Adoption: caseworker guidance
Tells HM Passport Office staff how adoption affects parental responsibility, nationality and passport applications.
- From:
- HM Passport Office
- Published
- 7 February 2012
- Last updated
-
87AugustNovember20242025 — See all updates
Documents
Details
This guidance tells HM Passport Office staff 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
Updates to this page
Published 7 February 2012
Last updated 87 AugustNovember 2024
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Update history
2026-06-26 10:03
This guidance has been updated to change terminology used to refer to mother and baby institutions, Magdelene Laundries, and workhouses in Northern Ireland.
2026-03-16 17:03
Guidance updated 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; references to Child Protection and Safeguarding team (CPST) changed to Public Protection Specialist Safeguarding team (PP SST), following a team name change; new subsection, ‘Adoptions: Magdalene Laundries’ added; ‘How to establish nationality through an overseas adoption’ section updated.
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.
Details
This guidance tells HM Passport Office staff 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
Updates to this page
Sign up for emails or print this page
Update history
2026-06-26 10:03
This guidance has been updated to change terminology used to refer to mother and baby institutions, Magdelene Laundries, and workhouses in Northern Ireland.
2026-03-16 17:03
Guidance updated 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; references to Child Protection and Safeguarding team (CPST) changed to Public Protection Specialist Safeguarding team (PP SST), following a team name change; new subsection, ‘Adoptions: Magdalene Laundries’ added; ‘How to establish nationality through an overseas adoption’ section updated.
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.