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Hi there

I have a question regrading my wife's future British citizenship application. My wife is Pakistani and she came here on a settlement/spouse visa and then applied for her ILR a couple of years later.

She is intending in applying for British citizenship in the near future - however by the time she gets her documents together her passport would have been expired by a couple of months or so. She has her BRP as proof of ID and she will not be going abroad. The expired passport will contain her original settlement visa stamp and the stamps when she arrived/exited countries. She has spent 2 months abroad in the last 12 months.

She will not be renewing her passport as the logic is that we are applying for the British passport soon (so why renew her Pakistani passport) and she will not be travelling abroad any time soon and plus an expired passport can be be proof that she has been in the UK and not abroad.

What do you guys think? Do you think the above is sound logic and will be ok when applying for naturalization or does she need to renew her Pakistani passport?

Many Thanks in advance

Kind Regards

That passport will be fine.


On a separate note, since Pakistan allows dual nationality, id suggest renewing it at the embassy in London if she decided to go to Pakistan.

She don't need to extend her Pakistani passport. She can apply for NICOP and use it with her British passport when travelling to Pakistan as it allows visa free entry.

oooh yeah...there is that too

solospy wrote:She don't need to extend her Pakistani passport. She can apply for NICOP and use it with her British passport when travelling to Pakistan as it allows visa free entry.

Thanks for replying - what is NICOP?

It stands for "National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis"

You can book an appointment online with Pakistan embassy. Your wife needs to attend the appointment with her Pakistani Passport and Pakistani ID Card (Computerised).

You will receive the card within 4 weeks and it has a longer validity then Pakistani Passport.

averagejoe wrote:That passport will be fine.


On a separate note, since Pakistan allows dual nationality, id suggest renewing it at the embassy in London if she decided to go to Pakistan.

just to double check that you are saying it will be fine when applying for British passport.

(P.S. I live in Manchester and I think I can renew the passport here)

solospy wrote:She don't need to extend her Pakistani passport. She can apply for NICOP and use it with her British passport when travelling to Pakistan as it allows visa free entry.

just to double check that you are saying it will be fine when applying for British passport. I am more concerned about her British passport application as oppose to the options on the Pakistani side

Just to confirm - if my wife applied with that expired passport without renewing it then this will no way hinder the naturalization application? The fact that my wife is in the UK whilst her passport is expired should be obvious in terms of the residency requirements and how much time she has spent abroad?

I am just triple checking

Many thanks

Kind Regards

imranh wrote:Just to confirm - if my wife applied with that expired passport without renewing it then this will no way hinder the naturalization application? The fact that my wife is in the UK whilst her passport is expired should be obvious in terms of the residency requirements and how much time she has spent abroad?

I am just triple checking

Many thanks

Kind Regards

having a valid passport as such is not a requirement for naturalisation

but she does have to have an id of some sort, and preferably the same id that was used for life in the UK test (but if it was the passport and it has now expired and you are sending it anyway, no foul then)

but she then has to use something else as primary ID

as a rule so long as she has a valid BRP it should be fine

sagareva wrote:

imranh wrote:Just to confirm - if my wife applied with that expired passport without renewing it then this will no way hinder the naturalization application? The fact that my wife is in the UK whilst her passport is expired should be obvious in terms of the residency requirements and how much time she has spent abroad?

I am just triple checking

Many thanks

Kind Regards

having a valid passport as such is not a requirement for naturalisation

but she does have to have an id of some sort, and preferably the same id that was used for life in the UK test (but if it was the passport and it has now expired and you are sending it anyway, no foul then)

but she then has to use something else as primary ID

as a rule so long as she has a valid BRP it should be fine

thanks for taking the time to reply. Much appreciated. Yes she has her BRP card which she used for her Life in the UK test. So is she ok not to renew her passport with the aim of sending it for her naturalization application? will she be fine just sending her expired passport and her BRP card?

Many thanks
Kind Regards

imranh wrote:
thanks for taking the time to reply. Much appreciated. Yes she has her BRP card which she used for her Life in the UK test. So is she ok not to renew her passport with the aim of sending it for her naturalization application? will she be fine just sending her expired passport and her BRP card?

Many thanks
Kind Regards

It should be fine. For further peace of mind and immediate documents return, please click here and book NCS appointment, and apply. Good luck.

Just a final daft question - where it states on the application form to enter passport number - would we just enter the expired passport number then?

Many Thanks in advance
Kind Regards

imranh wrote:Just a final daft question - where it states on the application form to enter passport number - would we just enter the expired passport number then?

Many Thanks in advance
Kind Regards

The question (1.2) asks for the number of current passport.
An expired passport is not current.

You could add the expired passport number in the 'Further Information' section of the form.

noajthan wrote:An expired passport is not current.

In this context (application form), "current" mean most recently issued passport .... not "unexpired" passport.

Your current passport can be the one that has an expiry date that has passed. It is not asking for a "valid" passport. Also confirmed by staff at three NCS centres ... Welwyn Garden City, Redbridge, Luton ... way back in 2011.

sushdmehta wrote:In this context (application form), "current" mean most recently issued passport .... not "unexpired" passport.

Your current passport can be the one that has an expiry date that has passed. It is not asking for a "valid" passport. Also confirmed by staff at three NCS centres ... Welwyn Garden City, Redbridge, Luton ... way back in 2011.

Well noted.