Originally Posted by
Palmer
I have a flight with Lufthansa tomorrow. I'm trying to use the mobile app to check in. Every time I select 'British' as my nationality it returns an error message. I can see 'United Kingdom' in the drop down options but that is clearly wrong and it's not my nationality.
Just to confirm that I'm not mistaken, a quick google reveals:
'The United Kingdom (the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) is made up of four constituent countries or nations - England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Under British law, these four countries are an equal union, sharing a common British citizenship. A UK passport describes its holder as a "British citizen". According to British nationality law all citizens of the UK have British nationality. This has been so since the Acts of Union 1707...'
Just checked my passport - the page with the photograph - and it definitely says that I'm a British citizen. In fact, under nationality it says 'BRITISH CITIZEN' in capitals, as if to reinforce the point.
Is this something I can raise at the airport? I'm not happy to supply incorrect information. I'm sure there will be a little box to tick to confirm that what I've said is true and that would be wrong. Maybe I can refer them to this 1707 Act?
Palmer
One needs more than the 1707 Act to adequately address issues of UK nationality and citizenship.
A UK passport might refer to its holder in seven different ways: British citizen, British overseas territories citizen, British overseas citizen, British subject, British national (overseas), British protected person.
Each one of these is a citizen of the United Kingdom, but not necessarily a British citizen. Nationality and citizenship are not interchangeable.
Are you a British citizen? Apparently, yes. Are you a British national? Apparently, yes. Are you not also a citizen of the EU?
If the former are true, are you not also a citizen of the UK? Yes. You just happen to also be a British national.