Home Office travel documents

This section describes the Home Office travel documents that you may be able to obtain if you need to travel outside the UK but cannot use a passport issued by your own country.

You can only apply to us for a travel document in certain special circumstances. There are 4 types of travel document, depending on your circumstances and your status in the UK:

You can find out more about each document by selecting the relevant link above.

When you know which travel document you should apply for, read the How to apply section to find out about the application process.

For most of these travel documents, you must be legally resident in the UK and have permission to stay here for at least 6 months after the date when you make your application.

The Home Office has issued biometric travel documents since 17 March 2008, but existing travel documents can continue to be used until they expire. The biometric travel document has a new design and security features including a tamper-proof biometric chip. The chip contains the holder's personal details (name, nationality, sex, place and date of birth, and signature) as shown on page 31 of the document. No other personal information is included on the chip. The applicant's scanned photograph is the 'biometric' element of the document.

Documents issued to refugees from Kosovo

Please note that documents issued under the terms of the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, to nationals of Kosovo who have been recognised as refugees in the UK will be closed for travel to Kosovo. Documents previously issued did not contain this restriction because after the breakdown of Yugoslavia, Kosovo was under the international control of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo rather than being an independent country in its own right.

As Kosovo is now fully independent and has fully functioning embassies, the special arrangements previously made are no longer necessary and have been changed accordingly.

How do I apply for a Home Office travel document?

This section tells you how to make your application, how much it will cost and the documents you must send us. It also explains how long you can expect to wait for a decision, and the circumstances in which we will consider priority applications.

How do I change or replace my travel document?

This section explains what you need to do if your Home Office travel document is lost, stolen or expired, or if you need to change or replace it.