Get your visa, immigration or citizenship documents back

You can 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

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

You cannot use the online form if either:

your application has been refused and you do not have permission to stay (‘leave to remain’) in the UK
you’ve applied for asylum

You’ll usually get your documents back within 10 working days.

Follow the instructions on your refusal notice or contact the Voluntary Returns Service.

Voluntary returns service
voluntaryreturns@homeoffice.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 004 0202
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm
Find out about call charges

Contact your caseworker to ask for your documents back.

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

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

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

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