Manx passport

The front cover of a biometric British citizen passport issued in the Isle of Man

The Isle of Man passport is a British passport issued by the Chief Secretary's Office of the Isle of Man Government to British citizens and British subjects connected to the Crown Dependency of the Isle of Man.^[1]

Appearance

British passports issued in the Isle of Man are slightly different from those issued to residents of the United Kingdom. In the case of British citizen passports, the words EUROPEAN UNION still appear across the top of passport covers, signifying the special status of the Isle of Man and its population in relation to the EU. British subject passports issued in the Isle of Man do not refer to the European Union^{[citation needed]}.

Isle of Man passports do not carry the words "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" on the front cover. In their place, these passports feature the words BRITISH ISLANDS — ISLE OF MAN. The passport note request inside the front cover is also slightly different, coming from the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man rather than the UK Secretary of State.

Unusually, therefore, the words EUROPEAN UNION and ISLE OF MAN appear together on Isle of Man British citizen passports, even though the territory of the Isle of Man is not part of the European Union. This is because the bearer is a full British and European Union citizen, although (as set out below) an endorsement may apply in the case of some citizens.

Eligibility

The Chief Secretary's Office of the Isle of Man Government only issues British citizen passports to:

• British citizens who are currently resident in the Isle of Man; and
• British citizens born in the Isle of Man who are currently resident either in the United Kingdom or the Channel Islands.

The office also issues British subject passports to British subjects currently resident in the Isle of Man.

Endorsements

Some British passports issued by the Isle of Man Government will have an endorsement included to the following effect:

“

holder is not entitled to benefit from European Community Provisions relating to employment or establishment

”

This is because, while British citizens who have a connection only with the Isle of Man are considered to be full British and European Union citizens, they are not entitled to take advantage of EU freedom of movement of people or services provisions unless they are directly connected (through birth, descent from a parent or grandparent, or five years' residence) within the United Kingdom.

If holders of Isle of Man passports have such a United Kingdom connection, their passports will not include such an endorsement and they will be fully eligible to benefit from European Union provisions.

External links

• Official Isle of Man Government webpage on passports

References

1. ^ "Immigration FAQ's". Isle of Man government infocentre. http://www.gov.im/infocentre/faqs/import.gov?menuid=10167&page=cso/immigrationfaqs.xml. Retrieved 4 July 2010.