After Naturalisation - Do I have to apply for British Passport?

I have just attended my Naturalisation Ceremony and received my certificate. As instructed, I sent in my BRP after the ceremony so now the Certificate of Naturalisation is all I have as proof of the right to abode.

I have just gone to apply for my British Passport and it looks like they want to keep my American Passport for 6 weeks! I didn't have to surrender my American Passport to complete the Naturalisation application... why do I have to surrender it to get a British Passport?

I need to travel at least twice in the next 2 months. How will I return to the UK? Can I just take my Certificate of Naturalisation to the border along with my American Passport? This does not appear to be the case.

I called the Passport Adviceline and the lady said I can send my original American Birth Certificate but that contradicts what it says on the Online Application at Gov.uk

Has anyone else had this problem? Can anyone offer any advice?


Thanks!

Congratulations!

Yes, you need to send your passport in order to apply for your first British passport.  I'm sorry that you weren't aware.  We always tell people to time the ceremony for a time when you won't need your passport for a few weeks.

You can attempt to re-enter the UK on your USA passport and naturalisation certificate.  You'll likely get a telling off and a note on your record the first time to not do it again.  Unlikely you'll get through twce.  And that's *if* the airline let's you board without proof of a visa or passport.... 

Given the current climite and hysteria around travelling with this virus mucking about - I would have hoped this would be the perfect time to apply.  Airlines are offering flexibility that's never been seen before.  You'll likely be able to change your travel dates.

I appreciate the quick response. This website is a great resource. If only the information given to me by the Home Office was as clear. It was not stated very clearly that I should expect to be stranded in the UK for 6 weeks after becoming British. In fact, they seem to take pride in the fact that the naturalisation can be done without having to surrender my original passport. As with everything in this country, there has to be useless bureaucracy somewhere along the way. I never should have expected otherwise.

I have an American passport. It seems unlikely that an airline would attempt to stop me from boarding a flight to the UK? I don't recall them having any issues when I have travelled in the past and I have not usually shown them my BRP when boarding flights.

Unfortunately the coronavirus does not allow everyone to put life on hold. I have business in the US and do not have the option to re-schedule. In fact my trip to the US later this month might lead to us moving there permanently. If that is the case I guess I will have to apply for my British passport from abroad. Ironically, if I apply from the US, I don't have to send in my passport, but only colour copies.

However we may be in a situation where we need to travel back to the UK a second and third time in the first month that we are in the US. I guess if that happens I will just have to take a chance. I am British, I have lived here for nearly 10 years. I have two British children and a British wife. I cannot imagine a scenario where I would be denied entry.

Does anyone have any direct experience with this? I cannot be the only person who has made this mistake?

 

The experience that we've seen here time and time again is what I said before - a telling off the first time and a note on your file to apply for a passport before travelling again.  Usually that shakes people up enough to get the passport before travelling again.  I also don't recall the process taking 6 weeks for anyone.  Maybe 4 at most.  But that's at most.  But I wouldn't want to sell the Home Office at being quicker than what they state is the processing time.

I flew back to the UK on the 29th from the USA.  I'm dual nationality, also in the UK for 10 years.  British husband, 2 British children (dual kiddos).  We could not check in online as we had to show our passports at checkin as we didn't have a "return" flight booked to the USA.  But I have always been asked for my passport or BRP on every flight.  Mileage varies by airline, airport, person on the other end, etc.  Just like this last trip they absolutely positively insisted that we had to stay in the "aliens" line and could not enter the US as US citizens because my husband is only British.  Infuriating.  But only corrected when we got to the counter after 2 hours.  After a 10 hour flight.  With a 2 year old (5 year old was fine).  And a 3 hour wait at the airport.  And a 2 hour drive before that.  I was *done*.  But they don't care.  Rules are rules.  Safe to say my husband 100% knows now to "walk with purpose and follow me."