A current British passport can be renewed at any stage within its validity time. Always have a valid passport. Do not to let your passport expire, otherwise additional information and supporting documents/certificates will have to be submitted again.
A standard renewal procedure is applicable if your latest issued British passport is still valid or not expired for too long.
If your latest issued British passport was issued or expired a long time ago then it will be similar to a first-time passport application. It is still a ‘British Passport Renewal’ not a ‘First-time Passport Application’ because you have had a British passport before.
A standard passport replacement is applicable if a Lost, Stolen or Damaged passport is still valid or not expired for too long.
If a Lost, Stolen or Damaged passport was issued/expired a very long time ago then it will be similar to a first-time passport application. It is still a ‘Lost, Stolen or Damaged Passport Replacement’ not a ‘First-time Passport Application’ because you have had a passport before.
If you had a British passport which was issued or expired a long time ago then it will be similar to a first-time passport application. But it is still a ‘British Passport Renewal’ because you have had a British passport before.
Click on the scenario that applies to you, for more information, if you have never had a British passport before.
Were you born abroad, outside the UK, with either a British born mother or a British born father? You are eligible for British citizenship and a British passport through descent.
Were you born abroad, outside the UK, with a British born father? You are eligible for British citizenship and a British passport through descent.
If citizenship is claimed through a naturalised father (father not born in the UK) then the applicant would have had to be born after the father’s naturalisation to be eligible.
British law requires that an applicant’s birth needs to be registered with the British authorities before applying for a first-time passport, if the applicant’s parents were never married to each other, at any point, before or after the applicant’s birth.
If the applicant’s parents were married to each other at any point, then a birth registration is not applicable and the applicant can apply for a British passport without a birth registration.
Two scenarios are applicable here:
Applicant’s parents are/were married at any point, before or after the applicant’s birth, therefore the applicant’s first-time British passport application can be submitted with immediate effect.
Applicant’s parents were never married to each other at any point, before or after the applicant’s birth, therefore the applicant can become a British citizen by registration before applying for a first-time British passport.
Birth registrations are not applicable if the applicant was born outside the United Kingdom after 1 July 2006. Therefore the applicant is eligible for a British passport without registering his/her birth.
Were you born abroad, outside the UK, with a British born mother? You are eligible for British citizenship and a British passport through descent.
If citizenship is claimed through a naturalised mother (mother not born in the UK) then the applicant would have had to be born after the mother’s naturalisation to be eligible.
British law requires that an applicant’s birth needs to be registered with the British authorities before applying for a first-time passport, if an applicant has never had a British passport before.
Two scenarios are applicable here:
Applicant’s birth was registered with the British authorities, applicant has an original British birth registration certificate. Therefore the applicant’s first-time British passport application can be submitted with immediate effect.
Applicant’s birth was never registered with the British authorities – the applicant can become a British citizen by registration before applying for a first-time British passport.
Birth registrations are not applicable if the applicant was born outside the United Kingdom after 1 January 1983. Therefore the applicant is eligible for a British passport without registering his/her birth.
DISCLAIMER
U.K.ABROAD is an online legitimate and private British document services company assisting applicants worldwide who are living in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Europe, Asia. U.K.ABROAD offers an independent service, not associated in any way with any government. You have the option to apply directly on the government website, however, our services exist to prevent the risk of possibly losing your government fees if your application is rejected or delayed for too long. View British Passport renewal requirements here.