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Can I travel before I get my UK passport
Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 1:00 pm
by leeloy88
I have done my BC ceremony and haven’t yet applied for a UK passport which I’m planning to do this week. However, I have some emergency family matter to attend to so will need to travel to Asia for a week asap, but this means I won’t have my UK passport in time.
Can I still travel or there is no option and I have to wait for the UK passport?
I also have an existing Taiwan passport and therefore can enter the UK as a “tourist” without my BRP card if it comes to it. But since my BRP is no longer valid after the ceremony, can I do my job in the UK?
Re: Can I travel before I get my UK passport
Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 1:34 pm
by meself2
leeloy88 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 1:00 pm
which I’m planning to do this week
You need to send in your foreign passports to apply for a British one.
leeloy88 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 1:00 pm
Can I still travel or there is no option and I have to wait for the UK passport?
Yes. You're a British citizen; use your current passport to board the plane and show your naturalization certificate at the border - that should let you in. As a citizen, you have right to work/live/etc.
Re: Can I travel before I get my UK passport
Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 6:28 pm
by leeloy88
Understood. So basically just hold off on applying for my UK passport, and travel using my foreign passport. And apply for the UK one when I return from my trip.
Re: Can I travel before I get my UK passport
Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 6:32 pm
by meself2
Yes.
Re: Can I travel before I get my UK passport
Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 6:34 pm
by contorted_svy
meself2 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 1:34 pm
leeloy88 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 1:00 pm
which I’m planning to do this week
You need to send in your foreign passports to apply for a British one.
leeloy88 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 1:00 pm
Can I still travel or there is no option and I have to wait for the UK passport?
Yes. You're a British citizen; use your current passport to board the plane and show your naturalization certificate at the border - that should let you in. As a citizen, you have right to work/live/etc.
How would OP board the plane if they are a visa national? with current BRP?
Advice is usually best to travel with a British passport once naturalised which you need to send in all current passports to do.
Re: Can I travel before I get my UK passport
Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 6:35 pm
by meself2
contorted_svy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 6:34 pm
meself2 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 1:34 pm
leeloy88 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 1:00 pm
which I’m planning to do this week
You need to send in your foreign passports to apply for a British one.
leeloy88 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 1:00 pm
Can I still travel or there is no option and I have to wait for the UK passport?
Yes. You're a British citizen; use your current passport to board the plane and show your naturalization certificate at the border - that should let you in. As a citizen, you have right to work/live/etc.
How would OP board the plane if they are a visa national? with current BRP?
Advice is usually best to travel with a British passport once naturalised which you need to send in all current passports to do.
They are not?
leeloy88 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 1:00 pm
I also have an existing Taiwan passport
and therefore can enter the UK as a “tourist” without my BRP card if it comes to it.
Re: Can I travel before I get my UK passport
Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 6:37 pm
by CR001
contorted_svy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 6:34 pm
How would OP board the plane if they are a visa national? with current BRP?
The OP has already stated they are a non-visa national so would have no issue at all!
Re: Can I travel before I get my UK passport
Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 6:51 pm
by contorted_svy
Apologies, read the post too quickly.
Re: Can I travel before I get my UK passport
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2024 7:22 pm
by zazatals201118
Hi- just following up on this thread. My wife’s in a similar situation she is a South African national and has recently obtained her citizenship certificate but doesn’t yet have a British passport. She is dual citizen as she’s retained her South African citizenship and she was going to travel to South Africa next week - will she have problems travelling back to Uk if she doesn’t have a UK passport? She has applied for a passport but not yet sent her documents as she needed to travel. Also I don’t know if the situation is different to the OP as SA nationals need a visa to travel to the UK. Are there any options that would allow her to travel eg applying for UK tourist visa in SA? Grateful for any advice
Re: Can I travel before I get my UK passport
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2024 7:37 pm
by secret.simon
zazatals201118 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2024 7:22 pm
I don’t know if the situation is different to the OP as SA nationals need a visa to travel to the UK.
It is.
A non-visa-national can get onto a flight and get to the UK border to make her arguments to a UK border official.
A visa national will not be allowed to get onto a flight to the UK by the airline staff, unless she has either a valid BRP, visa vignette or a British passport.
zazatals201118 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2024 7:22 pm
Are there any options that would allow her to travel eg applying for UK tourist visa in SA?
A British citizen can't be issued any UK visa. They need to apply for either a British passport or a CoE-RoA.
If she applies for her first British passport from abroad, it may (a) cause a delay and (b) may cause her entire naturalisation application to be re-examined. There have been two cases of the latter reported on these forums.
She would be much wiser to get her first British passport from the UK before leaving.
