zeetee wrote: ↑Fri Jan 22, 2021 11:59 am
Can anyone help me please?
My citizenship ceremony is on 9th of February and I have to travel abroad on 15th of February. My question is when I do the online application for my British passport, do I need to send my existing passport too?
Thanks in advance
You will not be able to travel on your ILR BRP after you become British. You have to return your ILR BRP within 5 days after ceremony as it is invalid then and you can be fined up to £1000 otherwise.
You become British Citizen when you attend the ceremony and can enter UK only on a British Passport. You will apply for British Passport after ceremony (and when you have the naturalisation certificate in hand if sent in post).
You will have to send original certificate and original home country’s passport to HMPO. British Passport application is taking around 2-4 weeks these days in majority cases.
If your travel is urgent, you may consider postponing your ceremony to a later date. Note, you must attend a ceremony within 6 months of the date on HO ceremony invitation. You can attend when you come back then.
Also, by law you can only travel outside UK in exceptional circumstances in national lockdown (at least in England) i.e. work etc, otherwise some have reported being fined at the airport both times flying out/coming back without a valid reason.
