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Guidance

Adoption: caseworker guidance

Tells HM Passport Office staff how adoption affects parental responsibility, nationality and passport applications.

Updates to this page

From:
HM Passport Office
Published:
7 February 2012
Last updated:
26 June 2026
Show all updates

  1. This guidance has been updated to change terminology used to refer to mother and baby institutions, Magdelene Laundries, and workhouses in Northern Ireland.

  2. Guidance updated with a new section to tell examiners what documents they need to establish BSUKC nationality for UK adoptions between 1 January 1950 and 31 December 1982; references to Child Protection and Safeguarding team (CPST) changed to Public Protection Specialist Safeguarding team (PP SST), following a team name change; new subsection, 'Adoptions: Magdalene Laundries' added; 'How to establish nationality through an overseas adoption' section updated.

  3. Guidance has been updated to tell examiners that a customer may be able to register as a British citizen if they were adopted in the UK by a British citizen and the adoption order was issued after they turned 18, and with a new section to tell examiners what documents they need to establish BSUKC nationality for UK adoptions between 1 January 1950 and 31 December 1982.

  4. Guidance updated to tell examiners that a customer may be able to register as a British citizen if they were adopted in the UK by a British citizen and the adoption order was issued after they turned 18.

  5. This guidance has been updated to reflect the change in our sovereign from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to His Majesty King Charles III.

  6. Accessible version added.

  7. Updated guidance.

  8. First published.

Documents

Adoption

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Details

This guidance tells HM Passport Office staff about UK and overseas adoption. It includes:

  • how adoptions affect nationality
  • the difference between a Hague Convention adoption and a local court adoption
  • countries where adoptions are restricted and we need extra evidence before we process the application

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