Application for United
Kingdom Passport for applicants 16 and
over
Note 1 – Section 1b –
Naturalisation and Registration
You should complete Section 1b if you
became a British subject or citizen of the
United Kingdom and Colonies by
naturalisation or registration before 1
January 1983, or if
you became a British citizen, British
Dependent/Overseas
Territories citizen, British Overseas
citizen, British subject or British
protected person by naturalisation or
registration on or after that date either
through the Home Office in the United
Kingdom or through the Governor’s Office of
a British Overseas Territory. You should
forward your original citizenship document
with the completed form when applying
for your first passport.
If you were naturalised or registered as a
British Overseas Territories citizen after
20 May 2002 you will only be eligible for
passport facilities as a British citizen
once you have been registered as such a
citizen by the Home Office in the United
Kingdom.
Note 2 – Section 2 – Birth in the
United
Kingdom* after 31 December 1982 or a
qualifying territory after 20 May
2002
Because birth in the United Kingdom*
after 31 December 1982 does not
automatically confer British citizenship,
additional information and documentation is
required to establish your national status
under the provisions of the British
Nationality Act 1981, which came into force
on 1 January 1983.
After 20th May 2002 the same requirements
apply for birth in a qualifying
territory.
If you were born outside the United Kingdom* or
a qualifying
territory you may have a claim to
British citizenship and/or British Overseas
Territories citizenship if you had a parent
or parents born in the United Kingdom* or
a qualifying territory.
Before 1 January 1983
British nationality could only be
transmitted through the legitimate male
line. Since 1 January 1983 females have
been able to transmit British nationality
but males may still only do so,
automatically, to their legitimate
children.
If you were born
illegitimate or through a surrogacy
arrangement on or after 1 July 2006 to a
British Citizen father, you may be eligible
for British passport facilities.
If your father# was
also born outside the United Kingdom* you
should give the town, country and date of
birth, or claim to British nationality of
your paternal grandfather (your father’s
father) in Section 7 in case you have a
claim to British nationality by descent
from him, (although the situation is
rare).
You need not complete this section if you
obtained your citizenship by naturalisation
or registration at the Home Office in the
United Kingdom or through the Governor’s
Office of a British Overseas Territory.
Note 4 – Section 3 – Women claiming British
nationality through marriage
Women ceased to automatically acquire
British nationality on marriage from 1
January 1949.
You should complete Section 3a unless you
are returning a standard British
passport and were not born in the
United
Kingdom*. Please also complete
Section 3b if your husband was born
outside the United Kingdom*,
and if his father#
was born outside the United Kingdom*
please give the town, country and date
of birth or claim to British nationality
of your husband’s paternal grandfather
(his father’s father) in Section 7.
If you have been married more than once,
please give details of any previous
marriage(s) – i.e. former husband’s full
name, his nationality, his town, country
and date of birth, date of marriage, date
of divorce (if applicable), date of former
husband’s death (if applicable) in Section
7.
Note 5 – Section 4 – Previous passport
If you have had a previous British
passport, a Commonwealth passport, a
foreign passport or other travel document
of any description or been included in one
you should tick Yes and complete the
details.
If you have never held a passport of any
kind, you should
tick No.
If you were born outside the country of
application, you should send the passport
in which you were included when you
previously travelled.
If you were included in the British
passport of a parent or
relative, you should enclose it with this
application so that your particulars may be
deleted from it.
Note 6 – Section 5 – Lost or Stolen
Passports
Please give as much information as you can.
A new passport can only be issued after
exhaustive enquiries.
You also need to complete a ‘Lost or Stolen
Passport Notification’ form (Form
LS01).
Note 7 – Section 9 – Countersignature
When you have completed the form, someone
who has known you personally for at least
two years should complete and sign Section
9. That person should be a British citizen,
other British national or Commonwealth
citizen who is a Member of Parliament,
Justice of the Peace, Minister of Religion,
Bank Officer, Established Civil Servant, or
professionally qualified person, e.g.
Lawyer,
Engineer, Doctor, School Teacher, Police
Officer or a person of similar standing.
Procedures include a check on the
authenticity of countersignatories.
If you do not know a British national or
other Commonwealth citizen locally with
these qualifications, a citizen of the
country in which you are residing may
complete and sign the form, provided he/she
has a similar standing in that country has
known you for two years and the Consul
considers his/her signature to be
acceptable. A member of your family should
not countersign. (See also Note 9,
‘Photographs’).
