The UK's 14 Overseas Territories, spread throughout the globe, are diverse communities.They range from the island of Pitcairn with its 47 inhabitants, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, to Bermuda, which has a population of over 62,000 and is one of the world's major financial centres. The total population of the territories is around 239,000.
For advice on travelling to any of the Overseas Territories, please see our Travel Advice pages.
Our Overseas Territories are British for as long as they wish to remain British. The Overseas Territories are constitutionally not part of the United Kingdom. All of them have separate constitutions made by an Order in Council. All have Governors or Commissioners who are UK appointed Civil Servants. They represent both Her Majesty the Queen in the Territory; and represent the Territory's interests to HMG in London.
The Overseas Territories Directorate in the FCO takes the overall lead on managing the UK's relationship with its Overseas Territories, but all Government Departments have a responsibility towards the Overseas Territories. Our main objectives are:
More information on the Polar Regions can be found at Discovering Arctic and Discovering Antarctic. To obtain permits for travel to Antarctica.
The Department for International Development (DfID) provides budgetary support for Montserrat, Pitcairn and St Helena, as well as funding for various projects on other Territories.
If you have any comments or enquiries about the Overseas Territories (other than Gibraltar and the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus), please contact:
Overseas Territories Directorate
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AP
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7008 2569
Email: OTDEnquiries@fco.gov.uk