The British Nationality (General and Hong Kong) (Amendment) Regulations 2007

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend regulations 2 and 7 of, and Schedules 2, 4 and 5 to, the British Nationality (General) Regulations 2003 (“the 2003 Regulations”) and Schedule 2 to the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Regulations 1986 (“the 1986 Regulations”).

The amendments to the 2003 Regulations require an application under sections 1(3) and (4), 3(5), 4(2) and 4(5), 4A, 4C, 5, 10(1) and (2) and 13(1) and (3) of the British Nationality Act 1981 (“the 1981 Act”) to contain information showing that an applicant aged 10 or over is of good character, a requirement imposed pursuant to section 58 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. They also require an application under sections 6(1) and (2), 10(2) and 13(1) and (3) of the 1981 Act by a person who is not of full capacity to specify why it would be in the applicant’s best interests for the requirement to be waived if it is desired that the full capacity requirement be waived. The amendments to the 2003 Regulations also omit the form which a certificate of naturalisation must take but specify the information that must be included in such a certificate, which no longer includes the name which the holder had at birth if different from his current name.

The amendment to Schedule 5 to the 2003 Regulations and Schedule 2 to the 1986 Regulations requires a declaration of renunciation by a person who is not of full capacity to specify why it would be in the applicant’s best interests for the requirement to be waived if it is desired that the full capacity requirement be waived.