UK passport renewal overseas as a British expat part 2 – Part one is here.

How to get citizenship in the UK?

If you are a citizen of another country and you wish to obtain citizenship in the UK, then the information provided below will come in handy for you.

There are different paths to acquiring citizenship in the UK, and rules can be liberal as well as complex for doing so. You can obtain citizenship in the UK through the following methods.

• Citizenship by birth
• Citizenship by descent in the UK
• Citizenship by naturalization
• Citizenship by marriage
• Citizenship by adoption
• Citizenship as a resident of overseas territory
• Citizenship as a refugee in the UK
• Citizenship as an EU/ETFA citizen

Let us a brief insight into each of these methods individually before we get to know other details related to citizenship in the UK.

• Citizenship by birth

If born in the UK, then you will automatically become a British citizen, and there is nothing much to explain about this.

Before 1983, everyone born in the UK or any of the British colonies was considered a citizen of the UK.

People who are born after 1983 are only able to claim citizenship if they were born in the UK and either one of their parents was a British citizen or EU/ETFA citizen living in the UK, or Non-EU/ETFA citizen who had residency rights in the UK.

So, if you want to qualify for citizenship by birth, then you must have been born in the UK and are aged under 18 years, while one of the parents became a UK citizen or got residency rights/permanent residency in the UK.

Otherwise, you must be born in the UK and should have lived there until the age of 10 years. In this case, there will be additional requirements.

The fee for applying through this method is £1,026 (£1,012 for individuals under 18 years of age) along with an £80 citizenship ceremony fee.

• Citizenship by descent in the UK:

Citizenship can be acquired through this method if you were born outside of the UK and one of your parents happens to be a citizen in the UK whether it is by birth, naturalization, adoption, or registration.

People have to meet certain eligibility criteria for obtaining citizenship through this method, which depends on the birth year.

For people born before 1983, the citizenship of the “UK and Colonies” used to be transferred automatically through the father of the individual when the parents were married.

For people who were born between 1983 and 30 June 2006, the citizenship was passed on from either of the parents, and the marriage rule was still in effect if transferred through the father.

From 1^st July 2006, citizenship can be acquired through any of the parents if they are British citizens.

Individuals are also allowed to apply through this method if they were born to at least one British citizen before 1^st July 2006, even when the parents are not married, or, if they were born after 1^st July 2006 and lived with their parents when at least one of parents is a British citizen by descent.

The fee for applying through this method is £1,012 (for those born after 1^st July 2006) along with an £80 citizenship ceremony fee.

• Citizenship by Naturalization/Residence:

Individuals can also apply for UK citizenship through the process of naturalization after residing for five years in the UK.

This five-year period should include 12 months of indefinite leave or EU-settled status. This process can be expedited if the individual is married to a British citizen.

Individuals would also have to meet the following requirements in order to obtain citizenship through this method.

• Proof stating that the individual is proficient in English, Welsh, Scottish, or Gaelic.
• Individuals should pass a test known as the Life in the UK test.
• Individuals should be completely free from any sort of criminal record.
• Individuals should not spend more than 450 days outside the UK in the past five years while spending no more than 90 days in the past 12 months.

People who want to apply for citizenship through this method can do it in two ways, where the first way is via submitting an application form online or by post, and the second way is by acquiring services from a registered agent or representative.

While opting for this method, applicants should attend an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Services (UKVCAS) and submit their biometric data along with scanned copies of necessary documents.

The application fee is £1,330 (£1,012 for children aged under 18 years) along with an £80 citizenship ceremony fee (only applicable for adults) and biometric costs up to £20.

• Citizenship by Marriage:

Like any other country, the UK offers citizenship to the people who marry the existing citizens. However, the individuals who want to obtain citizenship through this method must have been living in the UK for at least three years.

There is no necessity for fulfilling the 12-month indefinite leave or the EU settlement status.

Apart from that, all the additional requirements are the same as the requirements for citizenship by naturalization process such as passing the Life in the UK test.

If you wish to apply for a divorce in the UK, the rules depend on your residency status and the rules might also vary for the people when they file for divorce abroad.

The process, fee structure, and timeframe for citizenship through marriage are the same as those of citizenship through naturalization.

