Use this guide if you are 18 or older, have lived lawfully in the Cayman Islands for the qualifying period, and meet the eligibility requirements to become a British Overseas Territories Citizen (BOTC). You can apply online for naturalisation on the grounds of residence with the Office of the Deputy Governor (ODG).
Prerequisites:
1. An eServices Sign In account — you must be a signed-in eServices user to apply. If you do not have one, select Register Here on the Sign In panel before you begin.
2. Your supporting documents — scanned copies (certified by a Justice of the Peace or Notary Public where stated) of your passport data/photo page, original birth certificate, proof of immigration status, employment verification and a recent colour full-face photograph.
3. Two referees — both must be British Overseas Territories Citizens (at least one from the Cayman Islands). Each referee completes a Referee Form, which you download from the application.
4. The application fee — The application fee is a one-time payment of KYD $1,800, which includes a non-refundable filing fee of KYD $500.00, paid online by credit or debit card, or at any Cayman Islands Post Office using a payment voucher.
Step-by-Step Instructions to Apply for Naturalisation on the Grounds of Residence:
1. Go to the British Overseas Territories Citizenship & Nationality Services page. https://my.egov.ky/web/odg
2. Select Apply for Naturalisation on the Grounds of Residence.
The Application page opens. Read the Before You Start guidance, the list of required documents, the Payment Details and the Privacy Notice.
Referee forms. You can download the forms in the Documents section once you’ve completed the relevant parts of the form.
3. Select Sign in to Start a New Application under Start Your Application at the bottom of the page.
4. Enter your User Name and password, then Select Sign In.
5. Signed in with My eID?
If you are signed in to an eServices account that is linked to your Cayman Islands Identification card (My eID), the "Use your My eID details?" message appears when you open the Applicant Details section.
- Select Yes, fill them in at the bottom right of the message.
The message reads: "You have signed in with your My eID. We can fill your name, address and contact details from the Identification Register. Check all details are correct and update if needed, before you submit."
If you would rather complete the fields yourself, Select No, I'll enter them myself.
- Check the prefilled fields and complete any that are still blank.
Fields filled from the Identification Register are marked with a green Prefilled label beside the field name, making it easier for you to complete your application. Check every prefilled field and update anything that is incorrect before you continue. Some fields, such as Title / Salutation, are not prefilled and still need to be completed.
4. Complete the Applicant Details section.
Complete the mandatory fields. Complete every field marked with a red asterisk (*) before you continue.
a) Personal Details
– Title / Salutation — select from the list
– First Name — enter your first name
– Middle Name(s) — optional
– Surname — enter your surname
– Date of Birth — enter as dd/mm/yyyy or select the calendar icon
– Sex — select from the list
– Marital Status — select from the list
– Country of Birth — select from the full country list
– Nationality at Birth — select from the full list
Nationality at Birth options: select from the full list, which includes British Overseas Territories Citizen, British Protected Person, British Subject and all countries.
b) Immigration Status
– Current Immigration Status — select from the list
Current Immigration Status options: Acknowledgement of the Right to be Caymanian; Caymanian Status; Continuation of Acknowledgement of the Right to be Caymanian; Permanent Residence; Permanent Residence (as a dependant of her husband).
– Date Acquired — the date you received this status
– Applicant File Number — optional
c) First Application
– Is this your first application? — Yes / No
Fields change based on your answer. Answering No reveals a Date of Previous Application field (shown below).
d) Name at Birth
– Is your name at birth different from your current name? — Yes / No
Fields change based on your answer. Answering Yes reveals Previous First Name, Previous Middle Name(s), Previous Surname, Date of Name Change and Reason for Change (shown below).
Reason for Change options: Adoption; Deed Poll; Marriage.
e) Contact Information
– Address Line — enter your street address
– City / Town — enter your city or town
– Postal Code — enter your postal code, e.g. KY1-1111
– Email Address — enter your email address
– Phone Number — enter your phone number
– Alternate Phone Number — optional
Finish this section: Select Save & Continue at the bottom of the screen to save and move to the next section, or Save and exit application form to save your progress and return later.
To return to it later, Select My Draft Applications at the top of the Navigation bar. Draft applications that are not submitted within 45 days are removed, and you will need to start again.
