Apply for British citizenship as a person of Chagossian descent

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November 29

12:53 2023

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You can apply to become a British overseas territories citizen and a British citizen if you meet both of these conditions:

youve never previously been a British overseas territories citizen, British dependent territories citizen, or British citizen
youre the direct descendant of someone born in British Indian Ocean Territory

Direct descendant means youre someones child, grandchild, great grandchild or similar. Youre not a direct descendant of uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters or cousins.

You can only apply for one person at a time.

There are no fees to apply.

Apply online

You can apply for both British citizenship and British overseas territories citizenship at the same time.

If youre already a British citizen or British overseas territories citizen, you can just apply for the citizenship you do not have.

Start now

Before you start

Youll need a passport or national identity card and any documents that prove youre a direct descendant.

These could include:

your birth certificate
birth certificates of parents, grandparents or others youre directly descended from
medical or dental records
marriage or civil partnership certificates
change of name deed polls
other records, for example from court cases

If youre missing documents for a relative, send what you have. UK Visas and Immigration can look for more detail in their records.

Get help to apply online

You can get help with completing the online form if you:

do not feel confident using a computer or mobile device
do not have internet access

You can only use this service if youre applying in the UK.

Types of British citizenship

Find out more about the rights you get as a:

When you must apply by

If youre 18 or older on 23 November 2022, you need to apply by 23 November 2027.

Otherwise you need to apply before the date of your 23rd birthday.

Apply by post

If you cannot apply online, you can apply by post.

Fill in the form and send it to:

Dept 163BIOT Registration for direct descendants of Chagossians
4th Floor Capital Building
New Hall Place
Liverpool
L3 9PP
UK

If youre applying by post and you live in the UK, send your supporting documents with the form.

After you apply

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) will ask you to make an appointment to provide fingerprints and a photo. Youll need to bring supporting documents unless you already posted them.

Youll usually get a decision within 6 months but some applications can take longer.

Youll be told if you need to provide more information.

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