New citizen - now trying to get first UK passport

Hi everyone! After 5+ years I finally attended my citizenship ceremony last Thursday and have a fresh new naturalisation certificate!

I have already registered to vote, and have someone who will confirm my identity for my passport. However, I'm really confused on the digital application and have tried searching the forums. Maybe I'm daft, and missed it, but hoping someone can help.

The application is asking me to provide information for my parents and grandparents, and certificates of birth and marriage for my parents.

1. Parents info - neither of my parents have any UK connection and no UK citizenship, only USA. My mother was born on a USA Air Force base in Okinawa, Japan and that facility has since burned down. Her original birth certificate is gone - and she entered the USA on my grandmothers passport. I cannot get a copy of her birth certificate, nor can she. She is already struggling to get herself a USA passport! My father passed over a decade ago, and she nor I can get an official copy of his birth certificate either. What am I meant to do here? I can't provide either. I'm not even sure I can get their marriage certificate, if I was somehow able to get my fathers certificate. My mother is also incredibly hesitant sending official documents overseas in case they are lost, as anything she would be able to obtain would have come with great difficulty.  She most definitely will not send me the only official copy of her marriage certificate.

2. Grandparents info - I was able to provide some of this.. but is this seriously necessary?

Looking at the full guidance here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/applying-for-a-passport/guidance-for-paper-passport-applications-accessible

And here is where it says I have to provide certain documents:
Was the applicant born on or after 1 January 1983?
If ‘yes’, send:

Your ‘full’ birth certificate or adoption certificate that shows your parent’s details (the ‘short’ version which is issued for free by the registrar is not acceptable).
One of your parents’ birth certificates or naturalisation or registration certificates
If this is your father, his marriage certificate to your mother

I can't get any of these. What am I supposed to do in this case, or am I just screwed? None of the people listed were/are UK citizens ever. I am a citizen only by marriage and naturalisation.

I did find this document: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1113247/Supporting_documents_not_available_V8.pdf

Which seems to indicate they only want the parents birth certificates if the citizenship is by descent, which it is not. I imagine I can just write a letter to attach with my documents explaining why I cannot gather anything - my birth certificate, passport, past visa history, and naturalisation certificate should be sufficient. TIA!

I haven't see the full application yet, but I've gone through the guidance in the link.
I agree, it is very confusing. I would think if the passport is obtained by naturalisation and not descent, then the parent and grandparent info I s not needed.
However, like always with UK gov stuff, it's not really clear. Mostly because they keep putting situations and then give instructions "if 'yes'", but don't put any explanation if your answer is no.

Hopefully someone who has done the application will see your question and answer.

I'm personally just annoyed that we have to send our birth certificates. Shouldn't be necessary if we already have to send our American passports....which already required our birth certificates. But our American passports, our birth certificates, AND the naturalisation certificate? If that package doesn't get returned properly, there goes all our identification documents

It's actually amazing to me how much information they want, when I am pretty sure I've provided all of this at least three times over with all my visa applications, ILR, and citizenship. They deemed me eligible for citizenship, but the passport seems to be the hardest application so far!

I spoke with an agent on the Passport help line today who advised me that if I am unable to get any of the documents to include a covering letter, which is what I was planning to do. I guess I will just go from there!

It is worrying that every piece of identification that is valid will be sent off. I luckily obtained copies of my birth certificate before leaving the USA, knowing it would be difficult to get overseas, but that would be all I'd have.

I'm personally just annoyed that we have to send our birth certificates. Shouldn't be necessary if we already have to send our American passports....which already required our birth certificates. But our American passports, our birth certificates, AND the naturalisation certificate? If that package doesn't get returned properly, there goes all our identification documents

I just applied for my passport on Monday, and the only documents I had to send in are my naturalisation certificate and my US passport.  Now, I was able to answer the questions they asked about my parents, so maybe that's where they might want to ask about either the grandparents and/or request to see a birth certificate?  Or maybe how you fill out some of the other sections can determine what they ask you to send?  Just speculating.

But yeah I agree, it's nerve-racking having to send just the passport in!  I paid the extra for next day signed delivery by 1pm just to be as safe as possible, and it was signed for this morning.  Hopefully Royal Mail doesn't let me down on the return trip lol 

I just applied for my passport on Monday, and the only documents I had to send in are my naturalisation certificate and my US passport.  Now, I was able to answer the questions they asked about my parents, so maybe that's where they might want to ask about either the grandparents and/or request to see a birth certificate?  Or maybe how you fill out some of the other sections can determine what they ask you to send?  Just speculating.

But yeah I agree, it's nerve-racking having to send just the passport in!  I paid the extra for next day signed delivery by 1pm just to be as safe as possible, and it was signed for this morning.  Hopefully Royal Mail doesn't let me down on the return trip lol 

Yea, they really aren't very clear in the directions. I knew already about the passport, and the certificate doesn't surprise me. But the birth certificate does, and I do see where in the general instructions online that it says to send that. I've not seen the actual application, so that's why it's confusing about the parent stuff.
It's a bit infuriating that they have multiple parts of the instructions where they say "if yes" for a situation, but then never give instructions on what to do if the answer is no.

