{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-nationality-act-1981/section-37",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-nationality-act-1981/section-37.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1981/61",
  "legislation_title": "British Nationality Act 1981",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-nationality-act-1981",
  "path": "section/37",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "37",
  "heading": "Commonwealth citizenship.",
  "text": "(1) Every person who—\n(a) under the British Nationality Acts 1981 and 1983or the British Overseas Territories Act 2002 is a British citizen, a British overseas territories citizen , a British National (Overseas), a British Overseas citizen or a British subject; or\n(b) under any enactment for the time being in force in any country mentioned in Schedule 3 is a citizen of that country,\nshall have the status of a Commonwealth citizen.\n(2) Her Majesty may by Order in Council amend Schedule 3 by the alteration of any entry, the removal of any entry, or the insertion of any additional entry.\n(3) Any Order in Council made under this section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.\n(4) After commencement no person shall have the status of a Commonwealth citizen or the status of a British subject otherwise than under this Act.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words substituted by British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983 (c. 6, SIF 87), s. 4(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 37(1)(a) inserted (21.5.2002) by British Overseas Territories Act 2002 (c. 8), s. 5, Sch. 1 para. 4; S.I. 2002/1252, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 37(1) substituted (26.2.2002) by British Overseas Territories Act 2002 (c. 8), s. 2(2)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "By S.I. 1986/948, art. 7(3)(b) it is provided that s. 37 shall have effect as if in subsection (1)(a) after the words “British Dependent Territories citizen,” there were inserted the words “a British National (Overseas),”"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 37 modified (19.3.1997) by 1997 c. 20, s. 2(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 37 amended (18.7.1996) by 1996 c. 41, s. 2(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 37(1)(a) amended by S.I. 1986/948, art. 7(3)(a)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/61/section/37",
    "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."
}