In certain cases you may be asked to
produce further
documentary evidence of identity.
Note 8 – Frequent Traveller Passport
A standard United Kingdom passport of 32
pages is adequate for most travellers and
is valid for 10 years. However, a passport
of 48 pages is available for adults who
travel frequently and quickly fill the visa
pages of a standard passport. This passport
is also valid for a maximum of 10 years. If
you require this, please tick box under
‘Type of service required’ on Page 1 of the
form. A higher fee applies.
Note 9 – Photographs
Photo standards are very important. More
applications are delayed because of
incorrect photos than for any other reason.
Please see the Rules
for passport photos for more
guidance.
Please send two
identical copies of a photograph of
yourself taken within the last month.
The photographs must be:
● 45 millimetres (mm) by 35 millimetres
(mm) i.e. (1.77 inches by 1.38
inches);
● printed on plain white photo quality
paper (not watermarked or embossed);
● a close-up of your head and shoulders so
that your face covers approximately 65 to
75% of the photograph.
The person who countersigns your
application (See Note 7) should also write
on the back of one photograph the words ‘I
certify that this is a true likeness
of...........’ and add his/her signature
and the date.
Note 10 – Fee
Please note fees are not refundable. The
fee for applying for a United Kingdom
passport is set in pounds sterling, but
payable in local currency at the time of
application. As foreign currencies vary
against sterling, please check with the
office issuing your passport what the
current fees are, and methods of payment
available.
A separate postal/courier fee is payable if
you do not intend to collect your passport
in person. Check the website of the
consulate which will process your
application.
Free ‘war veterans passports’ are
available from the Identity and Passport
Service for those born on or before 2
September 1929. Please see our website for
details.
Note 11 – Documents to be produced
Photocopies of birth, marriage or
naturalisation certificates or registration
documents are NOT acceptable for passport
purposes.
The below you can see which
documents you should produce with your
application. Please check with the
British embassy or consualte to make
sure that you submit the right
documents.
Note 12 – How to submit your
application
Wherever possible please submit your
application at least
four weeks before you need your passport,
and allow 6 weeks if you have not
previously held a British passport. Do not
make travel plans until your passport has
been returned to you.
Once you have completed and signed the
form, please then complete the checklist on
the back of the form. We strongly recommend
you keep your passport up to date.
You may apply for a renewal of your
passport up to 9 months in advance of your
application, without losing any
validity. For example if you apply for a
passport in January, but your passport is
not due to expire until September, we can
add the additional 9 months onto your new
passport, making your new passport valid
for 10 years and 9 months.
You can apply earlier than 9 months in
advance of the expiry of your passport, but
we will not be able to add any further
validity to your new passport.
INTERPRETATION
# Prior to 1 July 2006
father, for the
purposes of nationality and eligibility for
passports, refers ONLY to the father of a
legitimate child. From 1 July 2006 the
definition of a parent for British
nationality purposes changed to include
illegitimate children or child/ren born
through a surrogacy arrangement to a
British Citizen father.
Back
*
United Kingdom includes
England, Scotland, Wales,
Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and
the Isle of Man.
Back
The European Union (EU) provisions relating
to the free movement of labour and the
right of establishment do not
apply to Channel Islanders and Manxmen
unless they can show that they have a close
connection with mainland United Kingdom
through birth, descent, adoption,
naturalisation, registration or residence.
They may, therefore, be asked for
information to determine whether such a
connection exists. Where it does not, the
passport will be endorsed to the effect
that the holder is not entitled to benefit
from EU provisions relating to the free
movement of persons and services.
European Union member states are Austria,
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the
Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden,
United Kingdom, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta,
Poland, Slovak
Republic, Slovenia, Bulgaria and
Romania.
Qualifying
Territories for the purposes
of the British Nationality Act 1981 and the
British Overseas Territories Act 2002 are
Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean
Territories, Cayman Islands, Falkland
Islands and Dependencies, Gibraltar,
Montserrat, Pitcairn (Henderson,
Ducie and Oeno Islands), St Helena and
Dependencies, Turks and Caicos Islands and
British Virgin Islands.
