The passports can be updated even if expired, but they don't come cheap
Many British National (Overseas) passport holders are unaware they can renew their expired travel documents, according to a new campaign by the British consulate.
But the consulate denies its campaign is in response to any drop in the number of people renewing their BNO passports, which are more than double the cost of special administrative region passports, although it is unwilling to reveal exactly how many passports are renewed annually.
The consulate hopes to reassure Hong Kong's potential 3.44 million BNO passport holders that even if their passports expired several years ago, there is no impediment to renewing them now.
'Basically it's a bit of an education campaign, because our BNO passport section was getting contacted all the time by people who wanted to know if they could renew their BNO passport which was either about to expire or already had expired,' said a spokeswoman for the consulate.
'We realised we had to get a message out saying this is a nationality status which lasts a lifetime, it doesn't just expire with the validity of your travel document. Hence our advertising slogan 'BNO: Yours for Life'.'
Each year, between 70,000 and 200,000 BNO passports are renewed, the spokeswoman said, adding that the consulate would not release more precise figures.