Policy paper

Important information for Chagossians

Updated 13 October 2023

The application process for the new British nationality route for people of Chagossian descent will open on 23 November 2022 at 9am UK time (1pm Mauritius and Seychelles time).

You can apply to become a British citizen and a British Overseas Territories citizen (BOTC) through this route if you are:

• a direct descendant of someone who was born on the islands that now form the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), and

• not already a British citizen or a BOTC

If you are an adult (over the age of 18), you will have five years from 23 November to apply. If you are a child (under the age of 18), you will have until your 23rd birthday to apply.

The application process will be free.

Where to apply

The best way to apply will be online. The link to the application process will be made available on https://www.gov.uk/apply-british-citizenship-person-chagossian-descent on 23 November. The only way to apply online will be through this link. Do not use any other links to apply.

If you do not wish to apply online, you will able to apply using a paper form, which you will be able to download and print using the link provided on https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-as-a-botc-and-british-citizen-form-biot on 23 November.

How the application process will work

On 23 November, you will be able to apply for British Overseas Territories citizenship and British citizenship either online or using a paper form. Both online and paper application forms will be in English and will need to be completed in English.

We recommend applying online because it will help ensure that your application is received quickly and safely. You will need to provide a valid email address as part of your online application. This email address will be used to contact you about your application.

If you are applying online, you will need to fill out an online application form, which will be made available on https://www.gov.uk/apply-british-citizenship-person-chagossian-descent on 23 November. Once you have submitted your application form, you will receive an email from UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) confirming that your application has been received. Once your application form has been processed, you will receive an email from UKVI asking you to make an appointment at your nearest Visa Application Centre. You will need to bring evidence to support your claim of Chagossian descent to this appointment, where it will be scanned and added to your application file. You will also be asked to provide fingerprints and a photograph (‘biometric information’) at this appointment.

If you are applying using the paper form and resident outside of the UK you will need to download a copy of the form via the link here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-as-a-botc-and-british-citizen-form-biot and print it yourself. You will need to fill out the form and post it. Do not send evidence to support your claim of Chagossian descent to the UK. You will be contacted after you have submitted your application form and asked to provide your evidence at your biometric enrolment appointment. Do not submit your completed form to the local British High Commission, British Embassy or Visa Application Centre. This is a UKVI-led process, and your local High Commission, Embassy or Visa Application Centre will not process applications. Once your application form has been processed, UKVI will write to you to ask you to make an appointment at your nearest Visa Application Centre. At this appointment, you will also be asked to provide fingerprints and a photograph (‘biometric information’).

If you are applying using the paper form and you are resident in the UK, you will need to download a copy of the form via a link provided on GOV.UK and print it yourself. You will need to fill out the form and post it, along with the evidence to support your claim of Chagossian descent, to the postal address provided on the form. Once your application form has been processed, UKVI will write to you to ask you to make an appointment at your nearest Visa Application Centre. At this appointment, you will be asked to provide fingerprints and a photograph (‘biometric information’). We may be able to re-use biometrics previously provided with earlier immigration applications.

Once you have completed the appointment at your nearest Visa Application Centre, UKVI will process your application. They will contact you regarding the outcome. If additional information is required to support your application, UKVI will contact you to ask for it.

Citizenship applications will take up to six months to process.

If your application is successful, you will be invited to a citizenship ceremony held in the country from which you have applied. At the citizenship ceremony you will receive your certificate(s) of registration and become a British and/or British Overseas Territories citizen.

We are working to put support measures in place to help those who are unable to use the online and paper form. These will not be in place on 23 November. Further information will be provided on what these measures are and when they’ll be available shortly.

Do not attempt to move to the UK before you are granted citizenship

You should apply for citizenship from your current country of residence.

Until you have completed your citizenship ceremony and received your certificate of registration, you are not entitled to live in the UK unless you are able to comply with the existing UK visa rules. If you travel to the UK before you have been granted British citizenship and are suspected of planning to break the existing UK visa rules, you may be turned away at the border.

Once you have British citizenship, you will need either a British passport or a certificate of entitlement in your existing passport if you wish to move to the UK permanently. If you try to move to the UK without one of these, you may be refused entry.

The passport application process is separate from the citizenship application process. You will only be able to apply for a passport once you have been granted citizenship.

If you are successful in applying for British citizenship and wish to move to the UK, you need to think carefully about how you will support yourself.

Get help applying

We Are Digital are working in partnership with the Home Office to provide a digitally assisted service for those who need additional support in completing their application form.

If you’re applying for the Chagossian Registration Route, you can get help filling in your online Home Office application if you:

• do not feel confident using a computer or mobile device
• do not have internet access
• do not have access to a device like a laptop or smart phone
• cannot read or write in English

For further details about access to this service contact We Are Digital, or you can message We Are Digital on WhatsApp: 07584 739 395.

