A Commonwealth citizen, formerly known as a British subject, is generally a person who is a national of any country within the Commonwealth of Nations.

In British nationality law, a Commonwealth citizen is person who is either a British national or a national of a country listed in Schedule 3 of the British Nationality Act 1981. The list of countries in Schedule 3 at any time may not accurately reflect the countries actually within the Commonwealth at that time. For example, when Fiji left the Commonwealth in 1987 and 1990, its name was not removed from Schedule 3. This may have happened because the British Government at the time wished to avoid the consequences of Fijian citizens in the United Kingdom suddenly losing the benefits of Commonwealth citizenship.

Most other Commonwealth countries have provisions within their own law defining who is and who is not a Commonwealth citizen. Each country is free to determine what special rights, if any, are accorded to non-nationals who are Commonwealth citizens. In general, citizens of the Republic of Ireland are accorded the same rights as Commonwealth citizens.

Rights and disabilities the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, as in many other Commonwealth countries, Commonwealth citizens (together with Irish citizens) are in law considered not to be "foreign" or "aliens". Commonwealth citizens enjoy the same civic rights as British nationals, namely:

• the right, unless otherwise disqualified, to vote in all elections (i.e., parliamentary, local and European elections);
• the right, unless otherwise disqualified, to stand for election to the British House of Commons;
• the right, if a qualifying peer or bishop, to sit in the House of Lords; and
• eligibility to hold public office (e.g., as a judge, magistrate, minister, police constable, member of the armed forces, etc.).

The disabilities of Commonwealth citizens who are not British citizens are few, but in the case of immigration control, very important. Commonwealth citizens who do not have the right of abode are subject to immigration control, including control on the right to work and carry out business. In addition, Commonwealth citizens who are not British citizens may not be engaged in certain sensitive occupations, e.g., in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in the intelligence services, and some positions within the armed forces.

Nevertheless, under the United Kingdom's immigration arrangements Commonwealth citizens enjoy certain advantages:

• Commonwealth citizens may by virtue of having a parent born in the United Kingdom and Islands have the right of abode therein - such persons are exempt from all immigration control;
• Commonwealth citizens with a grandparent born in the United Kingdom and Islands may be admitted for up to five years on this basis, and thereafter be granted indefinite leave to remain;
• Commonwealth citizens between the ages of 18 and 30 may be admitted for a "working holiday" for up to two years but may only work for one year;
• Commonwealth citizens, unlike other non-European Economic Area nationals, may not be required to register with the police while living in the United Kingdom.

Consular assistance

In foreign (i.e. non-Commonwealth) countries, the British embassy or consulate by tradition gives consular assistance to Commonwealth citizens whose governments are not represented in the country concerned. A few Commonwealth governments have made alternative arrangements to share the burden, e.g. under a reciprocal agreement Canada and Australia are responsible for each other's citizens, and the British embassy is only responsible for Canadian and Australian citizens if neither country is represented. In return, there are a few Australian consulates that are responsible for British nationals because there is no British consulate there.

In other Commonwealth countries, the British high commission has no responsibility for unrepresented Commonwealth citizens, who should look to the host Commonwealth government for quasi-consular assistance.

See also

• British nationality law
• British subject

Nationality law