citizenship application. what happens with passport?

[confusedjt]

I am ready to submit my citizenship application (through EEA route). I am worried about giving away my current passport. I have trips planned in December and February.

After going through different pages I am not 100% what the process is... do I have to provide my passport? or can it be scanned through 3rd party?

If I have to send it, how quickly I can get it? (is it reliable?)

Is this information available anywhere? gov website isn't really that clear about what happens with my passport and how long they will keep it. I would really like to have something I can reference (link to gov website ideally ).

[CR001]

Originals are NOT submitted. Everything is scanned.

[confusedjt]

one of the section of my applications "Documents" shows:

"Providing your documents
You must provide your documents after you submit your application, these can be originals or copies. Any passports provided must be originals."

it's confusing if they say copies if they are scanning them anyway?

At what point do they scan them? Is it done by 3rd party company (I just set the appointment?)?

Thanks!

[CR001]

You scan and upload a your documents. At your ukcvas biometric appointment, you need to take the originals for the staff to check and verify your identity. You get your originals back.