How to apply for a Home Office travel document

This page explains how you can apply for a travel document issued by the Home Office if you need to travel outside the UK but cannot use a passport issued by your own country.

For details of the 4 types of travel document and the requirements for each, see the Travel documents page.

You will need to have at least 6 months' permission to stay in the UK on the date when you apply for your travel document (unless it is a one-way document).

Unless you are applying for a one-way document, you will need to enrol your fingerprints an facial image (known as 'biometric information') and obtain a biometric residence permit if you do not already have one. For more information, see the Biometric residence permit page.

To apply for a travel document, you should complete application form TD112, which you can download from the right side of this page. You can also download detailed guidance for Home Office travel document applications, which you should read before you make your application.

The Completing form TD112 page contains general guidance about completing the application form and details of where to send it. You will need to provide some documents with your form - the Required documents page contains more information.

You will need to pay a fee when you make your application. You can find the current fees on the Cost of applying page. We will not refund your fee if we reject or refuse your application, or if you withdraw it.

The Waiting times page explains how quickly we aim to process applications.

Children

Children cannot be included on the same application form as their parent or guardian. Each child will need to complete their own application form. Children aged 15 or under can obtain a child's travel document, which has a lower application fee but is normally valid for a shorter time than an adult travel document. Children aged 16 or over must apply for an adult document.

Children should normally travel on a British passport if they were born in the UK:

• before 1 January 1983;
• on or after 1 January 1983 to a parent who was a British citizen on the date of the child's birth; or
• on or after 1 January 1983 to a parent who was a permanent resident of this country on the date of the child's birth.

For more information about whether children can register as British citizens and obtain a British passport, see the Children's citizenship section.