Back
DOCUMENTS TO BE
PRODUCED FOR A BRITISH CITIZEN
PASSPORT
If you were born or
adopted IN the United Kingdom* BEFORE 1
January 1983
A. Your full birth or adoption certificate
showing both your parents’/adoptive
parents’ names. Documents are not normally
needed if you are surrendering a valid or
recently expired, unrestricted British
passport showing your national status as
British citizen, British Dependent/Overseas
Territories citizen, British Overseas
citizen, British subject or British
protected person and all other details are
the same.
If you were born outside the United Kingdom* and
you acquired citizenship of the United
Kingdom and Colonies by adoption in the
United
Kingdom* between 1 January 1950 and 31
December 1982 you should also provide:
B. Evidence that your adoptive parent(s)
was/were (a) British subject(s); citizen(s)
of the United Kingdom and Colonies.
If you were born or adopted IN the
United
Kingdom* AFTER 31 December 1982 or
IN a qualifying territory AFTER 20 May
2002:
C. Your full birth or adoption certificate
showing both your parents’/adoptive
parents’ names: plus
D. If your
mother/adoptive mother was born in the
United
Kingdom* or a qualifying territory, her
full birth certificate: or
E. If your father#/adoptive father only
was born in the United Kingdom* or a
qualifying
territory, his full birth certificate,
full marriage certificate and evidence of
termination of any previous marriages:
or
F. If neither parent/adoptive parent was
born in the United Kingdom* or
a qualifying
territory, evidence that your
mother/adoptive mother is a British citizen
or similar
evidence that your father#/adoptive father
is a British citizen, his full marriage
certificate and evidence of termination of
any previous marriages: or
G. If neither parent is a British citizen,
their passports or other evidence that they
are “settled” in the United Kingdom*
with indefinite leave to remain. If only
your father# is
“settled” you should supply his full
marriage certificate and evidence of
termination of previous marriages. Adopted
children of non-British citizen parents who
are “settled” do NOT have an automatic
claim to British citizenship.
If you were born OUTSIDE the United Kingdom*
BEFORE 1 January 1983 of a father# who was a British
subject: citizen of the United Kingdom and
Colonies and who became, or but for his
death would have become, a British citizen
under the provisions of the British
Nationality Act 1981 or if you were born
before 1 January 1949 in a Protectorate,
Protected State Mandated or Trust Territory
of a British subject father#:
H. Your consular birth certificate:
and/or
I. Your full local, High Commission or
British Forces birth
certificate showing parents’ names:
plus
J. Evidence of your
father’s# citizenship of the United
Kingdom and Colonies if this is not shown
on the consular
birth certificate: plus
K. Your parents’ full marriage certificate,
evidence of termination of previous
marriages, your father’s# full birth
certificate, naturalisation or registration
document, or other evidence of your
father’s# national status.
In some cases it may be
necessary to produce evidence of your
paternal grandfather’s British national
status and marriage and where applicable,
the right of abode in the United Kingdom*
of your parents and grandparents.
If you were born OUTSIDE the United
Kingdom* AFTER 31 December 1982 or OUTSIDE
a qualifying territory AFTER
20 May 2002:
L. Your consular birth certificate: or
M. If your parent(s)
was/were born in the United Kingdom* or a
qualifying territory documentary evidence
as at D or E and your full local or British
Forces birth certificate showing your
parents’ names: or
N. If neither parent was born in the United
Kingdom* or a
qualifying territory documentary evidence
that your mother is a British citizen
otherwise than by descent, e.g.
naturalisation or registration certificate
or similar evidence that your father# is a
British citizen otherwise than by descent,
his full marriage certificate and evidence
of termination of any previous
marriages.
If you are a British citizen by
naturalisation or registration:
O. Your naturalisation
or registration document.
Women who are or have been married and
married men under 18
P. Your full marriage certificate and if
applicable;
Q. Your divorce document or husband’s death
certificate if you are reverting to a
previous name after divorce or the death of
your husband.
If you acquired British nationality by
marriage before 1 January 1949 you should
also provide:
R. Your birth
certificate (or previous standard blue
passport):
plus
S. Document’s establishing your husband’s
(or formerhusband’s) nationality as at A-B,
H-K and O above.
You are not normally required to produce
your marriage certificate if you are
surrendering your previous British passport
in the same name.
If you were adopted OUTSIDE the United
Kingdom* or a qualifying territory by (a)
British citizen parent(s):
Adoption overseas does NOT by itself confer
British nationality. If you were adopted
outside the United Kingdom*, or outside a
qualifying territory after 20 May 2002 you
should state the date and place of adoption
and nationality of your adoptive parents in
Section 7 and consult the nearest British
Consulate, Embassy or High Commission.
