{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-nationality-act-1981/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-nationality-act-1981/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1981/61",
  "legislation_title": "British Nationality Act 1981",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-nationality-act-1981",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "An Act to make fresh provision about citizenship and nationality, and to amend the Immigration Act 1971 as regards the right of abode in the United Kingdom.\n[30th October 1981]",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Act extended by British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983 (c. 6, SIF 87), s. 3(1); restricted by British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983 (c. 6, SIF 87), s. 3(2); amended by S.I. 1983/1699, art. 2(1) and amended by British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1990 (c. 34, SIF 87), s. 2(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "Act modified: (18.7.1996) by 1996 c. 41, s. 2(1); (19.3.1997) by 1997 c. 20, s. 2(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "Act applied (19.3.1997) by 1997 c. 20, s. 1(8)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C4",
      "text": "Act amended (2.10.2000) by S.I. 2000/2326, art. 8"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C5",
      "text": "Act modified (21.5.2002) by British Overseas Territories Act 2002 (c. 8), s. 3(3); S.I. 2002/1252, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C6",
      "text": "Act modified (21.5.2002) by British Overseas Territories Act 2002 (c. 8), s. 6(2); S.I. 2002/1252, art. 2Act modified (21.5.2002) by British Overseas Territories Act 2002 (c. 8), s. 6(4); S.I. 2002/1252, art. 2Act modified (1.1.2004) by Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (c. 41), ss. 14, 162 (with s. 159); S.I. 2003/3156, art. 2(b) (with arts. 3, 4)Act modified (30.4.2006) by The Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/1003), Sch. 2 para. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Act partly in force at Royal Assent, see s. 53(2)(3); Act wholly in force at 1.1.1983, see S.I. 1982/933"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/61/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:13:43.090681+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}