Change of https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/british-citizenship-caseworker-guidance

Change description : 2025-06-13 15:49:00: Guidance updated as detailed in section ‘About: British citizenship’. [Guidance and regulation]

Showing diff : 2024-10-09 09:20:08.627142725 +00:00..2025-06-13 14:50:03.101742673 +00:00

Guidance

British citizenship: caseworker guidance

Tells HM Passport Office staff how to deal with passport applications for customers that hold British citizenship.

From:
HM Passport Office
Published
20 March 2023
Last updated
139 JuneOctober 20252024 — See all updates

Documents

British citizenship (accessible)

HTML

British citizenship

PDF, 670 KB, 56 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

This guidance tells HM Passport Office staff:

  • how a customer can have a claim to British citizenship

  • how to check if a customer holds British citizenship

  • what documents a customer needs to send to support their passport application

Updates to this page

Published 20 March 2023

Last updated 139 JuneOctober 2025 + show hide all updates" href="#full-history">+ show all updates

    2. Guidance updated as detailed in section 'About: British citizenship'.

Sign up for emails or print this page

Update history

2026-05-26 15:20
This guidance has been updated. A full list of changes is in the document.

2025-06-13 15:49
Guidance updated as detailed in section ‘About: British citizenship’.

2024-10-09 10:20
This guidance has been updated throughout to explain: more about British nationality status; references to ‘foreign diplomat’ include a person with diplomatic privileges; how to check immigration reference numbers (unique application numbers (UAN) and global web form (GWF) numbers) on ATLAS to prove settlement claims; all decisions about establishing right of abode can be made within HM Passport Office.

2023-06-30 15:32
This guidance has been updated to remove references to applications being on hold for customers born to EEA parents between 1 January 1983 and 1 October 2000.

2023-04-17 11:49
The guidance has been updated to make it clear examiners can use the parents’ passport history on Main Index to confirm they were British citizens before their child’s birth if the child was born in the UK.

2023-03-20 14:56
First published.