British citizens and other eligible British nationals living overseas can apply for a British passport from abroad. First applications and cases involving citizenship by descent require particular care.
An overseas passport application follows many of the same principles as an application made within the UK, but the procedure, supporting documents, delivery arrangements, fees and processing times can differ depending on the applicant’s country of residence.
Applications from overseas may involve:
A significant part of our work concerns citizenship by descent. A person born outside the UK to a British parent may already be British automatically, but this depends on:
British nationality law has changed repeatedly. Two people born in different periods to parents with otherwise similar circumstances may have different citizenship positions.
A British passport is evidence of British nationality; it does not grant citizenship. Where a person is not already British automatically, they may need to apply for registration or naturalisation before a passport application can be made.
Identifying whether the person is already British, has a registration route or does not currently qualify is therefore the first step.
A British citizen or another eligible British national living outside the UK may apply for:
The applicant must use the overseas passport service and select the country from which they are applying. The application method, supporting-document address, delivery arrangements, fees and estimated processing time will then be provided for that country and application type.
The requirements depend on the type of application but may include:
The required documents depend on the relevant nationality provision and country-specific application instructions. Original documents or official replacement copies will normally be required. Photocopies should not be submitted unless the guidance for the particular application permits them.
For some overseas applications, HM Passport Office will ask another person to confirm the applicant’s identity.
The person confirming identity must normally:
For an applicant living and applying outside the UK, the person confirming identity may hold a current UK, Irish, other EU, US or Commonwealth passport.
Where the person confirming identity does not hold a UK or Irish passport, HM Passport Office warns that the application may take longer to process.
For a child application, the person confirming identity must normally have known the adult making the application for at least two years.
Online applications use a digital identity-confirmation process. For paper applications, the person confirming identity is usually referred to as a countersignatory.
Possibly, but not in every case.
A person born outside the UK will normally be British automatically by descent if, at the time of birth, one parent was a British citizen otherwise than by descent. This commonly includes a parent who became British through birth, adoption or naturalisation in the UK.
Where the parent became British through registration, the statutory registration provision must be checked because registration can result in citizenship either by descent or otherwise than by descent.
The outcome depends on the parent’s citizenship category, the applicant’s date and place of birth and the law in force at the time.
Historical rules concerning British mothers, unmarried British fathers and citizenship connected with former British territories can also affect the outcome.
Not usually. British citizenship generally passes automatically to only one generation born outside the UK.
A British grandparent may be relevant to certain registration provisions or historic nationality claims, but having a British grandparent does not, by itself, establish automatic British citizenship.
The complete chain of births, citizenship, residence and family relationships must be considered.
A registration route may be available, depending on your age, parentage, family residence history and connection with the UK.
For example, some children born abroad to a British citizen by descent may qualify for registration under section 3(2) or section 3(5) of the British Nationality Act 1981. Other provisions address people affected by historic discrimination in nationality law, including certain people born to British mothers or unmarried British fathers.
Some registration routes have age limits or residence requirements. If registration is required, it must be completed before a British passport application is made.
Yes, if the child is already a British citizen.
A child born outside the UK will normally be British by descent if, at the time of birth, a parent was a British citizen otherwise than by descent.
A parent who is British by descent cannot normally pass British citizenship automatically to another generation born abroad. However, the child may have an entitlement or discretionary route to registration depending on the British parent’s and family’s residence history.
The nationality position should be confirmed before the passport fee is paid.
A consular birth certificate records the facts of the child’s birth and parentage. It does not, by itself, establish British citizenship.
The child’s nationality depends on the applicable nationality law and the parents’ citizenship status when the child was born.
The documents depend on how the applicant acquired British nationality but may include:
The overseas passport service will provide a country-specific document list. Additional documents may be requested after the application is submitted.
Documents that are not in English or Welsh must normally be accompanied by a certified translation.
The translation should be complete and should meet HM Passport Office requirements. Names, dates and places should be checked carefully for inconsistencies between the translation, original document and passport application.
Overseas first-passport applications frequently require records from more than one jurisdiction.
Birth, marriage, adoption and nationality documents may need to be obtained from the relevant civil registry, archive or government authority. Official replacement copies should be obtained where original documents are unavailable.
The application should not be submitted until the required documents have been identified and any material inconsistencies have been addressed.
As at 26 August 2026, the standard application fees are:
A 54-page frequent-traveller passport costs more.
International courier, passport-delivery, document-return or local forwarding charges may be added. The final amount depends on the country, application method and whether original supporting documents must be returned internationally.
Fees should always be checked through the overseas passport service before applying.
There is no single processing time for every country. The estimated time depends on:
Overseas applications, particularly first passports, commonly take longer than applications made within the UK. The applicant should check the published estimate for their country and application type.
Published times are not guarantees. Applicants should apply well in advance and should not book travel until they have received a valid passport.
A first-time adult applicant may be required to attend an identity interview. HM Passport Office will contact the applicant if an interview is needed.
The location and method of interview depend on the applicant’s country and circumstances. Additional time should be allowed where an interview is required.
International passport applications are not normally eligible for the UK one-day premium or one-week Fast Track services.
Applicants should not rely on those services when applying from abroad. The country-specific overseas passport service will provide the available options.
A British national outside the UK may be able to apply for an emergency travel document if:
An emergency travel document is usually valid only for a specified single or return journey and can normally include transit through no more than five countries.
The applicant must check that the document will be accepted by every country they intend to enter or transit through and whether any visas are required.
A person applying for their first British passport will not normally qualify for an emergency travel document because they will not have held the required previous UK passport.
The decision may indicate that HM Passport Office is not satisfied about the applicant’s British nationality, identity, parentage or supporting documents.
The decision and correspondence should be reviewed before another application is made. If the applicant is not automatically British, the correct next step may be a citizenship registration or naturalisation application rather than another passport application.
If the applicant is already British but the evidence is incomplete, further civil, nationality or identity records may be needed.
Passport application fees are not normally refunded simply because the application is refused, withdrawn or the applicant is found not to be entitled to a British passport.
Yes. We can review the request, identify the legal or evidential issue and prepare an organised response.
Where the concern relates to citizenship by descent, the response may require further evidence of the parent’s or grandparent’s citizenship, residence, birth, marriage or immigration status.
