Get your visa, immigration or citizenship documents back

You might be able to ask for your passport and other documents to be returned if you’ve sent them with your application but need them urgently.

How you do this depends on whether you applied in the UK or not, and what type of application you’ve made.

You might have to cancel your application - you’ll be told if you have to do this when you ask for your documents back.

If you applied outside the UK

Contact UK Visas and Immigration.

You will not get a refund if your application has been processed.

You’ll have 3 months to collect your passport or travel document once you’ve been told it’s ready for collection. If you don’t collect your passport or travel document within 3 months, it’ll be returned to the authority that issues it.

If you applied in the UK

You might be able to use the online return of documents form. The form explains who can use it and how to get your documents back.

You cannot use the online form if:

  • you no longer have permission to stay in the UK (your ‘valid leave to enter or remain’ has expired)
  • you want to cancel your application to extend your stay in the UK because you now plan to leave
  • your application to stay in the UK (‘leave to remain’) has been refused or rejected
  • you’ve applied for asylum

If you’re eligible, you’ll usually get your documents back within 10 working days.

If your application has been refused and you do not have permission to stay

If you do not have permission to stay in the UK and want to leave voluntarily or cannot use the online form, contact the Voluntary Returns Service. You’ll get your documents back at the airport.

Voluntary Returns Service
Telephone: 0300 004 0202
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm
Find out about call charges

You may be removed from the UK if you do not have permission to stay in the country and do not leave voluntarily.

If you’ve applied for asylum

Contact your caseworker or the Voluntary Returns Service to ask for your documents back.

If you do not receive your documents

You can report that you have not received your documents if they’ve not been returned after 10 working days.

If you applied for British citizenship before 1989

Your passport would have been sent to your country’s embassy in the UK.

Cancel your request

Use the cancellation form if you no longer need your documents returned.

You cannot cancel your request if it’s already been processed.

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