• Citizenship by adoption:

Any child will obtain UK citizenship automatically if they are legally adopted, where at least of the adoptive parents is a UK citizen as well as habitual resident in the UK.

The process of adoption needs to be done through a UK court, and because citizenship is automatic, there is no need to apply specifically for obtaining citizenship.

• Citizenship as a resident of overseas territory:

This is for an individual who is a citizen of a British Overseas territory or a citizen of a Commonwealth country and is born before 1^st January 1983 having at least one parent born in the UK.

Such an individual would be considered as a British national and will become qualified for Right of Abode (ROA). People who become eligible for ROA can register as UK citizens and they don’t need to go through the process of naturalization.

British nationals who qualify for ROA and registration for UK citizenship are as follows:

• British Overseas Territories Citizen
• British Overseas Citizen
• British Subject
• British National living abroad
• A British protected person

This process is free and will not be considered full citizenship in the UK.

Additionally, there is a Windrush scheme allowing Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK before 1973 and their children, along with people from any country who arrived before 1989 and are residing in the UK to apply for settlement rights.

People who are eligible for the Windrush scheme can apply for free British citizenship.

The costs involved with this process are around £372 and can be around £388 if the individual is applying from outside of the UK. The certificate needs to be renewed after the expiry of the passport.

For full citizenship, British overseas national needs to pay £1,206 (£1,012 for children under the age of 18 years) along with an £80 citizenship ceremony fee.

• Citizenship as a refugee in the UK:

The process of citizenship for refugees is the naturalization process, where the refugees are able to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK for a period of five years after obtaining the refugee status.

They can apply for citizenship after one year following the date they obtain their refugee status.

Alternatively, individuals are also able to register as UK citizens when they are legally considered stateless (conditions applicable for people born after 1^st January 1983).

The fee is £1,206 (£1,012 for children under the age of 18 years) along with £80 for citizenship ceremony fees (applicable to adults aged 18 and above).

• Citizenship as an EU/ETFA national:

As per the EU Settlement Scheme, EU/ETFA citizens are allowed to continue living in the UK as long as they or their family member has been living in the UK before 31^st December 2020.

The last deadline for applying for this scheme was on 30 June 2021, yet you can apply for this under certain circumstances (e.g., medical reasons).

Settled status can be obtained after living in the UK for five years, and within the five years, a pre-settled status can be obtained which turns into settled status after the completion of five years.

After having the settled status for twelve consecutive months, individuals are allowed to apply for the process of UK citizenship through naturalization.

Irish citizens as well as EU/ETFA citizens who already have an ILR will not be required to apply for settlement status and can obtain British citizenship via the normal naturalization process.

Important:

• The Life in the UK test costs around £50, which can also be booked online. While applying for this test, you have to submit Identity Proof, Address Proof, and an Email Address.

• Individuals need to score at least 75% on this test or else they have to take the test again after seven days while having to pay another £50.

• Just like the passport renewal, the cost of the standard passport fee is £75.50.

• The time was taken of obtaining a British passport usually takes around four to eight weeks, and people can opt for fast-track services if they need their passport urgently.

• All the methods of obtaining citizenship in the UK usually take around six months, unless suggested otherwise.

Bottom Line:

These details will be helpful for you whether you are applying for UK citizenship for the first time or if you are trying to renew your existing passport while living abroad.

We hope this was informative. You must remember that the costs and the rules were accurate by the time we are offering this article, yet there may be some changes when you read this.

Therefore, we highly suggest you know more details regarding the citizenship process and/or the passport renewal process.

Having said that, if you need any services related to wealth management, investment advice, or financial planning, then you can avail yourself of the top-notch services offered by us through this link.

You can also get these services on your mobile with the help of our mobile application.

You can also learn everything about investments through our Adam Fayed Academy so that you can take care of your investments on your own.

UK passport renewal overseas as a British expat part 1 – that will be the topic of today’s article.

Before introducing this article, if you are interested in our core services which are expat financial, insurance and mortgages, you can contact me here. 

The best time to consider your financial situation is when you are moving to a new country.

Introduction

In this article, we will discuss how you can renew your UK passport while you are living outside of the UK (expat in other countries). Along with that, we will also talk about how you can apply for a British passport as a foreigner and other important information related to it.

