Guidance

Applying for a passport from outside the UK: supporting documents (group 2) (accessible)

Updated 21 July 2022

Group 2: Your application will be delayed if you do not include all your supporting documents. If we have to write to you for missing, or additional documents, you’ll need to send them to us within 6 weeks. If you do not, we will withdraw your application and you will not get a refund.

Passport Type	Passport Type	2 recent identical photos	Current British Passport [1]	A full colour copy of any other uncancelled passports relating to you [2]	Identity documents	Full birth (civil and hospital) or adoption certificate [3]	Certificate of registration/ naturalisation	Parents’ documents	Grandparents’ documents	Change of name documents	Other requirements
Renewal	Renew a British passport (with no changes)	Y	Y	Y	Y See table A	N	N	N	N	N	Check table E
First British passport (including where you hold an “Old Blue” hardback style passport)	Born or adopted before 1 January 1983 (not naturalised or registered)	Y	N	Y	Y See table A	Y See table C if you were born or adopted outside the UK	N	Y See table B if you were born or adopted in the UK See table C if you were born or adopted outside the UK	N	Check table D	Check table E
First British passport (including where you hold an “Old Blue” hardback style passport)	Born or adopted 1 January 1983 to 30 June 2006 (not naturalised or registered)	Y	N	Y	Y See table A	Y See table C if you were born or adopted outside the UK	N	Y See table B if you were born or adopted in the UK See table C if you were born or adopted outside the UK	See table E	Check table D	Check table E
First British passport (including where you hold an “Old Blue” hardback style passport)	Born or adopted after 1 July 2006 (not naturalised or registered)	Y	N	Y	Y See table A	Y See table C if you were born or adopted outside the UK	N	Y See table B if you were born or adopted in the UK See table C if you were born or adopted outside the UK	See table E	Check table D	Check table E
First British passport (including where you hold an “Old Blue” hardback style passport)	When you have been naturalised or registered as British	Y	N	Y	Y See table A	Y For child applications only	Y	N	N	Check table D	Check table E
Lost and stolen	Lost or stolen replacement	Y	N	Y	Y See table A	N	N	N	N	Check table D	Check table E
Damaged	Damaged passport replacement	Y	Y Current damaged passport	Y	Y See table A	N	N	N	N	Check table D	Check table E
Changes to a British passport	Name change	Y	Y	Y	Y See table A	N	N	N	N	Check table D	Check table E
Changes to a British passport	Photo changes	Y	Y	Y	Y See table A	N	N	N	N	Check table D	Check table E
Change from British overseas territories citizenship to British citizenship	Born before 1 January 1983	Y	Y Your current British overseas territories citizen passport	Y	Y See table A	Y	Y Or birth or adoption certificate	N	N	Check table D	Check table E
Change from British overseas territories citizenship to British citizenship	Born between 1 January 1983 and 30 June 2006	Y	Y Your current British overseas territories citizen passport	Y	Y See table A	Y	Y Or birth or adoption certificate	Y Or certificate of registration or naturalisation as either a British overseas overseas territory citizen or British citizen	Y	Check table D	Check table E
Change from British overseas territories citizenship to British citizenship	Born on or after 1 July 2006	Y	Y Your current British overseas territories citizen passport	Y	Y See table A	Y	Y Or birth or adoption certificate	Y Or certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British overseas territory citizen or British citizen	Y	Check table D	Check table E
Change from British overseas territories citizenship to British citizenship	Registered or naturalised as a British overseas territories citizen before 21 May 2002	Y	Y Your current British overseas territories citizen passport	Y	Y See table A	Y	Y Or birth or adoption certificate	Y Or certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British overseas territory citizen	Y	Y	Check table D	Check table E
Other British national to British citizen		Y	Y Your current British national passport. For example, British overseas citizen	Y	Y See table A	N	Y	N	N	Check table D	Check table E
Extension	Extension	Y	Y	Y	Y See table A	N	N	N	N	Check table D	Check table E

Notes

[1] Current British passport: If you are in a country where you must apply in person, you must bring your current British passport with you when you apply and also bring a full colour photocopy of the entire passport (every page including blank pages).

[2] Uncancelled non-British passports: Please send us a colour photocopy of your non-British passport (every page including blank pages). We retain the right to ask for the original passport. We will let you know by email or post if we need you to send it to us.

[3] Full birth or adoption certificate: This must show both the child’s and parents’ details.

Table A: Identity, name and address and/or residency evidence

All applicants must provide one document showing photo identity and one document as evidence of name and address and/or residency dated within the last year.

Photo evidence

Please provide one of the following:

• your British passport (if you are renewing)
• non-British uncancelled passport
• national identity card or equivalent (or colour photocopy)
• driving licence
• any government or local government produced document which includes a photograph as part of the document.

Name and address and/or residency evidence

Please provide one of the following:

• visa or resident permit (or colour photocopy)
• tax record (for example, a letter from a tax authority)
• educational record (for example, a school report)
• employment record (for example, an official letter from your employer)
• letter sent to you from a central, regional or local government department
• medical/health card
• voter’s card
• immigration documents.

If you are applying for a Child first British passport the following documents are also accepted. The document provided should show a link to the parent applying and show that the child and parent are resident where they are applying from.

• Parents’ identity cards
• Child’s school records
• Medical/hospital records (birth records)
• Mother’s antenatal records

Table B: First British passport applicants born or adopted in the UK – parents’ or adoptive parents’ documents

Born before 1 January 1983

For both of your parents, please provide the following evidence:

• full birth certificates (showing both the child’s and parents’ details)
• their marriage certificate

Born on or after 1 January 1983

For both of your parents, please provide evidence under either 1 or 2. We need to see:

1

• full birth certificates (showing both the child’s and parents’ details) or certificates of registration or naturalisation; and
• their marriage certificate (this does not apply for those born or adopted on or after 1 July 2006 or same-sex adoptions).

