<P> In 2017, British citizens had visa - free or visa - on - arrival access to 173 countries and territories, ranking the British citizen passport fourth in the world according to the Visa Restrictions Index . </P> <P> Owing to the many different categories in British nationality law, there are different types of passports for each class of British nationality . All categories of British passports are issued by Her Majesty's Government under royal prerogative . Since all British passports are issued in the name of the Crown, the reigning monarch does not require a passport . The following table shows the number of valid British passports on the last day of 2016 and shows the different categories eligible to hold a British passport: </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Category </Th> <Th> Country code </Th> <Th> Valid passports as at 31 Dec 2016 </Th> <Th> Issuing authority </Th> <Th> Note </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> British citizens </Td> <Td> GBR </Td> <Td> 49,206,370 </Td> <Td> HM Passport Office (in UK) Civil Status and Registration Office (in Gibraltar) Individual Crown dependencies </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> British Overseas Territories Citizens of Gibraltar </Td> <Td> GBD </Td> <Td> 1,948 </Td> <Td> CSRO (Gibraltar) </Td> <Td> formerly British Dependent Territories Citizens </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> British Overseas Territories Citizens of other British Overseas Territories </Td> <Td> 16,370 </Td> <Td> Individual Overseas Territory <P> HMPO </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> British Overseas citizens </Td> <Td> GBO </Td> <Td> 14,249 </Td> <Td> HMPO </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> British subjects with right of abode in UK </Td> <Td> GBS </Td> <Td> 38,806 </Td> <Td> HMPO </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> British subjects without right of abode in UK </Td> <Td> 918 </Td> <Td> HMPO </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> British protected persons </Td> <Td> GBP </Td> <Td> 16,370 </Td> <Td> HMPO </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> British Nationals (Overseas) </Td> <Td> GBN </Td> <Td> 152,351 </Td> <Td> HMPO </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Category </Th> <Th> Country code </Th> <Th> Valid passports as at 31 Dec 2016 </Th> <Th> Issuing authority </Th> <Th> Note </Th> </Tr>

Who is the issuing authority of a british passport
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