Re: Can I travel before I get my UK passport
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2024 8:52 pm
by zazatals201118
secret.simon wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2024 7:37 pm
zazatals201118 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2024 7:22 pm
I don’t know if the situation is different to the OP as SA nationals need a visa to travel to the UK.
It is.
A non-visa-national can get onto a flight and get to the UK border to make her arguments to a UK border official.
A visa national will not be allowed to get onto a flight to the UK by the airline staff, unless she has either a valid BRP, visa vignette or a British passport.
zazatals201118 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2024 7:22 pm
Are there any options that would allow her to travel eg applying for UK tourist visa in SA?
A British citizen can't be issued any UK visa. They need to apply for either a British passport or a CoE-RoA.
If she applies for her first British passport from abroad, it may (a) cause a delay and (b) may cause her entire naturalisation application to be re-examined. There have been two cases of the latter reported on these forums.
She would be much wiser to get her first British passport from the UK before leaving.
Thanks for replying was worried that would be the case. We already booked the flights but looks like we’ll have to cancel or reschedule and finalise the British passport application
Re: Can I travel before I get my UK passport
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2024 9:13 pm
by meself2
zazatals201118 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2024 7:22 pm
Hi- just following up on this thread. My wife’s in a similar situation she is a South African national and has recently obtained her citizenship certificate but doesn’t yet have a British passport. She is dual citizen as she’s retained her South African citizenship and she was going to travel to South Africa next week - will she have problems travelling back to Uk if she doesn’t have a UK passport? She has applied for a passport but not yet sent her documents as she needed to travel. Also I don’t know if the situation is different to the OP as SA nationals need a visa to travel to the UK. Are there any options that would allow her to travel eg applying for UK tourist visa in SA? Grateful for any advice
Unless she still has a valid BRP, as stated above, she won't be let on the plane.
Also keep in mind she''d have to send her South African passport to apply for UK one anyway.
Re: Can I travel before I get my UK passport
Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2024 4:27 pm
by unaanu
Someone told me that they travelled on their EU passport before attending the ceremony and accidentally after receiving their UK passport too with no problem.
Re: Can I travel before I get my UK passport
Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2024 5:20 pm
by unaanu
meself2 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2024 9:13 pm
zazatals201118 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2024 7:22 pm
Also keep in mind she''d have to send her South African passport to apply for UK one anyway.
Incorrect. You can send a certified copy of your passport (all pages) if you don't want to send you passport to them.
Re: Can I travel before I get my UK passport
Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2024 6:24 pm
by contorted_svy
unaanu wrote: ↑Sun Apr 14, 2024 5:20 pm
meself2 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2024 9:13 pm
zazatals201118 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2024 7:22 pm
Also keep in mind she''d have to send her South African passport to apply for UK one anyway.
Incorrect. You can send a certified copy of your passport (all pages) if you don't want to send you passport to them.
You do have to send your original passport for first UK passport.
Re: Can I travel before I get my UK passport
Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2024 8:33 pm
by unaanu
I have been told on visa groups on both Facebook and Reddit that you can send a certified copy instead, as long as you have a valid reason e.g. needing to be able to travel due to family illness.
Re: Can I travel before I get my UK passport
Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2024 10:03 pm
by contorted_svy
It's not what the official guidance says and members here have been asked to supply originalswhen sending in copies.
Re: Can I travel before I get my UK passport
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2024 8:46 am
by unaanu
contorted_svy wrote: ↑Sun Apr 14, 2024 10:03 pm
It's not what the official guidance says and members here have been asked to supply originalswhen sending in copies.
I just wrote "certified copy" in the search bar and can see that some people have been successful in sending a certified copy instead of their physical passport. But it's probably a good idea to inquire about it first.
Re: Can I travel before I get my UK passport
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2024 6:13 pm
by secret.simon
unaanu wrote: ↑Mon Apr 15, 2024 8:46 am
contorted_svy wrote: ↑Sun Apr 14, 2024 10:03 pm
It's not what the official guidance says and members here have been asked to supply originalswhen sending in copies.
I just wrote "certified copy" in the search bar and can see that some people have been successful in sending a certified copy instead of their physical passport. But it's probably a good idea to inquire about it first.
@unaanu, if I search "certified copy", most of the results that come up are from the Ireland forum. Are you certain that you are not confusing the rules of two different countries?
Also, keep in mind that HMPO may have different and stricter rules than the naturalisation team inside the Home Office. What may be acceptable to one may not be to the other. There has been at least
one instance on these forums of HMPO refusing to accept Home Office documentation.
Keep in mind that the documentary thresholds for the
three different processes (immigration upto and including ILR, naturalisation/registration and passport application) may be very different. They are three independent processes, under different rules and laws. Don't assume that what works for one will work for all.