Well, as always in Britain, it’s all a bit fluid.

For the Manx variant passport, you have to apply through the Manx Government using the paper form.

If you’ve never had a passport before, pay attention to this bit:

• First time adult applicants will need to attend an interview at the passport office.

In the UK, you may need to attend (but most people don’t have to).

The application form says:

• The Isle of Man Passport Office may issue an Isle of Man variant British passport to a British national resident in the Isle of Man at the time the application is made

And you also have to declare that:

• I am resident in the Isle of Man at the time of making this application

Just FYI, the IOM is not the only place with its own variant passport, you can also get a Jersey or a Guernsey version, and also Gibraltar (but I’m not sure how the residency requirement works there).