Guide to Refugee Travel Documents and Certificates of Travel

If have been granted protection status and you apply for a national passport from your national authorites, or travel to your home country, you risk losing your status in the UK, or being refused Indefinite Leave to Remain (settlement) at a later date. Make sure you understand your rights and restrictions according to your individual status, and don’t take any risks.

Understanding Your Needs

Travel Documents are available to prople who cannot rely on their national authorities to provide them with documentation or protection. A person may lose their protection status in the UK if they are found to have applied for a national passport where they have claimed to have a fear of their national authorities. They may also be refused Indefinite Leave to Remain because the Home Office believes that person no longer requires protection in the UK.

There are two main types of Home Office Travel Document available to people with protection status (Refugee or Humanitarian Protection).

Refugee Travel Document 

The right to a ‘Refugee Travel Document’ is set out in the 1951 Refugee Convention, and is sometimes referred to as a “convention travel document”. To be eligible to apply for a Refugee Travel Document, you must either:

• have refugee status; or
• have come to the UK on a Refugee Family Reunion visa to join someone who has refugee status

If you do not fall under one of these categories your application for a Refugee Travel Document will be refused and you will lose your application fee.

The Refugee Travel Document does not provide the same rights or entitlements that a British citizen has when it comes to visa exemptions or Consular assistance abroad.  

You can find more information about Refugee Travel Documents on the Home Office website. 

Certificate of Travel 

Certificates of Travel are available to those who:

• have been refused, or cannot get, a passport or travel document from their own national authorities; and
• who are not eligible to apply for a Refugee Travel Document

This is the primary option for individuals with Humanitarian Protection, or Discretionary Leave to Remain, however applicants must provide evidence to show that they have tried to obtain a passport from their national authorities, and have been refused or unable to do so.  

For some people (not all) with Humanitarian Protection the Home Office have accepted that they have a fear of their national authorities. A Home Office asylum decision letter will clearly state whether it is accepted that a person has a fear of their national authorities. Such individuals are not expected to reach out to their national authorities to request a passport, doing so could risk their protection status.

The Certificate of Travel does not provide the same rights or entitlements that a British citizen has when it comes to visa exemptions or Consular assistance abroad.  

You can find more information about Certificates of Travel on the Home Office website. 

The document you need largely depends on your status. If you have Refugee status, you should apply for a Refugee Travel Document. However, if you have been granted Humanitarian Protection you might instead apply for a Certificate of Travel if you are unable to get a travel document from your national authorities, or it has been accepted that you have a fear of your national authorities.

Below is a general guide to which application to make.

If you’ve been through the asylum system – refer to your Home Office decision letter. This will tell you whether you have been granted Refugee status or Humanitarian Protection.

If you arrived via the Afghan Resettlement Scheme (ACRS or ARAP) – everyone who arrived via the Afghan Resettlement Scheme was granted Indefinite Leave to Remain on arrival. However, the type of Travel Document you should get depends on the Pathway you arrived on. This is because one Pathway grants Refugee status and the other Pathways don’t. You should check your Home Office documentation for confirmation of your Pathway. 

Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) 

• • Pathway 1 – not refugees – Certificate of Travel if national passport is not an option 

• • Pathway 2 – refugees – Refugee Travel Document 

• • Pathway 3 – not refugees – Certificate of Travel if national passport is not an option 

Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) 

• • Not refugees – Certificate of Travel if national passport is not an option 

If you arrived via Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (SVPRS)– people who arrived via the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme were granted Refugee status. This means they should apply for a Refugee Travel Document. 

If you apply for the wrong type of travel document, your application will be refused and you will not get a refund. You can contact our Immigration Advice Line if you need to confirm which is the correct document for you. 

Eligibility

You must have at least 6 months remaining of your permission to stay in the UK in order to apply for a Travel Document. If you have less than 6 months, you must first extend your permission to stay e.g. by attaining Indefinite Leave to Remain before making an application. 

Fees

The fees for each document can be found in the Home Office guidance. 

Validity 

Refugee Travel Documents are valid either:

• up to the end of your current leave to remain, or 

• up to 10 years if you have Indefinite Leave to Remain (settlement) 

Certificates of Travel are valid for either:

• up to 5 years or  

• until the end of your permission to stay in the UK 

The Home Office has the authority to issue a Travel Document with “limited validity” (a shorter period) if it is issued for exceptional reasons.

