GOV.UK
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
Contact the UK Visas and Immigration international enquiry service.
You won’t get a refund if your application has been processed.
If you applied in the UK
Complete the online form to get your documents returned.
You can’t use this form if you’ve applied for asylum or your application has been refused.
You’ll usually get your documents back within 10 working days.
You can get your documents back quicker if you ask for a faster decision on your application. This costs £400, in addition to the application fee you’ve already paid.
If you’ve applied for asylum
Contact your caseworker to ask for your documents back.
If your application has been refused
Follow the instructions on your refusal notice or contact the immigration compliance and enforcement (ICE team) in your area.
If you don’t receive your documents
You can report that you haven’t 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 can’t cancel your request if it’s already been processed.