{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-nationality-act-1981/section-31",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-nationality-act-1981/section-31.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1981/61",
  "legislation_title": "British Nationality Act 1981",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-nationality-act-1981",
  "path": "section/31",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "31",
  "heading": "Continuance as British subjects of certain former citizens of Eire.",
  "text": "(1) A person is within this subsection if immediately before 1st January 1949 he was both a citizen of Eire and a British subject.\n(2) A person within subsection (1) who immediately before commencement was a British subject by virtue of section 2 of the 1948 Act (continuance of certain citizens of Eire as British subjects) shall as from commencement be a British subject by virtue of this subsection.\n(3) If at any time after commencement a citizen of the Republic of Ireland who is within subsection (1) but is not a British subject by virtue of subsection (2) gives notice in writing to the Secretary of State claiming to remain a British subject on either or both of the following grounds, namely—\n(a) that he is or has been in Crown Service under the government of the United Kingdom; and\n(b) that he has associations by way of descent, residence or otherwise with the United Kingdom or with any British overseas territory ,\nhe shall as from that time be a British subject by virtue of this subsection.\n(4) A person who is a British subject by virtue of subsection (2) or (3) shall be deemed to have remained a British subject from 1st January 1949 to the time when (whether already a British subject by virtue of the said section 2 or not) he became a British subject by virtue of that subsection.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 31(3)(b) substituted (26.2.2002) by British Overseas Territories Act 2002 (c. 8), s. 1(1)(b)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/61/section/31",
    "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."
}