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First Time child UK passport from Abroad
Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2023 5:17 am
by TF1
Dear All,
We have applied for our 3-month old baby's first UK passport from Pakistan a few weeks ago. My wife and I are both UK passport holders (naturalised in 2021). At the Gerry's application centre, we were told that it is usually taking around 8-9months for the first passport application to be processed. I was quite surprised by this since I thought it should be a straightforward application (since both parents are naturalised British Citizens). So, I wanted to ask:
- What is other people's experience and how long has it taken for them.
- Is it due to the covid backlog that the applications are taking so long or is the application process complicated like the citizenship application where the caseworker needs to make inquiries etc
- Is there a portal where we can track our application. We have not had any email from the caseworker (though the application fee was deducted from the bank account about a week back).
- Is there a forum where people share their timelines for UK passport applications from abroad
- We are planning to go back to the UK in a few months-time. So can we apply for the baby's UK visit visa in case the passport application still hasn't been processed by then. Or we can only do one application at a time
Many thanks for your help.
Best regards.
Re: First Time child UK passport from Abroad
Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2023 10:04 am
by secret.simon
First British passports for children applied for from abroad are known to take six months to a year. 8-9 months is a fairly timeline.
TF1 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 18, 2023 5:17 am
So can we apply for the baby's UK visit visa in case the passport application still hasn't been processed by then. Or we can only do one application at a time
A British citizen can't be issued with a visit visa (or any other visa to the UK). Now that it is known to the British High Commission that the child is a British citizen, they are required to not issue it a visa to the UK. So that is not a choice.
You' can apply for a Certificate of Entitlement-Right of Abode in an existing non-British passport for the child. The timeline for that is six to sixteen weeks usually.
But you can only have either a CoE-RoA or a British passport, not both.
TF1 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 18, 2023 5:17 am
Is there a forum where people share their timelines for UK passport applications from abroad
There is a
timeline thread for British passport applications, but not specifically for ones from abroad, or for children, etc. You can go through the thread looking for instances of child passports though.
Re: First Time child UK passport from Abroad
Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2023 12:56 pm
by TF1
Hi,
Thank you for very much for your reply.
So, can I apply for the baby's Certificate of Entitlement-Right of Abode (in the non-UK passport) whilst his UK passport application is in progress, or do I need to first withdraw the UK passport application?
If we do have to withdraw the baby's UK passport application first, and assuming that the Certificate of Entitlement-Right of Abode is granted, then can we apply for his UK passport once we are all back in the UK?
I am quite concerned since we need to back in the UK by June and am therefore desperately searching for a viable option now that we know that the UK passport application from abroad can take anywhere from 6-12months. I don't suppose there is any way to speed up this process.
Is there an emergency travel document option available for babies that are eligible for a UK passport but don't have one?
Thanks again for your help!
Re: First Time child UK passport from Abroad
Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2023 3:02 pm
by Ticktack
TF1 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 21, 2023 12:56 pm
Hi,
Thank you for very much for your reply.
So, can I apply for the baby's Certificate of Entitlement-Right of Abode (in the non-UK passport) whilst his UK passport application is in progress, or do I need to first withdraw the UK passport application?
You can't process both at the same time. One or the other
If we do have to withdraw the baby's UK passport application first, and assuming that the Certificate of Entitlement-Right of Abode is granted, then can we apply for his UK passport once we are all back in the UK?
Trying to get that issued might take as much time as the British passport too. No guarantees for a faster outcome.
I am quite concerned since we need to back in the UK by June and am therefore desperately searching for a viable option now that we know that the UK passport application from abroad can take anywhere from 6-12months. I don't suppose there is any way to speed up this process.
None that I know of.
Is there an emergency travel document option available for babies that are eligible for a UK passport but don't have one?
You can only get an emergency passport if you've been issued a passport prior. Not before.
Thanks again for your help!
Re: First Time child UK passport from Abroad
Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2023 6:23 am
by TF1
Hi,
Thank you very much for your reply.
Unfortunately, following the deduction of Passport fee on the 11th of Jan 2022, there is still no update regarding the application. In fact, I called the HMPO customer care (03002220000) and they can't even locate the application on their system (neither by name nor by the reference number that I have been given, which begins with 'HMP/ISB/05...') which is quite concerning!
Surely the application has been received by HMPO due to the fee deduction. Would I be correct in thinking that perhaps the paper application has just not been scanned onto the HMPO system yet and only after this would we get the proper Application tracking number from the case worker?
I can't help but feel that, given our need to return to the UK, it would have been better if we had applied for the 'Certificate of Entitlement - Right of Abode' in my Son's Pakistan passport (as it is likely to be much quicker) and then apply for his British passport when in the UK.
So my question is: Is it advisable to still apply for the COE-ROA and if so, then how can I withdraw the submitted Passport application given that it is still not on the HMPO system.
Thanks again for your help.
Interview questions for first time child UK passport from abroad
Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2023 2:30 pm
by TF1
Hi All,
We applied for our 8 month old son's first UK passport from Pakistan in January 2023 (he was born here). My wife has just been asked to attend an interview online as part of the application process. Does anyone know what kind of questions can she expect. Is it likely to be related to our Son's birth details (e.g. the hospital he was born in here in Islamabad or why my wife didn't travel back to the UK to give birth). We have already provided all the relevant documents including hospital birth certificate, Union council birth certificate, both parent's Naturalisation certificates and UK passports.
Also, during the interview, does she need to have copies of all the supplied documents to hand.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Best wishes.
Re: Interview questions for first time child UK passport from abroad
Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2023 6:32 pm
by alterhase58
First passport interviews are there to finally confirm identity. This is not about re-reviewing the application. It’s mainly adhoc questions to which only the applicants know the answers. Normally passports are issued shortly after the interview. Also note that even applicants in the UK are invited for passport interviews.
See this thread:
british-citizenship/passport-interview- ... 64893.html