Completing the NTL or TOC application form for transfer of a visa

This page contains advice on completing application form NTL or TOC to transfer a residence permit (known as 'leave to remain') from an old passport to a new one.

You can download both forms, and the guides to them, from the right side of this page.

If you have permission to live here permanently

If your resident permit gives you permission to settle permanently in the UK (called 'indefinite leave to remain'), and you want to transfer it to a new passport, you must apply for a 'no time limit' (NTL) stamp using form NTL.

You can apply for an NTL stamp using form NTL at any time while you have indefinite leave to enter or remain.

If you have been naturalised as a British citizen since being given permission to settle in the UK, you should not apply for an NTL stamp - as a naturalised citizen, you have the right of abode in the UK and are no longer subject to immigration control. If you have also kept your other nationality and you want your British status to be confirmed in that passport, you should apply for a certificate of entitlement to right of abode. See Who has the right to live in the UK? for details.

If you have permission to live here for a limited time

If your resident permit gives you temporary permission to live in the UK (called 'limited leave to remain') and you want to transfer it to a new passport, you must apply for a 'transfer of conditions' (TOC) stamp using form TOC. You will also need to apply for a compulsory identity card.

If you want a TOC stamp for your new passport, you must apply using form TOC at least four weeks before the end of your permitted stay in the UK. We will not confirm your permission to stay in a new passport if that permission has already run out - your fee will not be refunded, and you will have to apply for further permission to stay in the UK.

Making your application

You must be in the UK to apply.

Before you complete the form, you should read the detailed guide to it. You will need to pay a fee when you apply, and we will not refund your fee if we refuse your application or if you withdraw it.

There is one fee for each application form. You can use one form for a joint application by:

• you;
• your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried/same-sex partner; and/or
• children aged under 18, if they are applying as your dependants.

Children over 18 must apply separately.

Please make sure that you use the current version of the application form.

You must fill in the form in block capitals using a black pen. Please enter all dates as dd-mm-yyyy (for example, 29-04-2000).

You can post your application to us at the address shown on the front of the form, or you can apply in person at one of our public enquiry offices.

Applying in person at a public enquiry office is a same-day service, available at a premium fee. You will need to make an appointment in advance. The service is only suitable for straightforward applications which will not require further enquiries.

If you apply by post, we cannot tell in advance how long it will take to decide your application, so you should not make non-urgent travel plans until we have returned your passport to you. Our current target times for deciding applications show how quickly we aim to make a decision.

Indefinite leave to remain (often known as 'ILR' and 'settlement') is permission to remain in the UK without any time restrictions on the length of stay. It is not the same as naturalisation as a British citizen and may, in specific circumstances, be ceased or invalidated, for example, if a fraudulent application is uncovered, if the person resides outside of the UK for more than 2 years or as a result of a criminal conviction that results in a Deportation Order coming into force.Permission to stay in the United Kingdom temporarily, for the length of time stated on your visa.The right to live and work in the United Kingdom.Someone who depends on you financially, such as a husband, wife, partner, or child.