BnO

BNO typically refers to the British National (Overseas) passport, a British nationality status and passport created for residents of Hong Kong who were British-dependent or British subjects before the 1997 handover. The British government established the BNO designation in the late 1980s under the Hong Kong policy framework to allow eligible residents to register for a special form of British nationality.

As a status, BNO is a form of British nationality but does not by itself grant the automatic right of abode in the United Kingdom. BNO holders may travel on their BNO passport, and they can receive consular assistance from British diplomatic posts; however, to live or work in the UK, they generally require a visa or residence route. The BNO passport is issued by the United Kingdom and is primarily a travel document reflecting the holder’s nationality status.

In response to developments in Hong Kong, the UK government introduced a dedicated immigration route for BNO holders in 2021. The BNO visa allows eligible holders and certain family members to live, work, and study in the UK with a pathway to settlement and eventual citizenship through standard naturalisation processes after meeting residence requirements. This route does not automatically confer UK citizenship with the visa itself but provides a route toward longer-term status in the country.

Other uses of the acronym BNO exist, including BNO News, a news organization. In the context of Hong Kong and British nationality, however, BNO most commonly denotes the British National (Overseas) passport.