British Passport Applications from Overseas

For those who are born British overseas

If you are born to a British parent overseas you are automatically entitled to British Citizenship and can apply for a British passport. However, this is not always a simple process, and we can help with UK passport applications from overseas.

A person born overseas to a British citizen may be automatically British, however they must provide proof before being issued with a British passport.  

There is a detailed and quite complex list of documents which must be provided to Her Majesty's Passport Office (HMPO) in order to apply successfully for a British Passport. Unfortunately, many of the documents are difficult for people in some countries to produce, and the HMPO may not be satisfied that there is sufficient evidence that the applicant was born to a British citizen.

You will also need a 'Countersignatory'. This is someone who has known the British citizen parent for over two years. They can also confirm that the passport photo is a true likeness of the applicant. Only certain nationalities can act as countersignatory.

It may be necessary for the British Citizen parent to attend an interview and, ultimately, HMPO may ask for a DNA test. The applicant and his or her family must be invited by the Home Office to take a DNA test using the approved DNA testing providers.

So - all in all - these applications can take some time and are not as simple as they might seem.

Working with us on your UK passport application from overseas

At Immigration Legal Services, we are highly experienced in making applications for British Passports from overseas. 

We will be able to assess the chances of success. If there are problems along the way with evidence, we can help you to overcome these problems. We can communicate with HMPO and ensure that the application is carried through as efficiently as possible.

How does the process work with UK passport applications from overseas?

First of all, we can give you a free initial consultation. We will be able to explain the process and advise whether there are likely to be any problems in your case. If you decide to use our services, we will advise you what documents you should provide. If you cannot provide everything we need, we will liaise with HMPO and work towards alternative evidence or ultimately a DNA test and an interview.

"The words 'Thank You' can never portray how grateful we are for the professional, yet friendly and personalised service we received from Angela Cole at Immigration Legal Services."

Steve Brett

We help you complete the application form, submit it with the evidence to HMPO and then work with you through the next parts of the process.

We work on an hourly rate for these UK passport applications from overseas. This is because it is so difficult to predict how much work will be necessary in each individual case. This is in contrast to most of our other services which have a fixed fee for the work. We will estimate the cost first of all and let you know if you are about to exceed this estimate.

Frequently Asked Questions

My daughter was born abroad in 2015. I became British in 2018. Can she apply for a British passport?

No. Your daughter is not British because you were not British when she was born. She cannot apply for a British passport.

My son was born in Iraq in 2017. His mother is Iraqi. I have been British since 2008. I want to bring him and his mother to the UK. Does my son need a British passport or can he use his Iraqi passport?

He will need a British passport. Your son is automatically British. The Home Office will not allow him to enter the UK with another country's passport if he is, in fact, British. We recommend that you apply first for your child's British passport before applying for your wife to come here.

How long will it take to get British passports for my children who were born abroad?

It is difficult to say because much depends on whether the HMPO accept the evidence you provide. If you do not have all the right evidence at the first stage, you should expect the process to take months rather than weeks.

