British Nationality Act 1981

41 Regulations and Orders in Council. U.K.

(1) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision generally for carrying into effect the purposes of this Act, and in particular provision—

(a) for prescribing anything which under this Act is to be prescribed;

(b) for prescribing the manner in which, and the persons to and by whom, applications for registration or naturalisation under any provision of this Act may or must be made;

[F1 (ba) for determining whether a person has sufficient knowledge of a language for the purpose of an application for naturalisation;

(bb) for determining whether a person has sufficient knowledge about life in the United Kingdom for the purpose of an application for naturalisation;]

(c) for the registration of anything required or authorised by or under this Act to be registered;

[F2 (d) for the time within which an obligation to make a citizenship oath and pledge at a citizenship ceremony must be satisfied;

(da) for the time within which an obligation to make a citizenship oath or pledge must be satisfied;

(db) for the content and conduct of a citizenship ceremony;

(dc) for the administration and making of a citizenship oath or pledge;

(dd) for the registration and certification of the making of a citizenship oath or pledge;

(de) for the completion and grant of a certificate of registration or naturalisation;]

(e) for the giving of any notice required or authorised to be given to any person under this Act;

(f) for the cancellation of the registration of, and the cancellation and amendment of certificates of naturalisation relating to, persons deprived of citizenship [F3 or of the status of a British National (Overseas)] under this Act, and for requiring such certificates to be delivered up for those purposes;

(g) for the births and deaths of persons of any class or description born or dying in a country mentioned in Schedule 3 to be registered there by the High Commissioner for Her Majesty’s government in the United Kingdom or by members of his official staff;

(h) for the births and deaths of persons of any class or description born or dying in a foreign country to be registered there by consular officers or other officers in the service of Her Majesty’s government in the United Kingdom;

(i) for enabling the births and deaths of British citizens, [F4 British overseas territories citizens], [F5 British Nationals (Overseas),] British Overseas citizens, British subjects and British protected persons born or dying in any country in which Her Majesty’s government in the United Kingdom has for the time being no diplomatic or consular representatives to be registered—

(i) by persons serving in the diplomatic, consular or other foreign service of any country which, by arrangement with Her Majesty’s government in the United Kingdom, has undertaken to represent that government’s interest in that country, or

(ii) by a person authorised in that behalf by the Secretary of State.

[F6 (1A) Regulations under subsection (1)(ba) or (bb) may, in particular—

(a) make provision by reference to possession of a specified qualification;

(b) make provision by reference to possession of a qualification of a specified kind;

(c) make provision by reference to attendance on a specified course;

(d) make provision by reference to attendance on a course of a specified kind;

(e) make provision by reference to a specified level of achievement;

(f) enable a person designated by the Secretary of State to determine sufficiency of knowledge in specified circumstances;

(g) enable the Secretary of State to accept a qualification of a specified kind as evidence of sufficient knowledge of a language.]

(2) The Secretary of State may with the consent of the Treasury by regulations make provision for the imposition, recovery and application of fees in connection with any of the following matters, namely—

(a) any application made to the Secretary of State under this Act [F7 other than an application for the purpose of acquiring the status of a British National (Overseas)];

(b) the effecting in the United Kingdom of any registration authorised by or under this Act [F8 other than registration as a British National (Overseas)];

(c) the making in the United Kingdom of any declaration, the grant there of any certificate, or [F9 the making there of a citizenship oath or pledge] authorised to be made, [F10 or granted] by or under this Act;

(d) the supplying in the United Kingdom of a certified or other copy of any notice, certificate, order, declaration or entry given, granted or made under or by virtue of this Act or any of the former nationality Acts;

(e) the carrying out of searches in or of any registers or other records, being registers or records held in the United Kingdom by or on behalf of the Secretary of State, which are or may be relevant for the purpose of determining the status of any person under this Act or any of the former nationality Acts;

(f) the supplying by or on behalf of the Secretary of State of an opinion in writing concerning the status of any person under this Act or any of the former nationality Acts, or a certified or other copy of such an opinion.

(3) Regulations under subsection (1) or (2) may make different provision for different circumstances; and—

(a) regulations under subsection (1) may provide for the extension of any time-limit for the [F11 making of oaths and pledges of citizenship]; and

(b) regulations under subsection (2) may provide for any fees imposed by the regulations to be payable at such times as may be prescribed.

[F12 (3A) Regulations under subsection (1)(d) to (de) may, in particular—

(a) enable the Secretary of State to designate or authorise a person to exercise a function (which may include a discretion) in connection with a citizenship ceremony or a citizenship oath or pledge;

(b) require, or enable the Secretary of State to require, a local authority to provide specified facilities and to make specified arrangements in connection with citizenship ceremonies;

(c) impose, or enable the Secretary of State to impose, a function (which may include a discretion) on a local authority or on a registrar.