2

• their non-British passports showing indefinite leave to remain at the time of your birth (this can be current or expired passports); and
• their marriage certificate (this does not apply for those born or adopted on or after 1 July 2006 or same-sex adoptions).

Table C: First British passport applicants born or adopted outside the UK – parents’ or adoptive parents’ documents

Please provide the following:

The passport you entered the country from which you are applying, and if different, any non-British passport held as well as evidence shown in the table below:

Born before 1 January 1983

• both parents’ full birth certificates (showing both the child’s and parents’ details) or your father’s naturalisation or registration certificate; and
• parents’ marriage certificate.

Born on or after 1 January 1983

• both parents’ full birth certificates (showing both the child’s and parents’ details) or both parents’ naturalisation or registration certificates; and
• parents’ marriage certificate (this does not apply for those born on or after 1 July 2006).

Born abroad but adopted in the UK before 1 January 1983

• the child’s full adoption certificate (showing both the child’s and parents’ details); and
• evidence of adoptive parent’s claim to British nationality by providing their UK birth or adoption, naturalisation or registration certificate; and
• if the adoption is a joint adoption, we need evidence of the adoptive father’s claim to British nationality.

Applicants who were adopted abroad who do not have a naturalisation or registration certificate

• an adoption certificate (where the Hague Convention applies the certificate should clearly state that the adoption took place under the Hague Convention under Article 17 of the Convention on Intercountry Adoption); and
• one adopter’s claim to British nationality by providing their birth certificates or naturalisation or registration certificate; and
• evidence of an adopter’s habitual residence in the UK (or both adopters in the case of joint adoption). Habitual residence is their normal home, the place where they have the strongest personal connections.

Table D: Change of name evidence

If not already provided from the list at Table A, please provide evidence of your name in current use dated within the last year, and at least one of the following for each change of name that has taken place:

• Marriage certificate
• Civil partnership certificate
• Gender recognition certificate
• Enrolled deed poll
• Change of name deed signed in both your old and new names
• Certificate of naturalisation or registration
• Statutory declaration or affidavit signed in your new name
• Birth certificate (upon re-registration)
• Certificate from the Court of the Lord Lyon of Scotland
• Completed PD2 form for those about to marry or form a civil partnership (see www.gov.uk/changing-passport-information).

If you are going back to your maiden or unmarried name, we also need all of the following:

• A signed statement saying that you now use your maiden name for all purposes
• Your birth certificate and either:
• A decree absolute showing both names or
• A marriage certificate showing both names

If you are changing the spelling of your name slightly (for example, Bryan to Brian), changing the order in which your forenames appear in your passport or dropping a forename, you must provide either:

• One document from the list above as evidence of your name change, and one document from Table A as evidence of your name in current use, or
• Two documents from Table A as evidence of your name in current use

To change the name of a child on a passport, you must provide evidence that everyone who has parental responsibility for the child has given permission to change the child’s name. If this cannot be supplied, you must send a court order allowing the name change.

Table E: Other information

We may need more information for the following:

For First Time Applicants:

If you are applying from a country that is not the country where you were born.

Please provide:

• the passport or travel document that you used to travel to your country of residence, and
• an explanation of why you are not applying in your country of birth.

If your parents were born on or after 1 January 1983

Please provide:

• evidence of your grandparents’ claim to British nationality by providing their birth certificates and, in the case of grandfathers, the marriage certificate to your grandmother. This does not apply if your parent’s British nationality is based on registration, naturalisation or their immigration status.

For Lost or Stolen replacement

If you are applying for a replacement passport at the same time as reporting it lost or stolen.

Please provide:

• an LS01 form with your application. See the guidance at www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

For children

Where there is a court order in place

• relating to their care or
• that provides or removes parental responsibility and rights or
• that limits the movement of the child from the country of residence.

Please provide:

• the court order.

The child is looked after by social services.

Please provide:

• a letter from the Director of Social Services (or equivalent) confirming that social services has parental responsibility for the child and include any relevant court order(s) to support this.

The applicant does not have parental responsibility for the child who is the subject of the application.

Please provide:

Either:

• a statutory declaration explaining that you are acting in the place of a parent, explaining why and whether anyone with parental responsibility exists. You should include several pieces of documentary evidence which supports this, or
• if you are a testamentary guardian, documentary evidence explaining that you have been appointed a testamentary guardian of the child, including a copy of the will and death certificate
• confirm whether any other person holds parental responsibility and/or court orders are in place affecting the child. If court orders are in place, include these

For adults when applying for

A British National (overseas) passport.

Please provide:

• a colour photocopy of both sides of your Hong Kong permanent identity card

A British Protected Person passport.

Please provide:

• a signed letter confirming you have not become a citizen of the country of your birth at any time since your current passport was issued, nor gained any other nationality since 16th August 1978

Or when

Your claim to British nationality is based on your parents’ Crown or Community Service.

Please provide:

• full details of your parent’s Crown or Community Service, providing supporting documents from their employer that supports those details.

You want to have your title shown in your passport.

Please provide:

• we can add a limited number of titles to your British passport if you ask. Visit www.gov.uk/changing-passport-information for more information.

You are changing the gender on your passport.

Please provide:

• you can get more guidance at www.gov.uk/changing-passport-information

Notes

Unable to sign: A person who fills in the form on behalf of an applicant who cannot sign the declaration must provide a letter explaining the reason they have done so.

Extension: If your passport was restricted because you were unable to provide all the documents we need, please also send in the documents that were missing from your original application.