Refugee travel document

You can apply for a refugee travel document if either: you have refugee status in the UK you originally came to the UK on a family reunion visa to join someone who has refugee status How long it will be valid for Your document will usually be valid for up to 10 years if you’re settled in the UK (known as having ‘indefinite leave to remain’). If you have permission to stay (known as ‘leave to remain’), your document will usually be valid up to 5 years. If you’re 15 or under, the document will usually be valid for up to 5 years. Countries you can travel to You can usually travel to all countries except: the country you’re from any country you sought asylum from Before you travel Check which documents you’ll need before you book your travel. Ask the authorities of the country you’re visiting or travelling through if: the country accepts refugee travel documents you need a visa to enter the country You should also check if coronavirus (COVID-19) travel restrictions will affect your journey . Fees It costs: £75 for adults (it’s free if you were born before 1 September 1929) £49 for children 15 or under

Stateless person’s travel document

You can apply for a stateless person’s travel document if you have been recognised as stateless in the UK. How long it will be valid for Your document will usually be valid for up to 10 years if you’re settled in the UK (known as having ‘indefinite leave to remain’). If you have permission to stay (known as ‘leave to remain’), your document will usually be valid up to 5 years. If you’re 15 or under, the document will usually be valid for up to 5 years. Countries you can travel to You can usually travel to all countries on a stateless person’s travel document. Before you travel Check which documents you’ll need before you book your travel. Ask the authorities of the country you’re visiting or travelling through if: the country accepts UK stateless person’s travel documents you need a visa to enter the country You should also check if coronavirus (COVID-19) travel restrictions will affect your journey . Fees It costs: £75 for adults (it’s free if you were born before 1 September 1929) £49 for children 15 or under

Certificate of travel

You can apply for a certificate of travel if one of the following is true: you have permission to stay (known as ‘leave to remain’) or are settled in the UK (known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’), and you have been refused a passport or travel document by your country’s national authorities you are in the UK with humanitarian protection and it’s been officially accepted you have a fear of your country’s national authorities as part of your asylum application you are in the UK on a family reunion visa because you’ve joined someone who has humanitarian protection you were born in the UK as the child of someone with refugee status and you have permission to stay but do not have refugee status yourself you have an important reason to travel and your country’s national authorities are unable to issue you with a passport or emergency travel document quickly Proving you have an important reason to travel You must provide evidence of why you need to travel urgently, as well as evidence that your passport or emergency travel document application was refused. The following situations are examples of valid reasons why you might need to travel urgently: essential employment, business or educational trips (but not holidays) compelling or compassionate reasons - for example, a family member is seriously ill or has died religious reasons Proving you have been ‘unreasonably refused’ a travel document Depending on your circumstances, you might need to prove that you’ve applied for a passport from your country’s national authorities and your application was ‘unreasonably refused’. You must provide evidence of this if one of the following is true: you do not have permission to be in the UK as a refugee or stateless person you have humanitarian protection but it has not been officially accepted that you have a fear of your country’s national authorities Your application is not considered ‘unreasonably refused’ if one of the following is true: you applied incorrectly or without enough supporting evidence to confirm your identity and nationality you are required to complete military service in your home country you have a criminal record in your home country you did not comply with tax rules in your home country You do not have to prove that you’ve been ‘unreasonably refused’ a passport if one of the following is true: you have been granted humanitarian protection and it’s been officially accepted you have a fear of your country’s national authorities you must be in your country to apply for a passport your country’s national authorities cannot issue passports in the UK or send an application to your own country to be processed How long it will be valid for A certificate of travel is usually valid either: for up to 5 years if you’re settled in the UK (known as having ‘indefinite leave to remain’) until the end of your permission to stay in the UK (known as having ‘leave to remain’) It may be shorter if it’s being issued for exceptional reasons. Countries you can travel to You can usually travel to most countries with a certificate of travel. If you have been given humanitarian protection because it’s been accepted you have a fear of a country’s national authorities, you cannot travel to that country. Before you travel Check which documents you’ll need before you book your travel. Ask the authorities of the country you’re visiting or travelling through if: the country accepts certificates of travel you need a visa to enter the country You should also check if coronavirus (COVID-19) travel restrictions will affect your journey . Fees It costs: £280 for adults £141 for children 15 and under

One way travel document

You can apply for a one way travel document if you meet all of the following criteria: you are not a British citizen you do not have a valid passport or travel document from the country you’re from you are not in the process of being deported from the UK you want to leave the UK permanently you do not have outstanding criminal proceedings in the UK You do not need to be settled in the UK (known as having ‘leave to remain’) to apply. How long it will be valid for The document will be valid for 12 months from the date it’s issued. It’s for a single journey out of the UK - you cannot use it to come back. Before you travel Check which documents you’ll need before you book your travel. Ask the authorities of the country you’re visiting or travelling through if: the country accepts one way travel documents you need a visa to enter the country You should also check if coronavirus (COVID-19) travel restrictions will affect your journey . Fees It costs: £75 for adults £49 for children 15 and under

Each family member must apply for their own travel document separately. If your child is not a British citizen If your child is not a British citizen, they may be able to apply for a travel document if all of the following are true: they have the same permission to stay in the UK as their parents they have a biometric residence permit ( BRP ) they meet the relevant eligibility criteria for the travel document they’re applying for If your child was born in the UK Your child may be able to become a British citizen, and be entitled to a British passport, if they were born in the UK to a parent who: was settled in the UK (known as having ‘indefinite leave to remain’) on the date of the child’s birth was a British citizen on the date of the child’s birth Check if your child can become a British citizen .

