How to apply for a certificate of entitlement

This page describes the certificate of entitlement to right of abode in the UK, and explains how you can apply for it.

For an explanation of right of abode and who can claim it, see the Right of abode page.

A certificate of entitlement is proof of your right to live and work in the UK without any immigration restrictions. If you have the right of abode but you have another way of proving it (such as a UK passport or an identity card showing you to be a British citizen or British subject with right of abode), we will not issue a certificate of entitlement to you.

If we refuse your application because you do not qualify for right of abode, or you do not send enough evidence to support your claim, we will not refund your application fee.

If we refuse your application, you will have the right to appeal against our decision. We will tell you about this when we send you our decision.

We can withdraw your certificate if we find out that you no longer qualify for it or if an official order is made to remove your right of abode.

Applying from inside the UK

To apply for a certificate of entitlement, you must use application form ROA.

You can apply online or by printing out the application form and completing it by hand. Before you apply, you must read our Guide ROA guidance document, which contains full details of the requirements that you need to meet.

Follow the link on the right side of this page to download the guidance and make your application.

You must pay an application fee when you apply. For details, download our fees leaflet from the right side of this page.

The Supporting documents inside the UK page lists the documents that you should include with your application.

You will receive a certificate if you have sent us the necessary original documents to prove that you qualify for right of abode and have paid the application fee. It is a criminal offence if, as part of your application, you tell us anything that you know or believe is not true.

If someone is helping you with your application, such as a solicitor, you should put their details on the form. People who work as advisers on immigration or citizenship (whether paid or unpaid) are regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC), an independent body. If you intend to use an advisor you should make sure they are registered with the OISC. Solicitors and barristers do not need to be registered with the OISC.

We treat the information you give us as confidential but may share it with other government departments, agencies and local councils to help with their own work.

Applying from outside the UK

Depending on where you live, you may be able to apply online or you may need to print out application form VAF7 and complete it by hand - see 'More information' below.

If you need to apply using application form VAF7, you can download it and the VAF Guidance document from the right side of this page. You must read the guidance document before you apply.

The Supporting documents outside the UK page lists the documents that you should include with your application.

To find out how to make your application in your country of residence, and the application fee in local currency, please use our country finder.

What to do when your passport expires

We will place your certificate of entitlement to right of abode in your current passport. When your passport expires, your certificate will also expire. You must apply again for a new certificate of entitlement to right of abode using the process described above.

More information

  • Should you apply online or complete an application form on paper?

    If you are applying for a visa from the following countries, you should apply using our online application system, Visa4UK:

    • Afghanistan
    • Albania
    • Algeria
    • Andorra
    • Angola
    • Anguilla
    • Antigua and Barbuda
    • Argentina
    • Armenia
    • Australia
    • Austria
    • Azerbaijan
    • Bahamas
    • Bahrain 
    • Barbados
    • Belarus
    • Belgium
    • Belize
    • Bermuda
    • Bolivia
    • Bosnia and Herzegovina
    • Botswana
    • Brazil
    • British Virgin Islands
    • Brunei
    • Bulgaria
    • Burkina Faso
    • Burma
    • Burundi
    • Cambodia
    • Cameroon
    • Canada
    • Cape Verde
    • Cayman Islands
    • Central African Republic
    • Chad
    • Chile
    • China
    • Colombia
    • Comoros
    • Congo
    • Costa Rica
    • Croatia
    • Cyprus
    • Czech Republic
    • Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Denmark
    • Djibouti
    • Dominica
    • Dominican Republic
    • East Timor
    • Ecuador
    • Egypt
    • Equatorial Guinea
    • Eritrea
    • Estonia
    • Ethiopia
    • Faroes
    • Fiji
    • Finland
    • France
    • French Guiana
    • Gabon
    • Gambia
    • Georgia
    • Germany
    • Ghana
    • Gibraltar
    • Greece
    • Greenland
    • Grenada
    • Guatemala
    • Guinea
    • Guinea Bissau
    • Guyana
    • Haiti
    • Hong Kong
    • Hungary
    • Iceland
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Iran
    • Iraq
    • Ireland
    • Israel
    • Italy
    • Ivory Coast
    • Jamaica
    • Japan
    • Jordan
    • Kazakhstan
    • Kenya
    • Kiribati
    • Kosovo
    • Kyrgyzstan
    • Kuwait
    • Laos
    • Latvia
    • Lebanon
    • Lesotho
    • Liberia
    • Lithuania
    • Luxembourg 
    • Macau
    • Macedonia
    • Madagascar
    • Malaysia
    • Mali
    • Malta
    • Marshall Islands
    • Mauritania
    • Mauritius
    • Mexico
    • Micronesia
    • Moldova
    • Monaco
    • Mongolia
    • Montenegro
    • Montserrat
    • Morocco
    • Nauru
    • Netherlands
    • New Zealand
    • Nicaragua
    • Niger
    • Nigeria
    • Norway
    • Oman 
    • Pakistan
    • Palestinian Authority
    • Palau
    • Panama 
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Paraguay
    • Peru
    • Philippines
    • Poland
    • Portugal
    • Qatar 
    • Romania
    • Russian Federation
    • Rwanda
    • Samoa and Western Samoa
    • San Marino
    • Sao Tome and Principe
    • Saudi Arabia
    • Senegal
    • Serbia
    • Seychelles
    • Sierra Leone
    • Singapore
    • Slovakia
    • Slovenia 
    • Solomon Islands
    • Somalia
    • South Africa
    • South Korea
    • Spain
    • St Kitts and Nevis
    • St Vincent and Grenadine
    • St Lucia
    • Sudan
    • Suriname
    • Swaziland
    • Sweden
    • Switzerland
    • Syria
    • Taiwan
    • Tajikstan
    • Thailand
    • Togo 
    • Tonga
    • Trinidad and Tobago
    • Tunisia
    • Turkey
    • Turks and Caicos
    • Tuvalu
    • Uganda 
    • Ukraine
    • UAE
    • USA
    • Uruguay
    • Uzbekistan 
    • Vanuatu
    • Vatican City
    • Venezuela
    • Vietnam
    • Western Sahara
    • Zambia

    If you are applying for a visa from the following countries, you should apply by printing out an application form and completing it by hand: 

    • Cuba
    • Malawi
    • North Korea  
    • Turkmenistan 
    • Zimbabwe

    If you are applying for a visa from the following countries, you can choose whether to apply using our online application system or by printing off the application form and completing it by hand:

    • Bangladesh
    • Maldives
    • Mozambique
    • Namibia
    • Nepal
    • Sri Lanka
  • Certificate of entitlement to right of abode - fee for applications made outside the UK

    To apply from outside the UK for a certificate of entitlement to right of abode, you must pay an application fee of £265.

Application forms

Certificate of entitlement to the right of abode

Certificate of entitlement to right of abode - applications outside the UK

Choose a different form

Related documents