Success message: When the section saves, the message "Success: Your application has been saved."appears at the bottom left of the screen and the next section opens.
5. Complete the Convictions / Residency section.
Complete the mandatory fields. Complete every field marked with a red asterisk (*) before you continue.
a) Convictions
– Have you ever been convicted in a court of law of any crime or offence in the Cayman Islands and/or overseas? — Yes / No
Fields change based on your answer. Answering Yes opens a Details of Conviction box. Enter the details of the conviction.
– Have you ever been arrested for any crimes or offences in the Cayman Islands and/or overseas? — Yes / No
b) Residency History
– Date of first arrival in The Cayman Islands to reside — select the Year, Month and Day
List every address you have lived at in the Cayman Islands and the years covered:
– House / Apt No — enter the house or apartment number
– Street Name — enter the street name
– District — select from the list
District options: George Town; West Bay; Bodden Town; North Side; East End; Cayman Brac; Little Cayman.
– From / To — select the years you lived at the address
Select Add Address to add a row, or Select the red delete icon to remove one.
c) Referees
Read the referee requirements shown on screen. Referees must be British Overseas Territories Citizens (at least one from the Cayman Islands), aged 25 or over, have known you for at least 3 years, not be a solicitor, agent or relative of yours, not be related to each other, and not have been convicted of an imprisonable offence in the past ten years.
Complete the following for Referee 1 and Referee 2:
– Full Name — enter the referee's full name
– Date of Birth — enter as dd/mm/yyyy
– Occupation — enter the referee's occupation
– BOTC Passport Number — enter the referee's BOTC passport number
– Citizenship — select from the list
Citizenship options: British Overseas Territories Citizen.
– Country — select from the list of British Overseas Territories
Country options: Anguilla; Bermuda; British Antarctic Territory; British Indian Ocean Territory; British Virgin Islands; Cayman Islands; Falkland Islands; and the other British Overseas Territories.
– Phone Number — enter the referee's phone number
– Email Address — enter the referee's email address
If neither referee is from the Cayman Islands: the message "At least one referee must be a BOTC from the Cayman Islands." appears under Country. Change the Country for at least one referee to Cayman Islands.
Finish this section: Select Save & Continue at the bottom of the screen to save and move to the next section, or Save and exit application form to save your progress and return later.
Success message: When the section saves, the message "Success: Your application has been saved."appears at the bottom left of the screen and the next section opens.
6. Upload your documents in the Documents section.
Read the guidance at the top of the screen. Documents marked with a red asterisk (*) are mandatory, and copied documents must be certified by a Justice of the Peace or Notary Public.
Complete the mandatory fields. All Required Documents must be attached before the application can be submitted.
a) Required Documents
– Certified Copy of Data/Photo Page of current passport
– Copy of Original Birth Certificate
– Proof of Immigration Status — select the document type first, then Select Select file
Proof of Immigration Status options: Certified Copy OR Certificate of Caymanian Status; Certified Copy of Permanent Residence Letter.
– Employment Verification — select the document type first, then Select Select file
Employment Verification options: Employment Letter; Unemployment Letter; College/University Verification Letter.
– Recent Colour Full-Face Photograph
– Referee Form 1 and Referee Form 2 — Select Download Form under each to download the Referee Form. Each referee completes and signs the form in the presence of a Justice of the Peace or Notary Public. Upload the signed forms here.
Select file beside a document to upload it, or Select the X beside a file to remove it.
b) Where Applicable
Attach these only if they apply to your circumstances:
– Certified Copy of Deed Poll of Change of Name
– Certified Copy of Marriage Certificate
– Spouse Death Certificate
– Divorce Decree
– Letter of Explanation
– Letter / Certificate of Acknowledgement of Caymanian Status / Right to be Caymanian
– Certified Copy of Continuation Letter (if age 17)
– Work Permit Approval Letter
Finish this section: Select Save & Continue at the bottom of the screen to save and move to the next section, or Save and exit application form to save your progress and return later.
Saving documents: After you select Save & Continue, a "Saving documents" pop-up shows the upload progress (for example, "0 of 6 complete"). Wait for it to finish.