Refugee Travel Document and Certificate of Travel applications may only be completed from withn the UK and are completed online here. 

After establishing that you are in the UK, the application will ask you to select the type of Travel Document you are applying for.

When you have completed the online form, and paid the required fee, you will then need to upload supporting documents to a ‘document upload portal’ within 15 working days. The Home Office will send you an email with information on how to log in to the portal. You may still need to send some of your supporting documents to the Home Office by post. Make sure to read your email from the Home Office and follow the instructions carefully.

Please consult the sample evidence checklist section below as a general guide, however you should ensure that you provide all of the evidence requested during your individual application. Parents must upload singed consent for their child to receive a Travel Document.

It can take up to 14 weeks to get a decision once you’ve submitted your application and sent any supporting documents. 

Your Travel Document should be visible on your eVisa within two days of receiving a decision. If not, you should attempt to correct this by updating your UKVI account.

Travel Documents are sent by Royal Mail recorded delivery and will require a signature.

When you receive your Travel Document, you should check that all the information on it is correct. If you notice an error, for example a misspelling or incorrect date of birth, it should be reported within 28 days. Refer to your Travel Document approval letter from the Home Office which outlines how to report an error. You should not travel on an incorrect Travel Document as it will not match your eVisa and may cause problems re-entering the UK. 

Below are examples of the types of evidence that may be requested as part of your application.

Child of someone with refugee status or humanitarian protection

If a child is in the UK with their parent(s), and was part of the original family asylum claim, then the child should have Refugee status or Humanitarian Protection in their own right – check their asylum decision letter. Apply for the relevant Travel Document with a letter of parental consent.

Children born in UK to parents with limited leave to remain

If a child is born in the UK after their parents were granted Refugee status or Humanitarian Protection, they will not automatically have the same leave (permission to stay) as their parents.  

Parents can write to the Home Office to request that the child is granted Leave in Line i.e. the same length of leave (permission) in the UK as their parents. However, the child will still not have protection status (Refugee/HP) unless they make their own claim for asylum and have their individual protection needs assessed. Details of the Leave in Line process can be found in asylum decision letters.

Children granted Leave in Line should apply for a Certificate of Travel. However, parents may be expected to first contact their national authorities to ask for a passport for their child. For those with Refugee Status and those with Humanitarian Protection who have an accepted fear of their national authorities, this can be very risky and they should seek legal advice before contacting their national authorities. 

Parents must submit a letter of consent for their child to receive a Travel Document.

Children born in UK to parents with indefinite leave to remain (settlement) 

A child born in the UK is automatically a British citizen if either parent has Indefinite Leave to Remain (settlement) at the time of the child’s birth. The child can apply directly for a first British passport. If you are unsure about whether your child is a British citizen by birth, can you consult the Project for the Registration of Children as British Citizens or contact our Immigration Advice Line. 

Before travelling, you should always check the rules of the country you are planning to travel to (or through) and which documents you’ll need before you book your travel. Check if:

1. your nationality requires a visa to enter that country (remember that holding a British Travel Document is not the same as holding British citizenship)
2. your destination country recognises UK Refugee Travel Documents or Certificates of Travel

Refugee Travel Document

You can usually travel to all countries except:

• the country you’re from
• any country you sought asylum from

If you have refugee status and you return to your home country or a country you sought asylum from, you risk losing your refugee status. This is because the UK is entitled to decide that you no longer require protection.

Note that in situations involving short trips for ‘compelling and compassionate circumstances’, it is possible for Refugees to return to their home country without jeopardising their status. Permission must be obtained from the Home Office before travelling. Note that visiting family members is unlikely to be considered a sufficient reason. See section ‘urgent reasons for travel’.

Certificate of Travel

You can usually travel to most countries with a Certificate of Travel. If you have been given Humanitarian Protection because it’s been accepted you have a fear of your country’s authorities, you cannot travel your home country.

If you have Humanitarian Protection on the basis that you have a fear of your country’s authorities (check your asylum decision letter), and you return to that country, or apply for and receive a national passport, you risk losing your Humanitarian Protection status. This is because the UK is entitled to decide that you no longer require protection.

It is essential that you have access to your eVisa to evidence that you are entitled to return to the UK.

