Passports & Travel Documents Solicitors

If you have indefinite leave to remain in the UK (ILR), humanitarian protection or refugee status, you may need Home Office travel documents or refugee travel documents to enable you to leave the country and return.

We can work with you to prepare a strong travel document application, giving you the best chance of success. Our passport solicitors also prepare first British passport applications.

We have been awarded the Law Society’s accreditations for Immigration Law Advanced, and for Immigration and Asylum work, including at senior caseworker and supervising senior caseworker level, which recognises the high standards of legal advice and client care we provide.

Renowned legal directory, The Legal 500, lists us as a Leading Immigration Law Firm.

We have worked on several high-profile immigration cases, including the landmark Rwanda Test Case, helping to shape the future of UK immigration law.

Contact our immigration solicitors in London and Croydon

For further information and a free telephone consultation, call our London or Croydon offices today on 0208 681 5128 and speak to one of our senior immigration solicitors.

What is a Home Office travel document?

We are often asked, What is a travel document? It is an official document that enables the holder to travel overseas and return to the UK, unless only one way travel is permitted. It is issued to individuals who do not have a passport from their own country, including refugees, those under humanitarian protection and stateless individuals.

Types of Home Office travel documents and who can apply for a travel document?

There are four main types of Home Office travel document, as follows:

• Refugee travel document
• Certificate of travel
• Stateless person’s travel document
• One way travel document

Family members must apply separately for their own travel document.

Refugee travel document (1951 Convention travel document)

To apply for a refugee travel document, you must have refugee status in the UK or have travelled to the UK using a family reunion visa to live with someone who holds refugee status.

Certificate of Travel

A certificate of travel is available if the following applies:

• You have leave to remain or ILR, your passport has expired, and you cannot get a passport or travel document from your own country
• You have leave to remain or ILR, and your own country has refused to issue you with a passport or travel document
• You have humanitarian protection in the UK, and the UK authorities accepted in your asylum application that you are in fear of your country’s authorities
• You are on a valid UK family reunion visa, having joined an individual who is under humanitarian protection
• You were born in the UK to someone with refugee status and you hold permission to stay in the UK, but you do not have refugee status
• There is an important reason you need to travel, and your own country’s authorities cannot issue you with a passport or emergency travel document in time for you to travel

Stateless person’s travel document

If you wish to apply for a stateless person travel document, you need to have been formally recognised as stateless in the UK.

A one way travel document

This is for travel out of the country, but it will not give you the ability to return. It is available if all of the following criteria apply:

• You are not a British citizen
• You do not have a valid passport or travel document from your own country
• The UK is not in the process of deporting you
• You intend to leave the UK permanently
• There are no outstanding criminal proceedings against you in the country

How to apply for a travel document

If you wish to apply for a travel document, you need at least six months left on your leave to remain in the UK. If you have less than this, you need to extend it before you apply for your travel document. You will also need an eVisa and an online UKVI account, which you can use to access your eVisa.

The eVisa is a record of your identity and immigration or leave to remain status, and includes any conditions attached to your visa status. It replaces the biometric residence permit.

The UK travel document application form is online, and you will need to send any additional documents required in support by post.

We can work with you to identify the correct travel document for your needs and establish what paperwork you need to send when you apply.

For more information on the application process, see the government’s travel document page and online travel document application form.

Travel document fees and costs

If you need a travel document, apply online and pay the application cost at the same time. The fees for refugee, stateless person’s and one way travel documents are £102 for adults and £66.50 for children aged 15 or under.

The fee for a certificate of travel is £360 for adults or £161 for children aged 15 or under.

We can give you a quote for our costs, which will be based on the hourly rate of the travel document solicitor assigned to your case.

Where possible, we also offer fixed fee agreements for passport and travel applications to provide fee clarity from the start of your case.

We always ensure you have a lawyer with the right level of expertise, so that you will not be asked to pay more than necessary.

Applying for your first British passport

Once you have British citizenship, we can assist you in applying for your first British passport.

We will put together the information required by the passport authorities, including evidence of your naturalisation or registration as a British citizen, documents showing that you have been lawfully resident in the UK for the required period of time, generally a minimum of five years, or that you have held ILR or settled status for twelve months.

How our immigration solicitors can help

We specialise in immigration and handle a full range of issues, including complex cases. We provide an outstanding service, and will ensure that you have the advice and guidance you need during your time with us.

We can provide you with clear guidance and advice when you apply for travel documents or to renew a travel document in the UK.

The Law Society has awarded us the highest level of accreditation in immigration, namely the Immigration Law Advanced and Immigration and Asylum accreditations, recognising that we meet its high standards when it comes to the provision of good quality legal advice and representation.

We will look at your situation in detail and discuss the best option for your needs. We will work with you to establish the strongest evidence in support of your travel document application.

For information on our related services, see:

• Asylum, refugee and humanitarian protection
• British citizenship and UK naturalisation
• Immigration appeals and reviews solicitors
• Long residence
• Judicial review
• Overstayers

FAQs

How long does it take to get a Home Office travel document?

The time taken to obtain a travel document can be up to 14 weeks. While UKVI may issue a document in less time than this, you should allow at least this length of time, where possible.

It is possible to ask UKVI to fast-track an application for compassionate reasons, for example, if you need to visit a family member who is ill or you need urgent medical care that you cannot obtain in the UK.

Which countries can I visit with a UK travel document?

With a UK refugee travel document, you can travel to any country except the one you are from and any country you have sought asylum from.

You can generally travel to any country on a stateless person’s travel document or a one way travel document.

If you have a certificate of travel, you can usually travel to any country, except if you have been given humanitarian protection because it is accepted that you have a fear of a country’s national authorities, in which case you cannot travel to that country.

In all cases, you must ask the country to which you wish to travel whether they will accept the travel document you have and if you need a visa to enter.

Can I travel to my home country with a refugee travel document?

You cannot travel to your home country with a refugee travel document. This is a breach of the terms of refugee status, and the authorities can revoke this.

What is the difference between a travel document and a passport?

A UK passport certifies that the holder is a British citizen, allowed to enter and live in the UK and to travel as a British citizen.

A travel document confirms identity and permits travel and is issued to individuals who are not British nationals. Travel documents are less widely accepted by other countries, and are issued for a shorter period of time than passports, which are valid for ten years.

How much does a travel document cost?

Travel documents for refugees, stateless persons and one way travel are £102 for adults and £66.50 for children aged 15 or under.

A certificate of travel is £360 for adults or £161 for children aged 15 or under.

Can I renew my travel document before it expires?

A travel document can be renewed before it expires. This is recommended, as it may take some time for the application to be processed.

What happens if my travel document application is refused?

UKVI will provide a letter detailing why your travel document application was refused. We can work with you to submit a new application with more robust evidence, where necessary.

If the refusal was incorrect, we can ask the authorities to reconsider your application.

Contact our immigration solicitors in London and Croydon

For further information and a free telephone consultation, call our London or Croydon offices today on 0208 681 5128 and speak to one of our senior immigration solicitors.