Frequently asked questions

1.    What kind of evidence will I need to provide when I apply?

You will need to provide evidence that you are a descendent of someone born on BIOT. Ideally, this evidence would consist of a series of birth records showing a clear line of descent between you and someone born on BIOT.

2.    What will happen if I don’t have that kind of evidence?

We will consider all available evidence of descent, but you will need to reasonably demonstrate that you are a descendant of someone born on BIOT. We will provide some more guidance on types of evidence in due course.

3.    Who can be a referee?

All applicants for British citizenship must provide 2 referees to establish their identity. The referee must:

• have known the (adult) applicant for at least 3 years

• be a British passport holder or, if the applicant lives outside of the UK, be a Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the country in which the applicant is residing

• be either a professional person or over the age of 25 (at least one referee must be a professional person)

The referee must not:

• be related to the applicant or the other referee

• be the applicant’s representative

• be employed by the Home Office

• have been convicted of an imprisonable offence in the last 10 years for which the sentence is not spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

4.    What will happen if information is missing from the birth certificate(s) I am using to support my application?

Applicants will need to provide an explanation for any missing information or inconsistencies and, where appropriate, provide additional evidence to establish the line of descent.

5.    What will happen if I can’t access a copy of my ancestor’s birth certificate?

The BIOT administration is in the process of digitising the records it holds of births on the islands that now form BIOT. We will use this information to help us verify your claim to Chagossian ancestry.

6.    What if I cannot read or write in English?

We have put support measures in place to help those who are unable to use the online and paper form. An assisted service is now available for those who need additional support in completing their application form. For further details about access to this service contact We Are Digital.

7.    What will happen if I don’t have an email address?

You will not be able to apply using the online route without access to an email address and will need to use the paper route instead. If you are submitting an application using the paper route, you will need to pay for postage.

8.    What will happen if I don’t want to give my biometrics?

You will not be able to complete your citizenship application if you are unwilling to provide your biometrics.

9.    Will there be a fee for biometric appointments?

No.

10. Will Chagossians living on Agalega, Rodrigues, and St.Brandon need to travel to the main island of Mauritius to provide their biometrics and supporting evidence?

Yes.

11. Will my application be automatically rejected if the evidence provided isn’t sufficient?

No. We will contact you if we need more information to progress your application.

12. What kind of identity documents will I need to provide?

You will ideally need a passport or national identity card. Further advice will be provided on alternatives if you don’t have either of those.

13. Will the documents I provide have to be originals?

No. Copies are acceptable.

14. Do I have to apply for both British overseas territories citizenship and British citizenship?

All applicants will need to apply for or already hold British overseas territories citizenship. If you wish, you can acquire only this, but you can also choose to apply for British citizenship at the same time. The application process will be combined.

15. If I apply for British overseas territories citizenship now but don’t apply for British citizenship, can I then apply for British citizenship at some point in the future?

Yes, but if you wish to apply through the British nationality route for people of Chagossian descent you will need to do so within the five-year time limit.

16. Do I have to attend the citizenship ceremony?

All successful citizenship applicants aged 18 or over are expected to complete a citizenship ceremony, unless they are prevented from doing so on the grounds of long term physical or mental incapacity. If you feel this applies to you, you should explain why and provide documentation in support of your claim from a qualified medical professional.

17. Am I allowed to move to the UK once I’ve applied for British citizenship?

No. If you travel to the UK before being granted British citizenship you will need to follow the existing UK visa rules. If you travel to the UK before you have been granted British citizenship and are suspected of planning to break the existing UK visa rules, you are likely to be turned away at the border.

18. Can I move to the UK once I’ve been granted British citizenship if I don’t have a British passport?

To avoid delays at the UK Border and the risk of refusal of entry, British citizens travelling to the UK will either need a British passport or a certificate of entitlement in another (e.g. Mauritian/Seychellois) passport they hold.. A certificate of entitlement costs £372 in the UK and £388 outside the UK.

19. Will I receive a passport when I am granted citizenship?

No. You will need to apply separately for a passport once you have been granted citizenship.

20. Will I need to pay for a passport?

Yes. Current fees for individuals applying for a passport from Mauritius/Seychelles are £86 for an adult and £56 for a child.

21. Will I need to apply for a passport within the five-year period?

No. The five-year period relates to the citizenship application process only. Once you are a British citizen, there is no limit on how long you have to apply for a passport.

22. Can I bring my non-Chagossian dependents to the UK with me?

Individuals who do not have British citizenship and who wish to move to the UK will need to follow the existing UK visa rules.

23. Can I live on BIOT once I’m a British overseas territories citizen?

No. BOTC status does not give any legal right to reside on BIOT or any other British Overseas Territory. Those rights are governed by each territory’s local immigration laws. In the case of BIOT, the law states that no person of any nationality is able to reside there without the permission of the BIOT Administration.