Before travelling outside the UK, make sure that:

• your eVisa shows the correct personal details
• your UKVI account has details of your current Travel Document
• you generate a share code – your airline or a border official may ask for it
• your details exactly match the passenger information you give to your airline

From March 2026, all existing and newly-issued Home Office Travel Documents should automatically link to your eVisa account. This will allow airlines to carry out automated checks to confirm you have permission to travel to the UK.

When you receive a new Travel Document, it should automatically appear in your UKVI account within 2 working days of getting your decision. It is important to check your travel document has linked correctly to your UKVI account when you receive it, and if not, you can add your document by updating your UKVI account. Make sure the information on your travel document exactly matches the information on your eVisa.

You should continue to travel with your physical Travel Document as well as generating a share code and having access to your eVisa.

See more information on travelling with your eVisa.

Please see our guidance on how absences from the UK affect your immigration status.

Asylum Seekers

If you have claimed asylum and are still waiting for a decision or you are in the appeal process, then you should not leave the UK for whatever reason. This includes even short trips to the Republic of Ireland.

If you leave the UK, your asylum claim will be treated as withdrawn. This means your asylum claim will end permanently and your asylum support (accommodation and Aspen Card payments) will stop.

Indefinite Leave to Remain (settlement)

If you stay outside the UK for more than two years, then your Indefinite Leave to Remain will lapse (end).

Applying for British citizenship

If you are planning to apply for British citizenship, you need to think carefully about your travel plans. This is because there are strict rules about absences from the UK.

To qualify for citizenship, you must not have had more than 450 days absent from the UK in the preceding 5 years. You must also not have spent more than 90 days outside the UK in the 12 months before you apply. If you have exceeded the absence limit, you will not be eligible for citizenship and so you will lose your application fee.

The standard processing time for a Home Office Travel Document application is 14 weeks. However, it is possible to request an urgent travel document for compassionate reasons. According to Home Office guidance: 

Compassionate reasons for travelling include: 

• you are seriously ill 

• a family member or friend is seriously ill or has died 

• you – or someone you care for – need to travel abroad for medical treatment that is not available in the UK and cannot be delayed 

You will need to send additional supporting evidence by email if you urgently need a travel document for compassionate reasons. 

Attach a scan or photo of a letter confirming the reason for your travel. The letter must: 

• be from a doctor or hospital 

• be on headed paper 

• be in English, or be accompanied by a certified translation 

• include your name 

• include, where relevant, the name of the sick or dead person and their relationship to you 

You can send a death certificate but it must be accompanied by the letter confirming the reason for your travel. 

Where to send your supporting email 

Send your email with supporting evidence to the Home Office travel document enquiries team. 

Put ‘New application enquiry – urgent compassionate case’ and your name in the subject line. 

Email Home Office travel document enquiries
traveldocumentenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk 

Note that in situations involving short trips for ‘compelling and compassionate circumstances’, it is possible for Refugees to return to their home country without jeopardising their status. Permission must be obtained from the Home Office before travelling. Note that visiting family members is unlikely to be considered a sufficient reason.

When you have been granted protection status in the UK, the Home Office may return your ID documents that were collected at the start of the asylum process. In certain instances, your previously issued national passport may still be valid. 

It may be tempting to use it for travel, particularly if your destination doesn’t accept Travel Documents. It can also be tempting to apply for a passport from your home country because the Certificates of Travel are very expensive.

However, doing either of these actions signals to the Home Office that you have chosen “to re-avail yourself of the protection of the country of your nationality” and could result in your Refugee status or Humanitarian Protection in the UK being revoked, or any future application for Indefinite Leave to Remain being refused. 

If your travel document is lost or stolen, you must report it to the Home Office: traveldocumentenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk. You must provide: 

• Your name 

• Your date of birth 

• Your nationality  

And, if you have it: 

• Your Travel Document number 

• Home Office reference number or Unique Application Aumber (UAN) 

• Biometric residence permit number (if you still have it) 

• Police report and crime reference number 

If your Travel Document is lost or stolen outside of the UK, it is unlikely that you can avail of assistance from a British Embassy or Consulate because you are not a British citizen. You should also not contact your own national Embassy or Consulate if you have Refugee status, or it has been accepted as part of your protection status that you have a fear of your national authorities – this could risk your protection status in the UK.

To return to the UK, will need to apply for either a temporary visa or a Returning Resident visa.

See more information on what to do when your travel document is lost or stolen or contact our Immigration Advice Line for advice.