Tip if you need to get a new UK passport

[Ian Jarratt]

Hi

My tip is when applying for a UK if you are unable to send your original UK birth certificate, before sending them a copy check that they will accept the certified copy you plan to send. This is because they may not accept a certified copy made after the date of issue of your last UK passport. 

I am a dual Brit and Oz citizen and my last UK passport was issued in 1985 and expired in 1995.

So to meet the new UK requirements for entry to the UK for dual citizens, many weeks ago I applied on line for new UK passport.

The website indicated that because it was so long since I had a UK passport I could not get a renewal, I needed to apply for a new one and needed to provide the original or a certified copy of my UK birth certificate.

Being unable to find my original, I got a certified copy from the UK and then sent it to the UK with my old UK passport and a colour photocopy of each page of my current oz passport. 

But to my surprise, because it was not mentioned on the website, I then received the following email message:

We cannot accept the birth certificate with parent details you sent us because it is not the original or issued after the date of your last passport. We need you to send us documents issued before your last passport was issued.

If you do not have the original documents, send us other evidence from before your old passport was issued, for example:

medical records educational records, a report from a school, college or university tax records, for example a letter from a tax authority a letter sent to you from a central, regional or local government department

The above list is not exhaustive and we will consider evidence you are able to provide dated prior to before your old passport was issued.

If you cannot send us originals or official copies and alternative evidence that was issued before your old passport, send us a signed and dated letter telling us why. 

Fortunately, I was able to send them some pre-1985 documents relating to me and I received my new passport a few days ago. 

However, because of the need to provide documents made before the date my last UK passport was issued, the exercise has taken much longer and been more expensive than it would have been if the information on the website had been more accurate. 

Ian J

[Bridget Barber]

Hi

Thanks for that useful information.  

Probably the reason that your certified copy was rejected was that anyone can get a certified copy of your birth certificate and people do this for legitimate reasons like searching for family histories.  

Even so if people have been using their Australian passport for years they may well need to renew their out of date UK passport.

Bridget

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[Ian Jarratt]

Yes, I understand the reason for the non acceptance of the certified copy. However, IMO the website should have advised that a certified copy had to be made before the issue date of my expired passport.

I plan to give them that feedback if i can find the correct email address or e-link!

 

Ian J

 

 

Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at 7:18 AM
From: "Bridget Barber" <bcbar...@gmail.com>
To: bapa...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [bapanews] Tip if you need to get a new UK passport

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bapanews/CAJMBYFYKNRH_qgkQnt5jSJkVB81zScZZ7L_qx%2BV0ZrqW7k887A%40mail.gmail.com.