Let us start with knowing about the process of UK passport renewal from abroad, which is the main topic for today.

Renewing British passport from abroad:

British citizens who are living abroad need to renew their passports and not everyone might be familiar with the process.

In general, most of the people who renew their passports from outside of the country go there for employment compared to other purposes.

You might also want to get a new passport or if you want to report any changes in your personal life such as follows:

• If your name has changed
• If your gender has changed
• If you have altered your appearance, which makes you unrecognizable from the photo in your passport

You will not be required to apply for a new passport under any of the following circumstances.

• Change in the phone number
• Change in place of residence
• Change in employment
• Change in appearance by growing a beard or opting for a new hairstyle
• If you are married or divorced
• If you become a doctor or professor and/or your name title has changed
• If you become a dual citizen
• If you leave the UK as an expat

While renewing a British passport, an individual is required to complete some physical application forms and submit them to Her Majesty’s Passport Office, and this used to be the mainstream process until recently.

However, things have changed now as individuals can complete this process online, which is considered to be easy than it used to be.

Even though the process seems simple, some obstacles have been described in this article.

As you all know, COVID-19 is one of the main reasons for the administrative delay all over the world. Apart from that, we have listed some of the general hurdles that were in existence before the pandemic outbreak.

Let us have a look at the common obstacles faced by people while applying for the renewal of UK passports online.

• Applications cannot be saved. You should make sure that you have all the necessary documents and information to complete the process within a couple of days.

If you fail to do so, then you might have to start the online application process again from the beginning.

To save time, you can do a practice application, and by doing so, you will know what you require to complete the application.

• A digital photo is to be submitted online, which should satisfy all the rules to be considered as an appropriate photo for the application.

The photo needs to be a color image with a perfect focus on your face, and the photo should be 750 pixels high and 600 pixels wide.

The file size of the photo should be between 50KB and 10MB, and it strictly should not be less/more than this size.

Your face image in the photo should be at least 29mm and must not exceed 34mm.

The overall dimensions of the photo should be 45mm from top to bottom and 35mm from left to right.

The image should have been taken recently, meaning it should not be more than a month old.

In the photo, you should be looking directly towards the camera.

Your face should be kept straight, the mouth must be closed, and your eyes must be opened completely.

Your face must be visible, and it should not be covered (even by your hair).

Your head should not be covered with anything unless it is for medical or religious purposes.

Photo should not have shadows.

You should not wear any sunglasses or glasses with tinted lenses.

If you wear ordinary glasses, then make sure that your eyes are perfectly visible, and the lenses do not cause glare or reflection.

• After applying for renewal, you will be asked to provide your current passport.

At this time, you should remember that you might have to wait for several months without a passport, and therefore, you should find an alternative ID for use during this period.

• A passport is a very important document, and it should be handled with an immense amount of care, especially while sending it abroad.

Therefore, you always make use of a renowned courier service and opt for insurance in case of loss.

Requirements – You will have to provide your current passport, a full-color copy of all other uncancelled passports belonging to you, another country passport (if you are a dual citizen), your identity documents, and application forms (duly completed and signed).

As for identity proof, there are various types of documents that can be provided.

The Home Office requires at least one document with photo identity along with one document as residence proof (name and/or address accurately within the past 12 months) while renewing your passport.

The list of documents that can be provided for identity proof during the process of passport renewal is as follows:

• British Passport (for renewal)
• Non-British uncancelled passport
• National Identity Card or anything similar with a photocopy
• Visa/Residence Permit or a color photocopy
• Tax Record (such as letter obtained from the tax authority)
• Educational documents (such as school reports)
• Employment-related documents (such as an official letter obtained from the employer)
• A letter obtained from a central, regional, or local government department
• Medial Card or Health Card
• Voter card
• Immigration Documents

There might be some additional requirements when applying for children under certain circumstances such as follows.

• If the child who is applying is subject to a court order regarding their care.
• If the child who is applying is subject to a court order, which offers/removes any parental responsibilities or parental rights.
• If the child who is applying is subject to a court order that restricts the child from the country of residence

In any of the above-mentioned cases, the court order should be submitted to the passport office while applying.

