Immigration Corner | How to correct or replace UK citizenship certificate

Dear Mr Bassie,

I presently live in Jamaica and I need to renew my British passport. Unfortunately, I have lost my United Kingdom citizenship certificate. How would I go about replacing it? Any advice, I am sure, would assist.

- PD

Dear PD,

It is possible to replace or correct a United Kingdom citizenship certificate. Persons must pay a fee to order a replacement registration or naturalisation certificate, or to correct mistakes on a certificate that has already been issued.

How a person orders a certificate depends on when he/she became a citizen. If that person became a citizen after September 30, 1986, in order to replace a lost or damaged certificate, he/she should download and complete an application for duplicate citizenship certificate from www.gov.uk/government/publications. That person should also complete the payment slip with the correct fee for a 'duplicate certificate' - £250 - this can be paid by cheque, credit or debit card. Upon completion, both forms should be sent to Department 102, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) at the following address:

Department 102

UKVI

The Capital

New Hall Place

Liverpool L3 9PP

United Kingdom

Please be aware that persons must obtain a police report if the citizenship certificate has been stolen.

In order to correct mistakes on a citizenship certificate, persons should also download and complete an application for a correction of a registration or naturalisation certificate from www.gov.uk/government/publications and send the form and the original certificate to Department 1, United Kingdom Visa and Immigration UKVI.

Those persons will need to pay a £250 fee if the mistake on the certificate was their fault. Please note that UKVI will send a letter advising if persons need to pay. The forms should be sent to the following address:

Department 1

UKVI

The Capital

New Hall Place

Liverpool L3 9PP

United Kingdom

Just for completeness, please note that if a person became a citizen on or before September 30, 1986, he/she can search the National Archives and order a certified copy for a registration certificate issued between January 1,1949, and September 30, 1986, or naturalisation certificate issued between January 1, 1844, and September 30,1986. In addition, it is important to note that persons cannot get a replacement certificate from UKVI if they became a British citizen before October 1986. In cases such as these, persons are advised to contact UKVI for assistance.

All the best.

John S. Bassie

- John S. Bassie is a barrister/attorney-at-law who practises law in Jamaica. He is a justice of the peace, a Supreme Court-appointed mediator, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a chartered arbitrator and a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (UK). Email:lawbassie@yahoo.com