The Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom, but to a large extent its relations with other countries are handled by the United Kingdom.
Legal status of the island
In various laws of the United Kingdom, "the United Kingdom" is defined to exclude the Isle of Man. Such laws include the Colonial Laws Validity Act 1865, the Interpretation Act 1889, the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927, the British Nationality Act 1948, the Interpretation Act 1978, the Isle of Man Act 1979, the Royal Assent to Legislation (Isle of Man) Order 1981 and the Statute Law Revision (Isle of Man) Act 1991.
The UK Ministry of Justice has stated in respect of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands that:
International identity
Historically, the UK has taken care of its external and defence affairs, and retains paramount power to legislate for the Island. However, in 2007, the Isle of Man and the UK signed an agreement that established frameworks for the development of the international identity of the Isle of Man. Among the points clarified in the agreement were that: the UK has no democratic accountability in and for the Isle of Man, which is governed by its own democratically elected assembly; the UK will not act internationally on behalf of the Isle of Man without prior consultation; the Isle of Man has an international identity that is different from that of the UK; the UK supports the principle of the Isle of Man further developing its international identity; the UK recognises that the interests of the Isle of Man may differ from those of the UK, and the UK will seek to represent any differing interests when acting in an international capacity; and the UK and the Isle of Man will work together to resolve or clarify any differences that may arise between their respective interests.
Citizenship
There is no separate Manx citizenship. Citizenship is covered by UK law, and Manx people are classed as British citizens. However, unlike British citizens from the UK, those defined as Manx people under Protocol 3 of the treaty of accession of the United Kingdom, by which the United Kingdom became a member of the European Economic Community, have an endorsement placed in their passports stating that they are not allowed to benefit from European Union provisions relating to employment or establishment. Those Manx persons with a parent or grandparent born in the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), or who have lived in the UK for five years, are deemed to have a sufficient relationship to the UK not to be subject to this provision.
European Union
The Isle of Man holds neither membership nor associate membership of the European Union, and lies outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Nonetheless, Protocol 3 permits trade in Manx goods without non-EU tariffs. In conjunction with the Customs and Excise agreement with the UK, this facilitates free trade with the UK. While Manx goods can be freely moved within the EEA, people, capital and services cannot.
Like Jersey and Guernsey, the Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom and was not a direct member of the European Community, but its relationship with the EU was defined under Article 355(5)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (former Article 299 of the EC Treaty) and Protocol 3.
The restriction on free movement of persons was anomalous in that the treaty establishing the EU clearly states that all citizens of member states will also be citizens of the EU. However a special protocol was inserted in the Treaty of Accession which excluded the Channel Islands and Isle of Man from the provisions governing free movement of people. This was done at the request of the governments of those Crown dependencies.
Commonwealth of Nations
The Isle of Man is not itself a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, as membership is only open to sovereign nations, but it is considered part of the Commonwealth by virtue of its relationship with the United Kingdom, and takes part in several Commonwealth institutions, including the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the Commonwealth Games. The Government of the Isle of Man has made calls for a more integrated relationship with the Commonwealth, including more direct representation and enhanced participation in Commonwealth organisations and meetings, including Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings. Allan Bell, a former Chief Minister of the Isle of Man, said: "A closer connection with the Commonwealth itself would be a welcome further development of the Island's international relationships."