How To Apply For A British Passport – Practical Guide To Apply For UK Passport

Author: Robert Walt

British citizenship is one of the most prestigious nationalities in the world. A British passport will allow you to live and work in the UK, enjoy the country's social and tax benefits, and participate in elections. The process of issuing the British passport is very simple, but it usually raises some doubts as it can only be requested directly at the UK office and not at consulates. In this article, we will tell you about all the requirements to apply for UK citizenship and about the procedure for obtaining the passport itself.

How to get the British Passport

To get the British passport, you can visit the office or you can place an order online through the British Government website. You must complete the UK passport application form on the site, print them out and send along with all required documents and photos to the Passport Office address on the form.

After signing up, you may be asked to attend an interview to confirm your identity. You will receive a letter from the Passport Office for an appointment. You can choose the office you are going to, but you may not get the exact time or date you want.

Requirements and Documents

The basic requirements to apply for a British passport are:

  • Full birth certificate from both parents of the applicant;
  • Parental Marriage Certificate (if applicable);
  • Full birth certificate;
  • Proof of address;
  • 2 new and identical photos;
  • Colour copy of your current passport, issued in a country other than the United Kingdom

British citizenship is a process designed to obtain the title of a British citizen by descendants and even non-descendants. There is no nationality restriction for anyone. No matter wherever you are born, you can apply for British citizenship as long as they belong to one of the following categories: birth, offspring, residence and marriage.

Let us explain one by one:

British Citizenship by Birth

The children of a British parent have the right to apply for a British passport, but if the parent obtains British citizenship by descent, it can only be passed on to the child if the child is registered within one year of birth, and proves that resided in the United Kingdom for a period of three consecutive years. Applying for a British passport for a child born abroad is quite a simple process, in most cases, at the time of birth, if one of the parents is a British citizen or has a permanent residence.

British Citizenship by Marriage

If you are married or have a stable union with a British person, you can also apply for a passport, provided you prove permanent residence and have lived in the UK for a period of three consecutive years.

British Citizenship by Descent

If you are a child of a British national but are born outside the UK, your British nationality may be automatically transferred by your parents, provided that you are the first generation born outside the UK. In other words, your mother or father must be born in the UK or become a British national before you are born. If you are a second-generation born outside the UK, then officially you will not have the right to become a British national.

Residence

As a general rule, except in some cases, people residing in the United Kingdom who have obtained a permanent visa or permanent residence, whether by work, family, marriage, investment, long-term residence, etc., may apply for British naturalization after 12 Months of permanent residence.

British Passport Processing Time

The British government estimates that in 6 weeks’ time, the passport is ready, but this period may be longer in some cases.

Procedure

After going through the difficult path to obtaining British citizenship, the naturalization process ends with a ceremony. During the ceremony, after the oath of allegiance, you will be awarded a certificate of citizenship. If you have such a certificate, you can apply for a British passport. Newly-made law-abiding citizens have nothing to worry about. If the application is filled out correctly, within a few weeks you will receive a passport.

However, before applying for a passport, all applicants must be interviewed at the Passport Office. At the interview, you will be asked several questions formulated based on your personal file, many of which will affect the entire immigration period from your entry into the country to the events that preceded the interview. Questions may also apply to your personal life. This is the last step in obtaining a passport. Shortly after successfully completing the interview, you will receive your new passport by mail.

That sums up our guide on how to apply for the UK citizenship. If you think we have missed a thing, correct us by commenting below. Those who want to apply for a job in the UK will find our cover letter writing helpful so they better explain to their potential employer. Equally important is to write an application for a job that can excel your changes for employment in UK.