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