Passport Application - Dcoument Query

Hi,

I have just been granted British citizenship having previously been in the UK under ILR. I am in the process of applying for my 1st passport and wanted to query the documents that I am required to send.

In some parts of the website it seems to indicate that I send my application, photos etc along with my citizenship certificate. However, in other parts of the guidance it seems to indicate that they would want my Brazilian birth certificate (translated) as well as my father's (who is also Brazilian) birth certificate. He still lives in Brazil so this would require him to send in the secure post, which would be costly and time consuming. I am due to travel at the end of February so this would really jepoardise that trip.

Ths requirement for birth certificates seems a little over the top considering I have provided lots of detail on my parents as part of the citizenship application. Have I understood this correctly? Both of my parents are Brazilian and remain in Brazil so I am not applying in anything relating to them.

I was considering just traveling on my Brazilian passport, but I have now returned my BPR so I guess when I return to the UK from The Netherlands that it would be an issue?!

Any help would be greatly appreciated - thanks.

Jordana

Jordana,

I have the paper passport application in front of me (you can get it from any post office). The guidance notes make things very clear. You need your birth certificate as well as your father's birth certificate and marriage certificate (but read carefully as it is different if you were born in 1983 or after).

These certificates do not form part of the citizenship application (UKVI ask for parental details only to satisfy themselves that you are not eligible for citizenship by birth). UKVI is not the same as Passport Office.

I highly recommend you do NOT travel on your Brazilian passport. Please see extract from UKVI website

If you need to travel to and from the UK after being granted British citizenship you must apply for a British passport or a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode, to be placed in your foreign passport.

You cannot use the certificate of naturalisation to enter UK, so you will be treated as a normal tourist. Do Brazilian passport holders need a tourist visa? If so, you will be refused entry without one.

Birth certificates and marriage certificates are NOT required for passport applications after naturalisation!!! The guide is clear what is required for applicant through naturalisation.

johnhkg wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 06, 2019 7:54 am

You cannot use the certificate of naturalisation to enter UK, so you will be treated as a normal tourist. Do Brazilian passport holders need a tourist visa? If so, you will be refused entry without one.

You cannot be refused entry if you are a citizen. A naturalisation certificate and/or any passport should be enough to be granted entry if you mention you are a British citizen (the border check will last longer than the normal 20 seconds but you will be granted entry back to your home).

Though that's all assuming you get to speak with border control staff. If you have a passport of a country that needs a visa to enter the UK, the airline staff won't let you board the plane because you either need a valid visa, a passport of a country that has visa-free entry for UK, a passport with the Right of Abode for the UK, or a British passport. And obviously if you can't even physically get to the UK, it doesn't matter if you are a citizen or not.

CR001 wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:58 am

Birth certificates and marriage certificates are NOT required for passport applications after naturalisation!!! The guide is clear what is required for applicant through naturalisation.

CR001, I agree that I was wrong and I know why. The wording of the passport application guide is confusing. There should be specific mention that additional questions and supporting documents at page 17 do not apply in the case of an applicant applying through naturalisation. The only clue lies in the line near the top which states:-

"This section supports your claim to British nationality..."

Maybe the online method makes this clearer, but I haven't looked at that yet.