resolved for people who were solely BOCs. However, there remain circumstances in which BOCs are effectively stateless after 4 July 2002, including: a BOC is also a citizen of a country that considers acquisition of a foreign passport to be grounds for citizenship deprivation (e.g. Malaysia). A Malaysian-BOC dual national applying for a BOC passport would consequently have their Malaysian citizenship deprived. a BOC is also a citizen of a country that only permits dual citizenship for minors and requires renunciation of all other nationalities before a certain age (e.g. Japan). A Japanese-BOC dual national would potentially have their Japanese citizenship revoked at age 22 United Kingdom British Overseas citizens are subject to immigration controls and have neither the right of abode or the right to work in the United Kingdom. BOCs are required to pay an immigration health surcharge to access National Health Service benefits when residing in the UK for longer than six months. European Union Before the United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union on 31 January 2020, full British citizens were European Union citizens. British Overseas citizens have never been EU citizens and did not enjoy freedom of movement in other EU countries. They were, and continue to be, exempted from obtaining visas when visiting the Schengen Area. References Citations Sources Legislation Parliamentary debates Case law Publications Government reports Correspondence News articles See also French people living outside France Swiss abroad British nationality law Nationality law in British Overseas Territories