Guidance

Adoption

Guidance about how adoption affects parental responsibility, nationality and passport applications.

From:: HM Passport Office
Published: 7 February 2012
Last updated: 7 September 2022 — See all updates

Documents

Details

This tells Her Majesty’s Passport Office examiners 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

Published 7 February 2012
Last updated 7 September 2022 + show all updates

7 September 2022
Accessible version added.
1 November 2021
Updated guidance.
7 February 2012
First published.

Update history

2025-11-07 12:52
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.

2024-08-08 16:53
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.

2022-11-04 09:31
This guidance has been updated to reflect the change in our sovereign from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to His Majesty King Charles III.

2022-09-07 16:17
Accessible version added.

Adoption

Documents

Adoption (accessible)

Adoption

Details

Update history