Leaving UK while waiting for British Passport

[ts531]

Hi,

I will need to be in the USA for an year for work purposes from September 2022. I have applied for naturalisation last month. If my application gets approved and I attend the citizenship ceremony and afterwards apply for the British passport, do I need to wait to leave UK until I receive the passport? Can I leave UK while waiting for the passport to he delivered to my home address (in UK) using the passport from my home country? Can my family then send the passport to USA using courier so that I can enter UK? I cannot delay my joining in the U.S., so should I request to arrange the citizenship ceremony in the U.S. instead? Please suggest any other option that I might explore.

Many thanks gor your suggestion!

Best regards.

[secret.simon]

should I request to arrange the citizenship ceremony in the U.S. instead?

Citizenship ceremonies are only arranged abroad for people who either have the right to register as a British citizen (such as on Form UKM or UKF) or are spouses of British citizens abroad on Crown Service (generally military staff or diplomats posted abroad).
If the naturalisation application was made in the UK, it is expected that you will attend the citizenship ceremony in the UK.

[ts531]

Hi secret.simon, thanks for your response. Can I use the courier service to send the passport to the USA once it arrives at my UK address?

[Ticktack]

Hi secret.simon, thanks for your response. Can I use the courier service to send the passport to the USA once it arrives at my UK address?

Absolutely in theory, you can. But, what if you're then required to attend an interview, or something unplanned happens?

That's why the government always advises that you get your 1st passport in the UK before leaving the UK. Things can go South really fast.
But I guess you then have the option of returning to your home country and sorting out your British passport from there.
Cause you can't stay indefinitely in the USA.

[secret.simon]

Can I use the courier service to send the passport to the USA once it arrives at my UK address?

I'm not terribly sure about the wisdom of using a courier service for such a sensitive document.

Items sent by courier are of course scanned by customs. And they may get suspicious of a passport being couriered across international borders.

Keep in mind that passports (and national ID cards) are not your property, but the property of the national government issuing it and customs of the relevant country may return it to the British embassy in that country rather than pass it to you.

In extremis, if you must leave the UK before you receive the British passport, I would suggest getting a relative or friend to carry the passport to you in the US. I would be cautious about using a courier service.

[alterhase58]

It's best to check with the courier firm regarding sending valuable/sensitive documents.
Here is a quote from a list of prohibited items of a well-known courier company (my highlighting):

"RESTRICTED AND PROHIBITED ITEMS
It is the policy of XXX not to carry any Dangerous Goods, Prohibited or Restricted Items or Valuable items.
[...]
Valuable Goods - Any goods of high value such as bullion, cashiers or travellers cheques, currency, money orders, negotiable instruments in bearer form, credit or debit cards, important documents (including passports, tenders, share and option certificates) stamps, antiques, unprotected furniture, precious stones or metals, artwork, jewellery or valuable items of wear (including occasional wear) designer items (including clothing, watches, shoes and handbags). Precious stones or metals."

If a passport gets lost in transit or is confiscated there would be no compensation from the courier.

[ts531]

Thanks everyone for your valuable insights. My permanent address is in UK and my family will be living in UK while I am in USA. Therefore my family can certainly carry the passport to USA when it arrives in my UK address. I am not aware of any legal requirements to be physically present in the UK while the British passport is being processed. Please correct me if I am wrong.

[AmazonianX]

Thanks everyone for your valuable insights. My permanent address is in UK and my family will be living in UK while I am in USA. Therefore my family can certainly carry the passport to USA when it arrives in my UK address. I am not aware of any legal requirements to be physically present in the UK while the British passport is being processed. Please correct me if I am wrong.

There is no such requirements in place so far as known.

[ts531]

Thank you so much!

[Ticktack]

Thank you so much!

You're forgetting one key factor in all of this. When you apply for a British Passport, you would be required to submit all current passports you have. Even if you had 5 of them.

What are you then planning to travel to the USA with??

[ts531]

Thanks for reminding. I am aware of that!