  • We couldn't praise Sallie and her team high enough. Extremely professional and acted very fast to meet our deadline. 100% recommended!
    Mr E
  • Always thorough and highly professional throughout the application process for both my children, and I would definitely recommend! They also had a welcome sense of humour when it came to dealing with the bureaucracy involved in the process.
    Mr B
  • Great experience working with Sallie. Professional and understanding! Will work with her again, with no doubt.
    Ms L
  • We have been very impressed with the service we have received over the years of dealing with Angela. She went above and beyond to solve our specialised problem with very pleasing results. We would strongly recommend her work and knowledge in the field. A true professional.
    Mr Aldalis
  • I highly recommend Sallie for her professionalism and lovable, kind approach. I am very happy to get her as my immigration lawyer for processing my kids Visa.
    Shiva K
  • I highly recommend both Angela and Karen. They both have been amazingly helpful throughout the visa application process of my wife. They do truly care for their clients. They look at the case in reasonable time periods and return with any missing information rapidly. Consulting them during this exciting yet stressful process was the best decision that I made. Today my wife got granted the visa just after 5 weeks of her biometric scans.
    Mr Yazici
  • They are so honest and professional . Clear answers and guidance to all my questions 👍👍. Thanks a lot .
    Mr Khalil
  • Just received a decision from the Home office that I would’ve NEVER thought was possible. So happy and over the moon! I would definitely recommend your services to friends & family if required in the future. Huge thanks to Sallie and the team, best immigration solicitor in the business!!
    Mr Bamba
  • Angela Cole is a wonderful, hardworking, honest, kind and reliable Solicitor. Her work is very high standard, very professional and her team is friendly. Me and my husband have no hesitation in recommending Angela Cole's excellent services.
    Ms Small
  • "Simply a team of experienced people who gave us excellent and honest advice. Having now taken an appeal through to a successful conclusion for the (very reasonable) price promised, I have no hesitation in recommending this firm."
    Jon Chrimes - Google Review
  • "The team went an extra mile and fought my case much more and much better than I would have expected. In the end, my case was successful and I cannot thank them enough for all they have done. If I ever need legal help in the future I will definitely use their services again and recommend them for their reasonable prices, supportive advice and first rate legal services."
    ANONYMOUS - Google Review
  • "Excellent people, excellent service. They made the process of bringing my husband to the UK painless. Couldn’t have done it without them, highly recommend!"
    Lindy Pine - Google Review
  • "I am ecstatic, thanks to you all. My life is complete now and anything else is a bonus. Even if it seemed impossible I knew we were going to win this and that is why I never gave up. Thank you for your work, support and encouragement."
    MRS. Last
  • A BIG THANK YOU , for your help in helping me acquire my British settlement and British citizenship application successfully done. Your professionalism and kind warm attitude and nature made this process very easy and stress free. You took all my concerns away. 

    My Lawyer, Sallie Davies, is very knowledgeable and competent and I have implicit trust in her. The fees are also reasonable compared to other law firms. I highly recommend Sallie and her team.
    MRS. H
  • Thanks to Sallie, my wife is finally in the UK after a horrible year and long delays with Home Office. Highly recommended Immigration Legal Services! 
    MR. B
  • Angela Cole and everyone at Immigration Legal Services will work to produce the best outcome for you and, from our experience, they only concern themselves with your goal and not your wallet. Immigration Legal Services' charge was a very good price for all the help and security they provided
    MR. C
  • Despite the high professionalism practiced within the firm, there is always a strong sense of compassion , and care, from both Angela, and lovely Karen, which has really helped to set our minds at ease. Absolutely recommended & Eternally grateful
    Ms. f
  • I would like to thank both of you, Sallie and Karen for your assistance in the way you handled my wife's Spouse Visa Extension to remain here with me in the United Kingdom. We will recommend The Immigration Legal Services here in Ipswich to anybody who wants to apply for a visa to come or remain here in the United Kingdom because the service they provided proved to be most reliable, simple and quick process. Much appreciated Sallie and Karen. Thanking you once again. We will be back again.
    Robert
  • Excellent service, Sallie is very professional and lovely. Thanks to you what we thought it will be a long and exhausting experience, was so smooth and fast we couldn't believe it. Thank you very much.
    Mrs T
  • We engaged this firm based on a recommendation made by a friend who had used their services before. We required their assistance for my wife's first renewal of her spousal visa. The process was quite painless, they got in touch to collect documents and go over details but most communication was done by email. We received the renewal without any issues.
    BL
  • Sallie was the best solicitor I've met for immigration matters. She was straight to the job, focused on the matter and had an excellent transparent work process, a reasonable fee and no hidden charges. She is very helpful, confident and had the best communication. We got our parents' visa in one go! Thank you very much for the excellent job.
    email

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