(3B) In subsection (3A)—

• “local authority” means—

  (a)

  in relation to England and Wales, a county council, a county borough council, a metropolitan district council, a London Borough Council and the Common Council of the City of London, and

  (b)

  in relation to Scotland, a council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 (c. 39), and

• “registrar” means—

  (a)

  in relation to England and Wales, a superintendent registrar of births, deaths and marriages (or, in accordance with section 8 of the Registration Service Act 1953 (c. 37), a deputy superintendent registrar), and

  (b)

  in relation to Scotland, a district registrar within the meaning of section 7(12) of the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965 (c. 49).]

(4) Her Majesty may by Order in Council provide for any Act or Northern Ireland legislation to which this subsection applies to apply, with such adaptations and modifications as appear to Her necessary, to births and deaths registered—

(a) in accordance with regulations made in pursuance of subsection (1)(g) to (i) of this section or subsection (1)(f) and (g) of section 29 of the 1948 Act; or

(b) at a consulate of Her Majesty in accordance with regulations made under the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Acts 1914 to 1943 or in accordance with instructions of the Secretary of State; or

(c) by a High Commissioner for Her Majesty’s government in the United Kingdom or members of his official staff in accordance with instructions of the Secretary of State;

and an Order in Council under this subsection may exclude, in relation to births and deaths so registered, any of the provisions of section 45.

(5) Subsection (4) applies to—

(a) the M1 Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953, the M2 Registration Service Act 1953 and the M3 Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965; and

(b) so much of any Northern Ireland legislation for the time being in force (whether passed or made before or after commencement) as relates to the registration of births and deaths.

(6) The power to make regulations under subsection (1) or (2) shall be exercisable by statutory instrument.

(7) Any regulations or Order in Council made under this section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 41(1)(ba)(bb) inserted (6.7.2004) by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (c. 41), ss. 1(3), 162 (with s. 159); S.I. 2004/1707, art. 2

F2 S. 41(1)(d)-(de) substituted (1.1.2004) for s. 41(1)(d) by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (c. 41), ss. 3, 162, Sch. 1 para. 4 (with s. 159); S.I. 2003/3156, art. 2(a) (with arts. 3, 4)

F3 By S.I. 1986/948, art. 7(4)(b) it is provided that s. 41 shall have effect as if in subsection (1)(f) after the word “citizenship” there were inserted the words “or of the status of a British National (Overseas)”

F4 Words in s. 41(1)(i) substituted (26.2.2002) by British Overseas Territories Act 2002 (c. 8), s. 2(2)(b)

F5 By S.I. 1986/948, art. 7(4)(c), it is provided that s. 41 shall have effect as if in subsection (1)(i) after the words “British Dependent Territories citizens,” there were inserted the words “British Nationals (Overseas),”

F6 S. 41(1A) inserted (6.7.2004) by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (c. 41), ss. 1(4), 162 (with s. 159); S.I. 2004/1707, art. 2

F7 By S.I. 1986/948, art. 7(4)(d)(i) it is provided that s. 41 shall have effect as if in subsection (2) at the end of para. (a) there were inserted the words “other than an application for the purpose of acquiring the status of a British National (Overseas)”

F8 By S.I. 1986/948, art. 7(4)(d)(ii) it is provided that s. 41 shall have effect as if in subsection (2) at the end of para. (b) there were inserted the words “other than registration as a British National (Overseas)”

F9 Words in s. 41(2)(c) substituted (1.1.2004) by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (c. 41), ss. 3, 162, Sch. 1 para. 5(a) (with s. 159); S.I. 2003/3156, art. 2(a) (with arts. 3, 4)

F10 Words in s. 41(2)(c) substituted (1.1.2004) by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (c. 41), ss. 3, 162, Sch. 1 para. 5(b) (with s. 159); S.I. 2003/3156, art. 2(a) (with arts. 3, 4)

F11 Words in s. 41(3)(a) substituted (1.1.2004) by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (c. 41), ss. 3, 162, Sch. 1 para. 6 (with s. 159); S.I. 2003/3156, art. 2(a) (with arts. 3, 4)

F12 S. 41(3A)(3B) inserted (1.1.2004) by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (c. 41), ss. 3, 162, Sch. 1 para. 7 (with s. 159); S.I. 2003/3156, art. 2(a) (with arts. 3, 4)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Ss. 41, 42, 44–48 extended by British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983 (c. 6, SIF 87), s. 4(2)(a)–(f)

C2 Ss. 40–42, 44–48, 50 extended by British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1990 (c. 34, SIF 87), s. 2(3)

C3 S. 41 amended by S.I. 1986/948, art. 7(4)(a)

C4 S. 41 modified (19.3.1997) by 1997 c. 20, s. 2(3)

C5 S. 41 amended (18.7.1996) by 1996 c. 41, s. 2(2)

Marginal Citations

M1 1953 c. 20.

M2 1953 c. 37.

M3 1965 c. 49.