Apply for a Home Office travel document

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Certificate of travel

You can apply for a certificate of travel if one of the following is true:

  • you have permission to stay (known as ‘leave to remain’) or are settled in the UK (known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’), your passport has expired or is full and you cannot get a passport or travel document from your country’s national authorities
  • you have permission to stay (known as ‘leave to remain’) or are settled in the UK (known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’), and you have been refused a passport or travel document by your country’s national authorities
  • you are in the UK with humanitarian protection and it’s been officially accepted you have a fear of your country’s national authorities as part of your asylum application
  • you are in the UK on a family reunion visa because you’ve joined someone who has humanitarian protection
  • you were born in the UK as the child of someone with refugee status and you have permission to stay but do not have refugee status yourself
  • you have an important reason to travel and your country’s national authorities are unable to issue you with a passport or emergency travel document quickly

You cannot apply for a certificate of travel if:

Proving you have been ‘unreasonably refused’ a travel document

Depending on your circumstances, you might need to prove that you’ve applied for a passport from your country’s national authorities and your application was ‘unreasonably refused’.

You must provide evidence of this if one of the following is true:

  • you do not have permission to be in the UK as a refugee or stateless person
  • you have humanitarian protection but it has not been officially accepted that you have a fear of your country’s national authorities

Your application is not considered ‘unreasonably refused’ if one of the following is true:

  • you applied incorrectly or without enough supporting evidence to confirm your identity and nationality
  • you are required to complete military service in your home country
  • you have a criminal record in your home country
  • you did not comply with tax rules in your home country
  • you did not meet your home country’s laws for issuing passports

You do not have to prove that you’ve been ‘unreasonably refused’ a passport if one of the following is true:

  • you have been granted humanitarian protection and it’s been officially accepted you have a fear of your country’s national authorities
  • you must be in your country to apply for a passport
  • your country’s national authorities cannot issue passports in the UK or send an application to your own country to be processed

How long it will be valid for

A certificate of travel is usually valid either:

  • for up to 5 years if you’re settled in the UK (known as having ‘indefinite leave to remain’)
  • until the end of your permission to stay in the UK (known as having ‘leave to remain’)

It may be shorter if it’s being issued for exceptional reasons.

Countries you can travel to

You can usually travel to most countries with a certificate of travel.

If you have been given humanitarian protection because it’s been accepted you have a fear of a country’s national authorities, you cannot travel to that country.

Before you travel

Check which documents you’ll need before you book your travel. Ask the authorities of the country you’re visiting or travelling through if:

  • the country accepts certificates of travel
  • you need a visa to enter the country

Fees

It costs:

  • £280 for adults
  • £141 for children 15 and under
View a printable version of the whole guide

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