Is the application online or do we have to do a paper one??? I've only had a brief look so not sure what to be prepared for.

Is the application online or do we have to do a paper one??? I've only had a brief look so not sure what to be prepared for.

It's all online. The gov site walks you through it, it's pretty straightforward.

Once you get through the application and submit it, you have to wait until your identity is confirmed by the person you choose. The requirements are similar to that of a referee that we needed in the citizenship process so I just used one of those. Once that person has confirmed your identity, the passport office sends you an email telling you which documents you need to send in.

The turnaround time seems to be really fast at the minute, so hopefully that trend will continue.

It's all online. The gov site walks you through it, it's pretty straightforward.

Once you get through the application and submit it, you have to wait until your identity is confirmed by the person you choose. The requirements are similar to that of a referee that we needed in the citizenship process so I just used one of those. Once that person has confirmed your identity, the passport office sends you an email telling you which documents you need to send in.

The turnaround time seems to be really fast at the minute, so hopefully that trend will continue.

That all sounds way overly complicated for a passport application

That all sounds way overly complicated for a passport application

Does it?  lol.  Well maybe I made it sound harder than it is, because it's quite easy.  I think the application took me maybe 10 minutes?  It's a piece of cake compared to the applications and forms we've had to fill out to get to this point, I'll tell you that much.

Does it?  lol.  Well maybe I made it sound harder than it is, because it's quite easy.  I think the application took me maybe 10 minutes?  It's a piece of cake compared to the applications and forms we've had to fill out to get to this point, I'll tell you that much.

I just mean in comparison to getting an American passport. All I had to do was send in the application, a photo and my birth certificate for my first American passport. Nothing about my parent's birth certificates, no countersigner needed to verify my identity, no possible interview. Just three things sent in the mail, and 2 things returned.

Does it?  lol.  Well maybe I made it sound harder than it is, because it's quite easy.  I think the application took me maybe 10 minutes?  It's a piece of cake compared to the applications and forms we've had to fill out to get to this point, I'll tell you that much.

  I'm confused as well because I went through exactly the same process a few years ago and don't remember it being anywhere near as complicated.  I certainly wasn't sending any information about my parents other than filling in a box with a best guess of their birthday and place of birth.  My memory of the whole thing was  few minutes of filling out the form and then job done.     Good luck original poster!

I just mean in comparison to getting an American passport. All I had to do was send in the application, a photo and my birth certificate for my first American passport. Nothing about my parent's birth certificates, no countersigner needed to verify my identity, no possible interview. Just three things sent in the mail, and 2 things returned.

I hope I didn't miscommunicate something - you don't have to submit any documents about your parents.  Yes they do ask you for information (name, their date of birth, their town of birth, and the date they were married provided that they were married), but beyond that I didn't have to provide any documentation of anything.  I'm sure they do check it against a system of some sort to verify that you are telling the truth, but the only 2 things I had to post into the Passport Office was my US passport and my naturalisation certificate.

It's been nearly 10 years now but when I applied for my US passport, it had to be done in person.  So the verification of my identity was done by the employee at the post office where I had it done.  Being that this UK passport application is being done all electronically, I can understand why there might be an extra step or 2 in the process, just to make sure everything is kept secure and whatnot.  I appreciate the checks to be honest.  So long as I get my passport in my hand by December 17th, that is, lol.

Did you have to send your US passport anywhere? Presumably not if you’re doing it online? I.e. can you travel while the application is being processed

Did you have to send your US passport anywhere? Presumably not if you’re doing it online? I.e. can you travel while the application is being processed

Yes, my US passport had to be sent to the passport office.  So no travelling out of the country while it's being processed.

Ok all, here's my followup.

I made a massive error in how I answered the questions leading up to the section about parents/grandparents.

The application is very straightforward, if you don't mess up like I did. I went back and read everything very carefully. I had chosen a 'yes' when I should have chosen a 'no'.

Once I chose the right thing, I still had to answer some questions about my parents, but it no longer asked me about grandparents and it did not ask me to send anything related to my family.

In the end, I sent my application off and paid the fee. My identity information was sent to the person who was a referee for my citizenship application, who confirmed my identity online. I had to provide a few details to him, which HMPO asked me to do anyways.

He did that within 1 day, and I mailed my documents off to HMPO Special Delivery. It arrived yesterday around 11am (less than 1 day later), and is in processing.

I had to submit only:
- USA passport I entered on (and any non-cancelled/expired passports, but I had none of those)
- Naturalisation certificate

I also included a cover letter, asking them to return my certificate in the 'Please do not bend' envelope I included. We will see if they do this. I wanted them to return my certificate unfolded!

Congratulations and thanks for the update, hopefully your new passport will arrive soon.