General Questions

Q: What should I do if my passport is lost or stolen?  
A: If you are overseas
You should report the loss or theft of your passport to the local police and get a police report.

As soon as you have done this, you must also inform the nearest British embassy, consulate or high commission. This reduces the risk of someone stealing your identity or attempting to enter the UK on your passport.

For more information go to Lost or stolen passports.

If you are in the UK
You should contact the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) for guidance.

You will also need to apply for a replacement passport.

For more information go to How to apply for a UK passport and Applying for your UK passport in Albania.

Q: What if I find a passport that I earlier reported lost or stolen?
A: You must not use it.

If you are abroad you should return it to the nearest British embassy, consulate or high commission as soon as possible.

If you are in the UK, return it to the nearest passport office.

Q: Can I renew a passport overseas?
A: Yes. You can renew your passport at most British embassies, high commissions or consulates. Use this link to find out contact details, opening hours and services.

You should allow at least 4 weeks for the passport application process to be completed. Do not make any arrangements to travel until you receive your new passport.

For more information go to How to apply for a UK passport and Applying for your UK passport in Albania.

Q: Can I travel abroad without a passport?
A: No.

Q: How much will a new passport cost? 
A: It depends on the type of passport you require. For more information go to Passport fees.

Q:What kind of photograph do I need for my passport?
A: You must provide 2 identical passport photographs that meet the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). If your photographs don’t meet the required standards, there could be a delay in issuing your passport.

Find out more about the standards for passport photographs from the Identity and Passport Service website.

Q: I am a British dual national with a foreign passport. Can I also hold a UK passport?
A: The UK government has no objection to dual or multiple citizenship, or to a person holding passports from more than one country. However, some countries do object. You should check with the authorities of the other country concerned.

Q:Can I send photocopies of documents with my passport application?
A: No. We must see originals. Photocopies or notarised copies are not acceptable.

For more information go to Passport documents.

Q: Can a child be included on a parent’s passport?
A: No. Since October 1998 all children have to hold their own passport. For more information go to How to apply for a UK passport.

Q: Do I need to send my birth certificate and expired passport?
A: If you hold a valid passport, we normally do not need to see your birth certificate. But we always need your expired or expiring passport if you have one.

Q: Why can’t I provide my 'short-form' birth certificate to support my first passport application?
A: Some of the information we need is not included in the short form birth certificate. Sometimes we need to confirm your place or town of birth and your parents’ details.

For instance, we may want to know your parents’ details if:

• you were included in a parent’s passport or
• for nationality purposes or
• your parents were in the diplomatic service.

Biometric passports

Q: What is a biometric passport?
A: A biometric passport carries biological information stored on electronic chip that links a person to their passport.

Biometric information provides an additional feature that strengthens the security of the passport to reduce the threat of identity fraud.

All new, full UK passports use facial biometrics.

Q: Why do UK passports use biometrics?
A: The biometric UK passport is a counter-fraud measure introduced by the Identity and Passport Service (IPS). Using of biometrics strengthens the security of UK passports to reduce the threat of identity fraud.

In practice, biometric verification can be used at border controls and to verify the image on a passport renewal application against images held on record.

For more information go to Biometric passports.