elparsons123

I have a valid UK passport, and birth certificate, but My 10 year old son's British passport has expired (he was born in the UK) and my daughter was born in the USA and we haven't applied for her first passport yet. They both have their US passports. We are moving back to the UK soon, hoping we can apply for their passports once we're there? Are there any potential problems with this that I'm not thinking about? I would risk the time frame and apply for their British passports before the move, but the British passport application states that I need to send their current US passports with the application and we need them for a trip abroad in March, we move in April. Thank you in advance!

JAJ

You don't need to send their U.S. passports. A color copy of the ID page will be more than sufficient.

There are no reports of originals of foreign passports ever being demanded, and it's entirely irrelevant to a claim to British citizenship. The only time it could ever be an issue is if there is serious doubt over someone's identity (highly unusual).

If you had an intention to move back to the U.K. then why did you not keep British passports current?

elparsons123

I didn't think I had to either, however when looking through the new online application it says we have to.
I could post a screen shot if I could figure out how to...but here's what it says copied and pasted:

If the applicant has held or been included on any sort of passport before (British or otherwise) you must state this here.

You must send us all uncancelled passports with the application. Provide the passport numbers of the documents below.

An uncancelled passport is:

current and in use or
has expired but has not been physically altered (e.g. corner cut off by the issuing authority) or
issued to the applicant by other countries.
Passport details

Required information
Has the applicant been included on ANY passport before?
Yes No

Required information
How many uncancelled passports are you sending us?

elparsons123

Does this work? http://tinypic.com/r/350wh6p/8

JAJ

It's well established from many discussions on this forum that foreign passports do not need to be sent. See the note on this form:
https://www.gov.uk/government/upload..._Gp1_11.13.PDF

It's in small print at the end of the form and they try to make it look like it's an exceptional situation, but it's not.

If applying online, there is free form box at the end for additional information. If you decide to include details of a foreign passport (even though it's none of their business) you can use that section to explain that it is needed for travel and that a copy is included instead.

elparsons123

My British passport is current, my son's has only just expired but we haven't used it in a while, so just realised. I have not applied for my daughters yet. Hoping somebody can help answer my original question about applying for passports once there! Thanks in advance :-)

elparsons123

My question is whether this is ok to do? Or is there something that may pose a problem once there that I'm missing?

JAJ

Is it ok to do? As long as the passport being used doesn't require a tourist visa, as long as the airline is willing to carry you to the U.K. on a one way ticket (or you purchase a return), as long as the Immigration Officer admits you, and as long as you're ok with tourist status conditions until evidence of British citizenship is issued. And as long as you understand that if by some chance, your child isn't British and needs Home Office registration to become British, this time period could be longer than expected. And what's the plan for healthcare/NHS access, schooling, claiming child benefit, etc, in this time period.

Some people have done it without problems. Some have had problems. At a minimum, it makes your life more complicated. Your mileage may vary.

elparsons123

Thanks!

ulsterwinnie

JAJ, do you know how long usually until evidence of British citizenship is issued, once in UK and applied for?

JAJ

A first passport can take weeks.

Consular birth registration (from the U.S.) is probably quicker, see this thread:
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=827196

A consular birth certificate isn't a travel document but as evidence of British citizen, it's more durable than a passport (easier to replace, and it doesn't expire).

ulsterwinnie

i just called to try to register his birth, and British Consular are saying that dont have that service any longer

MrMuffin

Here you go... I am just doing this for my two kids as a future-proof addition to their UK passports.

https://www.gov.uk/register-a-birth

ulsterwinnie

Youre on the ball MrMuffin, unfortunately i have left all this to the last minute, could kick myself.

ncoomber

I applied for three kids Brit passports from the US late last year. I fed ex the docs to Durham and had the passports and all supporting docs back in hand within 2 weeks.