how long they keep the passport when you apply

[Intrigue]

Hi girls,
Just a quick question if anyone knows how long they keep your national passport when you apply for naturalisation? I have read that they need it for verification but they don't need it throughout the processing. Just wondered if I could make plans to travel. How quickly do they post it back to you? It wold be great to hear back. Thanks in advance. Kozeta

[Casa]

If you need your passport for travel, apply through the NCS for a small fee. They will take copies of your documents, including your passport and return everything to you while you wait. They will also check your application to ensure its valid, before they submit it to the Home Office for processing.