By Annie Ee – Senior Authorized Affiliate
Welcome to our complete guide on making use of to your first British passport from inside the UK. Buying British citizenship marks a big milestone, however acquiring your passport solidifies your standing as a citizen of the UK. On this article we’ll stroll you thru every important step of the British passport software course of, from understanding eligibility standards to gathering required paperwork, confirming your id, and managing processing occasions and charges, we’ll guarantee that you’ve got all the mandatory info to navigate the British passport software course of with confidence.
Now we have mentioned in our earlier put up here the steps after the British Citizenship software has been granted. There are alternative ways to accumulate British Citizenship and these will be by Naturalisation, Registration or Automatic Acquisition.
Who’s Eligible for a British Passport?
Earlier than you may apply for a British passport, you could have British nationality. The House Workplace lists the sorts of British nationality as:
- British citizenship;
- British abroad territories citizen;
- British abroad citizen;
- British topic;
- British national (overseas);
- British protected individual;
You should be aged 16 or over (or might be 16 in 3 weeks) and by no means have had a UK passport earlier than.
Now we have beforehand offered an Update on British Citizenship for Children of EEA Nationals and likewise checked out How to Register for British Citizenship With Another British Nationality.
Will My British Passport Software be Refused?
In case you meet the eligibility necessities for a British passports, you’ll be eligible to use for a British passport. Nevertheless, there could also be circumstances the place your software may very well be refused or your present passport may very well be retained.
The House Workplace units out some examples of when an software for a British passport could also be refused on their web site here:
- you’re suspected of a critical crime and an arrest warrant has been issued
- a court docket order stops you having a UK passport or restricts your journey
- you’re on bail and bail situations imply you can’t go away the UK
- you’ve been introduced again to the UK earlier than on the authorities’s expense and haven’t repaid what you owe
- you’ve obtained a European Union or United Nations order which restricts your journey
It’s due to this fact vital to test your eligibility and the related info required previous to making use of for a British passport.
Methods to Apply for a British Passport
There are alternative ways to use for a British passport from inside the UK. You’ll be able to choose to make use of an internet software kind, use a paper software kind and ship your passport software by put up or attend at your native put up workplace to make use of their Verify and Ship Service.
There’s a completely different process in case you are making use of for a British passport from abroad.
Extra Data When Making use of for a British Passport
Relying in your circumstances (akin to when and the place you had been born), chances are you’ll be requested to offer the small print of your mother and father, for instance, their immigration standing. In case you had been born exterior the UK and have naturalised or registered as a British citizen, you’ll be requested to incorporate your Certificates of Naturalisation or Registration in addition to your passport used to return to the UK.
It’s essential to ship unique paperwork as photocopies is not going to be accepted. Any paperwork not in English will have to be accompanied by a licensed translation.
Confirming your id
For a primary British passport, you will have a countersignatory or somebody who can affirm your id. This individual will need to have recognized you for at the least 2 years and have the ability to affirm your id. They should be over 18 years of age and be knowledgeable individual. They need to additionally dwell within the UK and maintain a present UK passport. They need to not be associated to you by delivery or marriage, work for HM Passport Workplace or UKVI, dwell at your tackle or in a private relationship with you. The House Workplace has revealed an inventory of accepted occupations for countersignatories here.
Twin citizenship
In case you maintain a passport from one other nation, the title and gender should match the title and gender you need in your British passport. Whether it is completely different, you could change the small print in your non-British passport earlier than you apply to your British passport.
Pictures
When making use of on-line, you may present digital pictures and the one who might be confirming your id will obtain an e-mail from HM Passport Workplace to verify your id on-line.
For paper functions, you will have to offer 2 equivalent printed passport pictures and one of many pictures will have to be licensed by the countersignatory.
Extra paperwork
You probably have modified your title by marriage or civil partnership, additionally, you will want to offer your marriage certificates or civil partnership certificates.
Processing Occasions for a British Passport
The House Workplace revealed processing time for a British passport software submitted from inside the UK is 3 weeks from the date the appliance paperwork are obtained. It might take longer if extra info is required. If you’re over 16 years outdated or prone to turn into 16 earlier than the passport will be issued, an interview is predicted in order that your id will be confirmed. An grownup British passport might be legitimate for 10 years.
If you want to get hold of a passport urgently, you may choose:
- 1 day premium service at a further price of £207.50. The earliest appointment is 2 days after you apply, relying on availability. This service is barely accessible for renewal of an grownup British passport;
- 1 week quick monitor the place the passport might be delivered to you by courier 1 week after your appointment. The earliest an appointment could also be accessible is the following day after you apply. This service is on the market for renewing a passport, altering private particulars, changing a misplaced, stolen or broken passport in addition to getting a toddler passport. The payment is £166.50 for an grownup passport and £135.50 for a kid passport.
British Passport Software Charges
The applying payment for an grownup normal 34 web page passport is £88.50 for an internet software and £100 for a paper software. In case you resolve to make use of the Submit Workplace Verify and Ship Service, there’s a further payment for this service.
If you choose an internet software, solely a debit or bank card might be accepted. In case you want to use different cost strategies, you may choose to use by put up or use the Submit Workplace Passport Verify and Ship service.
First British Passport Software for a Baby
When making use of for a passport for a kid, you will have to offer the small print of each mother and father. The grownup will need to have parental accountability for the kid to use for the passport. If you’re unable to offer the opposite mother or father’s particulars, you will have to elucidate why.
In case your little one is over 16 or might be 16 in 3 weeks and has by no means had a British passport, your little one ought to apply for a primary grownup British passport.
For a kid passport, the appliance payment is £57.50 for an internet software and £69 for a paper software. A baby passport might be legitimate for five years.
If there’s a court docket order or parental accountability order in place, these should be included within the software.
Contact our Immigration Barristers
For professional recommendation relating to British nationality or help with making a British passport software, contact our immigration barristers on 0203 617 9173 or full our enquiry kind under.
