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Family visa

British National (Overseas) Visa

A bespoke 5-year UK route for Hong Kong BNO status holders and their family, no salary or sponsorship test.

Sourced from GOV.UK · Updated April 2026
The short answer

The BNO route opened in 2021 to support Hong Kong residents holding British National (Overseas) status, with eligibility extended in 2022 to BN(O)-status holders' children born on/after 1 July 1997. You and your dependants can live, work, study and run a business in the UK with full NHS access via IHS, a path to ILR after 5 years, and citizenship after 6. There is no minimum income requirement and no English requirement at the visa stage, English is only tested at the ILR stage.

£206Application fee from
£1,035IHS per year
12 weeks · 5 working days Priority (+£500) outside UKDecision (outside UK)
2.5 years or 5 years (renewable, no cap)Initial leave

Who can apply

  • Hold BN(O) status (registered before 30 June 1997), passport not required, but BN(O) status is checked against Home Office records
  • OR a BN(O) household member: spouse / civil partner, child (any age) of a BN(O), adult child born on or after 1 July 1997 with at least one BN(O) parent
  • OR a parent / grandparent / sibling of a BN(O), where there is high level of dependency
  • Currently in Hong Kong, the UK or one of the Crown Dependencies (Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man)
  • Able to support yourself and any dependants for 6 months without public funds (no fixed threshold, discretionary)
  • TB test if applying from Hong Kong
  • No age restriction, no qualification requirement, no English requirement at visa stage

How to apply

  1. Verify BN(O) statusCheck via UK Visas and Immigration Hong Kong office, your BN(O) status is on record even if you never held a BN(O) passport.
  2. Choose visa length2.5 years (£206/person) or 5 years (£285/person). 5-year route is usually better value as you only meet ILR continuous-residence test once.
  3. Apply onlineSingle application can include spouse + children + dependent adult relatives. Each person pays their own fee + IHS.
  4. Pay IHS upfrontIHS for the full visa duration is paid at application: 5 years adult = £5,175; 5 years child = £3,880.
  5. TB test + biometricsTB test at IOM Hong Kong (~£100). Biometric enrolment at VFS Hong Kong or UKVCAS in the UK.
  6. Decision + travel12 weeks standard outside UK. Priority service (£500) gives 5-working-day decision.
  7. Renew once if you started on 2.5-year routeApply for a 2.5-year extension before the first visa expires (£180 + IHS).
  8. Apply for ILR after 5 yearsStandard ILR rules apply: 5 years continuous residence, max 180 days absent/year, Life in the UK Test, B1 English, £3,226 fee.
  9. Apply for citizenship after 6 yearsBN(O) → 5 years → ILR → 12 months on ILR → British citizenship (£1,839 total including £130 ceremony).

Documents you’ll need

  • Passport (any nationality) showing BN(O) status, OR an expired/cancelled BN(O) passport (still acceptable for the application)
  • Hong Kong SAR passport (current) for biometric verification
  • 6 months of bank statements showing maintenance funds for the household
  • TB test certificate from an IOM-approved clinic (Hong Kong applicants)
  • Marriage / civil partnership certificate (joining spouse)
  • Birth certificates of dependants, child + birth certificate of the BN(O) parent in the same lineage
  • No English certificate required at this stage, only needed for ILR (B1 CEFR)

Good to know

5-year total cost (single adult): £285 application + 5 × £1,035 IHS = £5,460. Family of 4 (2 adults + 2 children): £285 × 4 + 2 × £5,175 + 2 × £3,880 = £19,250 over 5 years (gov.uk verified).
Family of 4 cost to citizenship at 8 Apr 2026 fees: ~£19,250 (5yr BNO+IHS) + 4 × £3,226 ILR + 2 × £1,839 adult citizenship + 2 × £1,000 child MN1 = £37,832 across 6 years.
Children born after a parent gained BN(O) status before 1 July 1997 can apply, even adult children.
No minimum income requirement and no sponsorship test, significantly easier than the Skilled Worker route.
Children of BN(O) visa holders born in the UK become British citizens when their parent acquires ILR (or earlier if a parent is already settled).

Common questions

Questions

Frequently asked questions

  • Anyone who holds British National (Overseas) status (registered before 1997) and is ordinarily resident in Hong Kong or the UK. Spouse, partner and dependent children can also apply as dependants.

  • £180 for 2.5 years or £298 for 5 years, plus IHS of £1,035/year per adult and £776/year per child. A family of 4 on 5-year visas can expect £15,000 to £20,000 total upfront.

  • No, not at initial application stage. English is only required at ILR (after 5 years), typically passed via the Life in the UK Test and one of the standard B1 routes.

  • Yes, dependent children under 18 can be included even if they don't have BNO status themselves, as long as one parent holds BNO status. Adult children (18+) face stricter eligibility rules.

  • 5 years on BNO visa → ILR → 12 months → citizenship application. Total minimum: 6 years from arrival to citizenship (one of the fastest civilian routes).

Source: GOV.UK, British National (Overseas) Visa · Last verified April 2026

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Verified against gov.uk · April 2026·Editorial policy
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