Before you apply If you have less than 6 months’ permission to stay in the UK (known as ‘leave to remain’), you need to extend it before you apply for a travel document. If you have a biometric residence permit ( BRP ) , make sure it has not expired and all the details are correct before you apply for a travel document. You’ll need to: apply for a replacement BRP if yours has expired contact the team that issued your BRP if your details are not correct (their contact information will be on your letter or email notification) Apply The type of travel document you can apply for depends on what kind of permission to stay you have - for example, if you have refugee status or are recognised as stateless. You can find what kind of permission to stay you have on your BRP or your Home Office decision letter. If you apply for the wrong type of travel document, your application will be refused and you will not get a refund. You’ll have to submit a new application and pay the fee if you want to apply again. It’s taking longer than usual to process applications because of the invasion of Ukraine. How to apply To apply for a travel document you need to: complete the online form send supporting documents by post You can get help with completing the online form if you: do not feel confident using a computer or mobile device do not have internet access You cannot get immigration advice through this service. Send supporting documents by post You’ll be told in the online application: which documents to send where to send them You’ll need to send original documents. Do not send your BRP - you’ll need to keep this as proof of identity. If you have a compassionate reason for travelling If you urgently need a travel document for compassionate reasons, send additional supporting evidence by email. Compassionate reasons for travelling include: you are seriously ill a family member or friend is seriously ill or has died you - or someone you care for - need to travel abroad for medical treatment that cannot be delayed Attach a scan or photo of a letter confirming the reason for your travel. The letter must: be from a doctor or hospital be on headed paper be in English, or be accompanied by a certified translation include your name include, where relevant, the name of the sick or dead person and their relationship to you You can send a death certificate but it must be accompanied by the letter confirming the reason for your travel. Where to send your supporting email Send your email with supporting evidence to the Home Office travel document enquiries team. Put ‘New application enquiry – urgent compassionate case’ and your name in the subject line. Home Office travel document enquiries traveldocumentenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk Withdrawing your application You can withdraw your application at any time. In most cases you will not get a refund. You might be able to get a refund of your application fee if both of the following are true: you withdraw your application within 7 days of submitting it you do not need to provide biometric information or go to a visa application centre as part of your application Email the Home Office travel document enquiries team to withdraw your application. Home Office travel document enquiries traveldocumentenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk

Report your lost or stolen travel document

If your travel document is lost or stolen, you must report it to the Home Office. Email the Home Office travel document enquiries team with: your name your date of birth your nationality If you have them, you must also provide your: travel document number Home Office reference number biometric residence permit ( BRP ) number police report and crime reference number Home Office travel document enquiries traveldocumentenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk Reporting your document as lost or stolen does not mean that you have requested a new one. You must also report and replace a lost or stolen BRP if you had one. Replace your document You can only apply for a new travel document if you are in the UK. You may be asked to confirm your identity and immigration status with biometric data before you can get your new document. If you lose your travel document outside the UK You will have to apply for a visa to return to the UK. If you’ve been away for less than 2 years, you can get a replacement BRP visa . If you’ve been away from the UK for over 2 years, and you had indefinite leave to remain, you can apply online for a returning resident visa . You’ll get a temporary travel document if you are allowed to return. You may have to give your fingerprints to confirm your identity. When you’re back in the UK, you can apply to replace your travel document.

Apply for a Home Office travel document

Overview

You can apply for a document to travel outside the UK if:

you are not British
you cannot use or get a passport from your country’s national authorities
your country’s national authorities cannot give you a new passport

It may take longer than usual to get a decision on your application. This is because of the invasion of Ukraine. Do not book travel until you get your travel document.

If you’ve already applied

It’s taking longer than usual to return supporting documents because of the invasion of Ukraine.

If you changed address after you submitted your application, contact the Home Office immediately to let them know. If you do not, your documents may be sent to the wrong address.

Email the Home Office travel document enquiries team with ‘Change of address’ and your name in the subject line.

Home Office travel document enquiries
traveldocumentenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk

Eligibility

To apply you must be living in the UK because of one of the following:

you have permission to stay as a refugee
you have humanitarian protection and it has been officially accepted that you have a fear of your country’s national authorities
you are not recognised as a citizen of any country (a ‘stateless person’) and you have permission to stay (known as ‘leave to remain’) or are settled in the UK (known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’)
you have permission to stay (known as ‘leave to remain’) or are settled in the UK (known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’), but you cannot get a passport or travel document from your country’s national authorities

You must be in the UK when you apply.

View a printable version of the whole guide

Apply for a Home Office travel document

Overview

If you’ve already applied

Eligibility

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Apply for a Home Office travel document

Overview

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Eligibility

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