OTHER BRITISH NATIONAL PASSPORTS
If you are a British
Dependent/Overseas Territories citizen,
British Overseas citizen, British subject
or a British protected person by
naturalisation or registration you should
supply the document showing that particular
description.
If you were a British subject before 1
January 1949, through your own or your
father’s# birth or naturalisation in former
British India or Ireland and have remained
a British subject you should provide
documentary evidence of such birth or
naturalisation or documentary evidence of
legitimate descent from a father# born or
naturalised in those territories.
If you are both a British citizen and a
British Overseas Territories citizen you
should indicate in Section 7 which
status you require on the details page of
your passport.
If you are applying for
a passport describing you as a British
Overseas Territories citizen you should
construe references to the United Kingdom*
or a qualifying territory, as pertaining to
the territory from which you derive your
national status and references to British
citizen as pertaining to British Overseas
Territories citizen.
OTHER MEANS OF ESTABLISHING IDENTITY
For some passport applications you may be
asked to attend an interview and/or produce
other documentary evidence of identity. The
FCO passport office dealing with your
application will advise you.
CHANGE OF NAME
If your name has been changed otherwise
than by adoption or marriage you should
also provide documentary evidence that your
name has been changed for all purposes.
A deed poll and/or statutory declaration
together with at
least three other documents in the new
identity would normally be sufficient.
PREVIOUS PASSPORT
When you apply for a new passport you must
surrender any previous British passport,
Travel Document, or Certificate of
Entitlement to the Right of Abode for
cancellation.
FOOTNOTES
British Nationality Act 1981
The British Nationality Act 1981, which
came into effect from 1 January 1983
created three new citizenship categories to
replace citizenship of the United Kingdom
and Colonies.
These were:–
A. British citizenship for those persons
with right of abode in the United
Kingdom*;
B. British Dependent Territories
citizenship for those persons with a close
connection with a British Dependent
Territory; (British Dependent Territories
citizens became British Overseas
Territories citizens on 26 February 2002
and most of those also became British
citizens on 21 May 2002); and
C. British Overseas citizenship for those
citizens of theUnited Kingdom and Colonies
who had no right of abode in the United
Kingdom* or close connection with a then
British Dependent Territory (now British
Overseas Territory).
Immigration Status
From 1 January 1983 no endorsement about
immigration status is applied to passports
issued to British citizens as
they are automatically exempt from United
Kingdom immigration control and have the
right to take up employment or to establish
themselves in business or other
self-employed activity in another member
state of the European Union.
However, it will continue to be necessary
to determine the immigration status under
the Immigration Act 1971 of all applicants
for passports. Citizens of the United
Kingdom and Colonies born before 1 January
1983 will normally have become British
citizens if they had the right of abode in
the United Kingdom*. Passports issued to
British Overseas citizens, British subjects
or British protected persons will continue
to be endorsed to show their immigration
status under that Act. British subjects
with a parent born in Ireland before 31
March 1922, also have the right of abode in
the United Kingdom*. Their passports will
continue to bear a Certificate of
Entitlement to the Right of Abode and the
endorsement “Holder has the right of abode
in the United Kingdom” and this will secure
for the holders the right to benefit from
the European Union provisions relating to
the free movement of persons.
How to obtain birth or adoption
certificates
If you were born or adopted in England and
Wales you can obtain a birth/adoption
certificate from the General Register
Office, Smedley Hydro, Trafalgar Road,
Birkdale, Southport,Merseyside, PR8 2HH.
The despatch of certificates may be
expedited if, when you write, you state
full particulars of yourself, date and
place of birth (full address) and full
names of parents including mother’s maiden
name.
For births or adoptions which occurred in
Scotland, or Northern Ireland apply
respectively to the Registrar-General, New
Register House, 3 West Register Street,
Edinburgh EH1 3YT; website: www.groscotland.gov.uk, the
Registrar-General, Oxford House, 49-55
Chichester Street, Belfast BT1 4HL; website
www.groni.gov.uk.
If you were born overseas and your birth
was registered at a British Embassy,
Consulate, High Commission or HM Forces
Unit, you may also obtain certificates from
the General Register Office in Southport,
General Register Office in Edinburgh, and
General Register Office in Belfast.
|