If the child is being cared for by the social services, then the Home Office needs a letter obtained from the Director of Social Services (or any other equivalent authority).

This letter should confirm that the social services have the necessary parental responsibility regarding the child and have the necessary court order to prove this.

If the person who is applying on behalf of the child does not have parental authority, then any of the following documents will be required additionally.

• A statutory declaration form, which describes the reason why you are applying instead of a parent. It should also mention whether the child has anyone with parental responsibility and how they are related to the child.

While providing this declaration, you will have to provide all the necessary supporting documentation and evidence supporting the declaration.

• If you are a testamentary guardian of the child, then you will have to submit documentary evidence.

This evidence should ensure that you are appointed as the testamentary guardian of the child and must be included along with a copy of the will and death certificate of parents/guardians.

• You should confirm whether any other person has the parental responsibility of the child and there are court orders related to it, where you should include the court orders as well.

It has been described in the government webpage that the renewal application might take up to ten weeks, yet keeping the COVID-19 scenario in mind, you might even be prepared for a delay in obtaining it.

Any person can renew their passport without having to wait until their passport expires.

Mostly, the passport can be renewed as earlier as six months before the expiry of the current passport with respect to the country from where you are trying to renew that passport or the country you are trying to visit.

Some countries such as Brazil, Turkey, Israel, Tunisia, etc., need you to have at least six months of validity on your passport when you are residing there.

Usually, the individuals who are applying for a passport while staying abroad are required to pay a standard passport fee and an extra courier fee.

The courier fee will vary depending on the country from where you are applying, whereas the standard adult passport/renewal fee is £75.50 for a 34-page passport and £85.50 for a 50-page passport.

For children, it costs £49 for a 34-page passport and £59 for a 50-page passport, and children must be under the age of 16 years.

When you apply with the help of paper forms the prices can be higher than those mentioned above, and the prices above are for applying online.

The payment can be made with the help of a cheque, which can be included along with the application forms and documents, or else, you can make a payment via the secure government website.

If you have any queries regarding the process of passport renewal, you can call the passport advice at +44(0)3002220000, which is available from 8 AM to 8 PM (UK time) from Monday to Friday and 9 AM to 5:30 PM (UK time) on weekends and public holidays.

Emergency Passport – In most cases, people will be needing their passport during the time they wait for the renewed passport, and in such cases, they should obtain an emergency passport known as Emergency Travel Document.

Only the people who meet the following conditions can apply for an emergency passport.

• People of British nationality

• Living outside of the UK

• If the passport has been:
• Lost
• Stolen
• Damaged
• Full
• Recently expired
• Is taken by HM Passport Office
• Is taken by a foreign embassy

• You need a passport to travel during the time of your passport’s renewal or replacement.

• You can provide the information related to your travel such as booking confirmations or concisely written travel plans (if not booked ahead).

With the help of an emergency passport, you will be allowed to travel through five countries before reaching your destination country.

If you are living in some other country, you can also use it to return to the country of residence from where you will be applying.

All your travel plans such as countries and dates will be printed on your emergency travel document, and in case you wish to change any information presented in that, you will have to apply for a new emergency travel document.

You can apply for an emergency travel document online, and you will be required to pay a fee of £100, which is non-refundable.

This fee can either be paid during the process of online application or else you will be asked to pay over the phone.

When you apply for this online, you will have to visit the British embassy, consulate, or high commission nearest to your location.

However, you will be informed after the submission of the application regarding whether or not you have to attend.

Usually, the travel document will be ready for you within two days after you apply for it online. As mentioned earlier, it might be delayed because of the COVID-19 situation.

The process of receiving your travel document can also be late under the following circumstances.

• If it has been applied for a child under the age of 16 years.
•  If the payment has not been made.
• If all the necessary supporting documentation has been provided.
• If the information the documents is not enough or inaccurate.

You can also apply for an emergency travel document on behalf of someone else if they are a British citizen or British national living overseas.

Nonetheless, that person should be able to collect their travel document in person by going to a Consulate, Embassy, or High Commission in their country of residence.

In case you are applying on behalf of a child under the age of 16 years, then both the parents of that child may have to attend along with them, and they will be required to sign a consent letter.