (with transitional provisions in Sch. 8); and Act amended in so far as it still applies (28.6.2022) by 1981 c. 61, ss. 4C(3D), 4I(1A), 17A(4), 17F(2) (as inserted by Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (c. 36), ss. 1(2), 2(2), 6(2)(3), 87(1); S.I. 2022/590, regs. 1(2), Sch. 1 paras. 1, 2, 5 (with Sch. 2 para. 1))	this amendment is subject to savings and/or transitional provisions, see the commentary.	this amendment (text inserted, repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	inserted, repealed
F1	Act (except ss. 3, 32(3), 33(1) (from the beginning to the words “Isle of Man”), 34(1)) repealed by British Nationality Act 1981 (c. 61, SIF 87), s. 52(7)(8), Sch. 9 (with transitional provisions in Sch. 8); and Act amended in so far as it still applies (28.6.2022) by 1981 c. 61, ss. 4C(3D), 4I(1A), 17A(4), 17F(2) (as inserted by Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (c. 36), ss. 1(2), 2(2), 6(2)(3), 87(1); S.I. 2022/590, regs. 1(2), Sch. 1 paras. 1, 2, 5 (with Sch. 2 para. 1))	this amendment is subject to savings and/or transitional provisions, see the commentary.	this amendment (text inserted, repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	inserted, repealed
F1	Act (except ss. 3, 32(3), 33(1) (from the beginning to the words “Isle of Man”), 34(1)) repealed by British Nationality Act 1981 (c. 61, SIF 87), s. 52(7)(8), Sch. 9 (with transitional provisions in Sch. 8); and Act amended in so far as it still applies (28.6.2022) by 1981 c. 61, ss. 4C(3D), 4I(1A), 17A(4), 17F(2) (as inserted by Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (c. 36), ss. 1(2), 2(2), 6(2)(3), 87(1); S.I. 2022/590, regs. 1(2), Sch. 1 paras. 1, 2, 5 (with Sch. 2 para. 1))	this amendment is subject to savings and/or transitional provisions, see the commentary.	this amendment (text inserted, repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	inserted, repealed
F1	Act (except ss. 3, 32(3), 33(1) (from the beginning to the words “Isle of Man”), 34(1)) repealed by British Nationality Act 1981 (c. 61, SIF 87), s. 52(7)(8), Sch. 9 (with transitional provisions in Sch. 8); and Act amended in so far as it still applies (28.6.2022) by 1981 c. 61, ss. 4C(3D), 4I(1A), 17A(4), 17F(2) (as inserted by Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (c. 36), ss. 1(2), 2(2), 6(2)(3), 87(1); S.I. 2022/590, regs. 1(2), Sch. 1 paras. 1, 2, 5 (with Sch. 2 para. 1))	this amendment is subject to savings and/or transitional provisions, see the commentary.	this amendment (text inserted, repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	inserted, repealed
F1	Act (except ss. 3, 32(3), 33(1) (from the beginning to the words “Isle of Man”), 34(1)) repealed by British Nationality Act 1981 (c. 61, SIF 87), s. 52(7)(8), Sch. 9 (with transitional provisions in Sch. 8); and Act amended in so far as it still applies (28.6.2022) by 1981 c. 61, ss. 4C(3D), 4I(1A), 17A(4), 17F(2) (as inserted by Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (c. 36), ss. 1(2), 2(2), 6(2)(3), 87(1); S.I. 2022/590, regs. 1(2), Sch. 1 paras. 1, 2, 5 (with Sch. 2 para. 1))	this amendment is subject to savings and/or transitional provisions, see the commentary.	this amendment (text inserted, repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	inserted, repealed
F2	Words in s. 3(1) substituted (1.1.1996) by 1995 c. 21, ss. 314(2), 316(2), Sch. 13 para.22 (with s. 312(1))		this amendment (text substituted) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	substituted
F3	S. 3(4) inserted by British Nationality Act 1981 (c. 61, SIF 87), s. 52(6)(7), Sch. 7, Sch. 8 para. 1(2)			inserted
M1	1914 c. 12.
M2	1919 c. 92.
X1	A dagger appended to a marginal note means that it is no longer accurate

Defined Term	Section/Article	ID
alien	s. 3 of Part I	def_fdef7daa0f
British protected person	s. 3 of Part I	def_359202effb
foreign country	s. 3 of Part I	def_562ed860e0

British Nationality Act 1948

1948 CHAPTER 56 11 and 12 Geo 6cross-notes

Part I British Nationality

case F11, 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

case 3 Limitation of criminal liability of citizens of countries mentioned in s. 1(3) and Eire. Status of citizens of Eire and British protected persons. cross-notes

Part II Citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies

case F14—22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Part III Supplemental cross-notes

F123—31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

case 32 Interpretation.

33 Channel Islands and Isle of Man.

34 X1†Short title, commencement and repeal.

SCHEDULES

F1FIRST SCHEDULE

F1SECOND SCHEDULE

F1THIRD SCHEDULE

F1FOURTH SCHEDULE

Status of changes to instrument text

1948 CHAPTER 56 11 and 12 Geo 6_cross-notes

case ^F11, 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

case 3 Limitation of criminal liability of citizens of countries mentioned in s. 1(3) and Eire. Status of citizens of Eire and British protected persons. _cross-notes

case ^F14—22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Part III Supplemental _cross-notes

^F123—31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

34 ^X1†Short title, commencement and repeal.

^F1FIRST SCHEDULE

^F1SECOND SCHEDULE

^F1THIRD SCHEDULE

^F1FOURTH SCHEDULE