🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Other and Special Route Visas

British National (Overseas) Visa

Special route for Hong Kong British National (Overseas) status holders and their families to live, work, and study in the UK.

Book a consultation How the application works

Screening A few questions about your work, your family and your plans.
Documents A checklist built around your route and who is coming with you.
Expert review A qualified adviser reads every document before anything is filed.
Application Every answer is checked against the published rules for your route.
Submission Filed, with everything that went with it kept in one place.
Arrival We stay with you through the crossing and the first steps after.

Updated 23 July 2026

At a glance

Settlement after

5 years

Continuous residence in the UK

English for settlement

Speaking and listening, at settlement

Permit length

2 years 6 months

Or 5 years, you choose which

What is the UK BN(O) visa?

The British National (Overseas) visa lets a BN(O) status holder from Hong Kong, or an eligible adult child of one, come to live, work and study in the UK for either 2 years and 6 months or 5 years, with a route to settlement after 5 years. Eligible family members can apply as dependants.

Who this route is for

The published rules cover a British national (overseas) and defined family members — a partner, dependent children, and other relatives who are highly dependent on the status holder for long-term personal care because of illness, disability or age. Registering for BN(O) status itself is historic and closed; the visa route is for people who already hold that status, or who qualify as an eligible family member of someone who does, not a way to acquire BN(O) status now.

Permission length and route to settlement

The route offers a choice of permission lengths, each with its own published application fee and healthcare surcharge, and permission can be extended from inside the UK for as long as the applicant continues to meet the published requirements. After a qualifying period of continuous residence in the UK, a BN(O) status holder and their family members can apply to settle permanently (indefinite leave to remain), subject to the route’s other published requirements, including a knowledge of English and the Life in the UK Test.

Requirements

Eligible statusThe applicant is a British national (overseas), or is the child of a British national (overseas), aged 18 or older and born on or after 1 July 1979.
Permanent homeThe applicant’s permanent home is in Hong Kong if applying from outside the UK, or in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Hong Kong if applying inside the UK.
Family members (dependants)A partner, a child under 18, a partner’s child under 18, or another relative who is highly dependent on the applicant because of illness, disability or age, can apply as a dependant.
Money to support yourself and your familyThe first time you apply, you must show you have enough money to support yourself and any family members for 6 months in the UK, unless you have already been living in the UK for 12 months or more.
Identity and biometric informationIdentity is confirmed using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app for an eligible BNO, HKSAR or EEA passport, or by giving fingerprints and a photograph at a visa application centre or UKVCAS service point.
Tuberculosis test certificateA TB certificate is needed if the applicant has been living in Hong Kong or another listed country in the 6 months before applying, unless one was already provided to come to the UK.
General suitabilityThe application must not fall for refusal under the general suitability requirements that apply across UK immigration routes.
Settlement: continuous residenceTo settle permanently, the applicant must have spent 5 continuous years in the UK on the route, normally with no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period, and meet the knowledge of English and Life in the UK Test requirements.

Documents typically needed

Current or expired BNO passport (or a photocopy)Used to show BN(O) status; if unavailable, the Home Office checks status directly, which may take longer.
Valid passport or travel documentShows identity and nationality; a BNO passport is not required to travel to the UK.
Proof of your home addressUp to 3 documents, such as utility bills, bank statements or a tenancy agreement.
Proof of money to support yourself and your familyFor example bank statements, payslips, or a letter from friends or family confirming support.
Evidence of your relationship with family membersFor example a marriage or civil partnership certificate, or a birth or adoption certificate for children.
Tuberculosis test certificateWhere required, no older than 6 months at the date of application.
Certified translationsFor any document that is not in English.

How to apply

Check which permission length to apply for

Decide between the two published permission lengths, and confirm which family members are eligible to apply as dependants.

Gather evidence

Collect proof of identity and BN(O) status, home address, money to support yourself and your family, and evidence of your relationship with any family members applying.

Apply online

Apply from outside the UK, or from inside the UK if visiting, switching from another visa, or following an asylum claim; family members each submit their own application.

Prove identity and give biometric information

Confirm identity using the ID Check app for an eligible passport, or attend an appointment to give fingerprints and a photograph.

Wait for a decision

Do not travel outside the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while an in-UK application is pending, and wait for the decision within the published timescale.

Fees & costs

Visa application fee, 2 years 6 months: £206
Visa application fee, 5 years: £285
Healthcare surcharge, adult (2 years 6 months): £2,587.50
Healthcare surcharge, adult (5 years): £5,175
Healthcare surcharge, child under 18 (2 years 6 months): £1,940
Healthcare surcharge, child under 18 (5 years): £3,880
Settle in the UK (indefinite leave to remain): £3,226 per person

Fees are set by the Home Office and can change. The application fee and healthcare surcharge may not be payable when extending for 30 months while receiving benefits and unable to afford them. Source: GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/british-national-overseas-bno-visa/how-much-it-costs

Processing times

Apply for the first time (inside or outside the UK): Usually within 12 weeks
Extend your visa: Usually within 12 weeks
Settle in the UK (indefinite leave to remain): Usually within 6 months

Standard service times published by the Home Office; a faster decision may be available for an extra fee.

What you can and can't do

Permitted

Work, including self-employment and voluntary work, other than as a professional sportsperson or sports coach
Study, including at school, college or university
Apply to settle permanently in the UK after 5 years, subject to the route’s other published settlement requirements

Not permitted

Work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach
Access most public funds, except in defined financial hardship circumstances

If the application is refused

A refusal decision sets out the reasons under the published rules. Depending on the route, an administrative review may be available to check whether the decision was wrong on the information available at the time, and the refusal notice explains the options and time limits that apply.

Common questions

How long can I apply for a BN(O) visa for?

You can apply for permission to stay for 2 years and 6 months or for 5 years. You can extend your visa as many times as you want once you’re in the UK.

How much does a BN(O) visa cost?

The visa application fee is £206 for 2 years and 6 months or £285 for 5 years, plus the healthcare surcharge, which for an adult is £2,587.50 or £5,175 depending on the length applied for.

Who can apply for a BN(O) visa?

A British national (overseas) aged 18 or over, or the child of a British national (overseas) aged 18 or over and born on or after 1 July 1979, can apply. Eligible family members can apply as dependants.

Can I still register for BN(O) status?

No. Registration for BN(O) status was open for 10 years before the handover of Hong Kong to China on 1 July 1997, and it is not possible to apply for BN(O) status now. The visa route is for people who already hold BN(O) status, or who qualify as an eligible family member.

When can I apply to settle permanently in the UK?

After you’ve spent 5 continuous years in the UK on the route, normally with no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period, and met the knowledge of English and Life in the UK Test requirements. The settlement fee is £3,226 per person, and a decision usually takes up to 6 months.

Can my family apply with me?

A partner, children under 18, and other relatives who are highly dependent on you because of illness, disability or age can apply as your dependants. Each family member makes their own application.

What happens if my BN(O) visa application is refused?

The refusal decision explains the reasons under the published rules, and depending on the route, an administrative review may be available to check whether the decision was wrong on the information available at the time.