7. Select your Payment Method.
– Payment Method — select from the list
Payment Method options: Credit / Debit Card; Voucher (Pay at Post Office).
Voucher (Pay at Post Office): A "How voucher payment works" box appears: "Next Step: Click Review, then Submit Application to finalise. Once submitted, you can download a payment voucher showing the amount due. Take this voucher to any post office to make your payment. After paying, return to Submitted Applications, find this application (status "Awaiting Payment by Voucher"), and upload your proof of payment to complete your submission."
Credit / Debit Card: Select this option to pay by card instead of by voucher. The card payment screens are not covered in this guide.
Finish this section: Select Save & Continue to save and move to the next section, or Save and exit application form to save your progress and return later. When the section saves, the message "Success: Your application has been saved." appears at the bottom left of the screen.
8. Check the application summary.
The Application For BOTC Naturalisation (Residence) page lists each section with a green tick when it is complete, and shows your progress (for example, "3 of 4 complete"). Select Edit beside a section to change it.
If information is missing: When you select Review with a section still incomplete, a pop-up appears: "There are incomplete sections for this application", followed by "Please correct the following:" and the section name (for example, Documents). The section is also marked with a red dot on the summary.
9. Select Go to Section on the pop-up and complete the missing information.
Missing fields are highlighted in red. For example, if a document has not been uploaded, the message "At least one document is required" appears under it. Upload the document, then Select Save & Continue.
10. Select Review at the bottom left of the summary page.
When all four sections are complete, the progress bar shows "4 of 4 complete" and the message "Your application is almost complete. Please click Review and then Submit Application to successfully finalise and proceed with your application." appears.
Selecting “Save and exit application form” leaves it in your Draft applications queue, it doesn’t successfully submit the application
11. Review your answers.
The review page shows everything you entered in each section. To change anything, Select Back to form at the top left of the screen.
12. Complete the Declaration and Acknowledgement at the bottom of the review page.
Complete the mandatory fields. Complete every field marked with a red asterisk (*) before you continue.
– Consent box — tick "I consent to the Office of the Deputy Governor making any enquiries and obtaining any information it considers necessary to determine this application."
– Declaration box — tick "I declare that the information given in this application is true and complete to the best of my knowledge, and I understand that providing false information is an offence."
– Your Name — enter your full name (at least 2 characters). The Declaration Date fills in automatically.
– Signature and printed name belongs to — select one
Signature and printed name belongs to options: Applicant; Parent; Legal Guardian; Other.
– Signature — draw your signature in the box. Select Clear to start again.
If your name is too short: the message "Please enter at least 2 characters" appears under Your Name.
13. Select Submit Application at the bottom left of the screen.
A "Processing" pop-up appears with the message "Please wait, your application is being submitted...". Do not close the page.
14. Read the Application Submitted — Payment Required pop-up.
If you chose Voucher (Pay at Post Office), the pop-up reads: "Your application for Naturalisation as a British Overseas Territories Citizen on the Grounds of Residence has been received, but is not yet complete. Download your payment voucher and pay at any post office to finish your submission." It also shows your Application ID.
You can download the Voucher here, and you will also be emailed the voucher. Your application is not complete until you pay. Download the voucher and take it to any Cayman Islands Post Office. Quote the Application ID when you pay. Once your payment is verified, your application will move to submitted.
15. Select Download Voucher PDF on the pop-up.
The Payment Voucher opens. It shows the amount due, your Application ID, your name and the payment method. Save or print it.
16. Take the voucher to any post office and pay the amount due.
Quote your Application ID when you pay, and keep your payment receipt. You need it for the next step.
17. Return to eServices and go to My Submitted Applications.
Select Go to Submitted Applications on the pop-up, or use My Applications at the top of the screen when you sign in again. Your application shows the status PAYMENT REQUIRED.
18. Select Upload Payment Receipt at the right of your application.
19. Select Document and choose your payment receipt.
The Document Type is Payment Receipt. The maximum file size is 2 MB, and PDF, PNG and JPEG files are allowed. Select the X beside a file to remove it.
20. Select Submit Documents at the bottom right of the form.
The message "Your documents have been uploaded successfully." appears. Select Back.
Your application status changes to PAYMENT REVIEW. Once your payment is verified, your application moves to submitted.