We assist with British passport applications made from within the UK, particularly first applications and cases where British nationality, identity, parentage or the basis of entitlement requires detailed evidence.
For many people, applying for or renewing a British passport is an administrative process. Our involvement is generally most valuable in cases involving:
A British passport is evidence of British nationality; it does not grant British citizenship. HM Passport Office must be satisfied that the applicant holds the relevant form of British nationality and that their identity has been established before it can issue a passport.
Before a first passport application is submitted, it is important to establish whether the person is already British automatically or must first apply for registration or naturalisation. A passport application cannot be used as a substitute for a citizenship application.
A British citizen or another eligible British national may apply from within the UK for:
For passport purposes, an adult passport is issued to a person aged 16 or over. An adult passport is normally valid for ten years.
A child passport is issued to a person under 16 and is normally valid for five years.
A person visiting rather than ordinarily residing in the UK may be able to apply while in the UK, but the passport can only be delivered to a UK address.
The requirements depend on the type of application but may include:
HM Passport Office normally requires original supporting documents rather than photocopies. If an original certificate is unavailable, an official replacement copy should normally be obtained from the issuing authority.
Documents that are not in English or Welsh must normally be accompanied by a certified translation. Laminated documents may be accepted where that is the only format in which they were issued.
For some online applications, HM Passport Office will ask another person to confirm the applicant’s identity.
The person confirming identity must normally:
For a child under 16, the person must normally have known the adult making the application for at least two years.
The person confirming identity cannot be related to the applicant by birth or marriage, be in a relationship with them or live at the same address.
For a paper application, this person is referred to as a countersignatory. Identity confirmation is commonly required for first passport applications and may also be required for replacement applications or where the applicant can no longer be recognised from the photograph in their previous passport.
You will normally need:
You become British at the citizenship ceremony, not when the British passport is issued. Your naturalisation certificate is an important nationality document and should be kept safe.
Once you have become British and received your registration certificate, you can apply for a British passport.
You will normally need the registration certificate, relevant foreign passports, identity evidence and someone to confirm your identity. The precise documents depend on the statutory provision under which you were registered.
It can be. A person born outside the UK may be British automatically by descent if a parent was a British citizen otherwise than by descent at the time of birth.
British citizenship does not ordinarily pass automatically through unlimited generations born abroad. A British grandparent may be relevant under particular historical provisions or registration routes, but having a British grandparent does not by itself mean that a person is automatically British.
The evidence may include birth certificates, marriage certificates, parents’ or grandparents’ passports and naturalisation or registration certificates. The applicable nationality law depends on the relevant dates, places of birth, parental status and, in some historic cases, whether the parents were married.
Only if the child is already British.
A child born in the UK will normally be British automatically if, at the time of birth, at least one parent was a British citizen or settled in the UK. Different rules may apply in cases involving EEA or Swiss parents, members of the UK Armed Forces and particular historical periods.
If neither parent was British or settled at the time of birth, the child may need to be registered as a British citizen before a passport application can be made.
A child’s passport application must be made or authorised by someone with parental responsibility, legal guardianship or another recognised legal authority to act for the child.
The consent of both parents is not required for every ordinary child-passport application. One person with parental responsibility can often make the application. However, details of both parents will normally be requested, and HM Passport Office may make additional enquiries where information is missing, a parent has objected or there is a court order or safeguarding concern.
Additional consent may be required from everyone with parental responsibility in particular circumstances, including certain changes to the child’s name or gender, or where a court order requires everyone’s consent.
Applying for a passport is separate from taking the child abroad. Permission from everyone with parental responsibility, or permission from a court, may still be required before the child travels.
HM Passport Office will consider who has parental responsibility and whether any court orders, objections or safeguarding concerns affect the application.
A parent seeking to prevent a passport being issued will usually need an appropriate court order. Cases involving a risk of child abduction, domestic abuse or other safeguarding concerns require urgent and specialist consideration.
A refusal or withdrawal may mean that HM Passport Office is not satisfied about:
The decision and correspondence should be reviewed before another application is made. If the underlying issue is that the person is not yet British, the appropriate next step may be a registration or naturalisation application rather than another passport application.
If the person is already British but the supporting evidence is incomplete, the response may require further nationality and identity evidence.
A valid British passport is strong evidence of the form of British nationality recorded in it, but the passport does not create that status.
In rare cases, a passport may have been issued in error. HM Passport Office can investigate the underlying nationality position and may refuse to renew or may cancel a passport if it concludes that the holder was never entitled to it.
The underlying legal entitlement to British nationality remains decisive.
No. Identity confirmation is commonly required for:
HM Passport Office will confirm during the application whether identity confirmation is required.
A lost or stolen passport should be reported to HM Passport Office so that it can be cancelled. A replacement application can then be made.
If there are concerns about identity fraud or the circumstances in which the passport was lost, HM Passport Office may request further information.
