How to get a passport for your kinship child

Understand whether you can apply for or renew your kinship child’s passport

Your type of kinship arrangement affects whether you can apply for a passport. Only those with parental responsibility can go through the application process without involving your kinship child’s parents.

If you have a special guardianship order (SGO)

If you are a special guardian, you have overriding parental responsibility.

You can apply for or renew your kinship child’s passport yourself without needing the parents’ consent.

However, if you want to:

• change the child’s surname
• take the child out of the UK for more than 3 months

then you’ll need written consent from everyone with parental responsibility, or permission from the court.

If you have a “lives with” child arrangements order (CAO)

A “lives with” CAO gives you parental responsibility for the child while the order is in place. This means you can apply for a passport for the child.

You should try to talk to the parents before applying, but their consent is not legally required to make the application.

If a parent objects, His Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) may not issue the passport. If this happens, you can apply to the court for a specific issue order. The court will decide based on what is in the child’s best interests.

If your kinship child is looked after by the local authority

If your kinship child is looked after by the local authority, then you do not have parental responsibility. The local authority will apply for your kinship child’s passport.

It’s also usual for them to keep hold of the passport when not in use.

If you are an informal kinship carer

If you are an informal kinship carer, you do not have parental responsibility and won’t be able to apply for a passport for your kinship child. If it is safe to do so, speak to your child’s parents. They will need to apply for the passport.

Documents you need for the application

Having the right documents for your child’s passport application helps you avoid delays.

Documents you must send for a child under 16

You’ll need to send:

• a copy of the special guardianship order or child arrangements order (if applicable)
• the child’s full birth certificate
• details of the child’s name change (if you’ve changed it under an SGO)

If you have changed the child’s name under an SGO

If you have changed the child’s name since getting an SGO, you’ll also need to send either:

• the court order that shows permission to change their name
• a deed poll, or similar document
• their old passport

Documents you must send for a young person 16 and over

If the young person is 16 or over, they don’t need consent from someone with parental responsibility to get a passport, unless:

• there is a court order, for example an SGO, that’s valid until they are 18
• you can send proof that the young person can’t make decisions for themselves

If your young person fits one of these criteria, then you should send the application form and:

• a copy of the special guardianship order or child arrangements order (if applicable)
• the child’s full birth certificate
• details of the child’s name change (if you’ve changed it under an SGO)

If the young person is 16 or over and they don’t fit the criteria above, they can apply for and sign their own passport application.

Information you need about your kinship child’s parents

Section 4 of the passport application asks for details of the child’s parents.

You should include:

• the mother’s details (as listed on the birth certificate)
• the father’s details, but only if either:
  • his name is on the birth certificate
  • he has parental responsibility
• proof of their British nationality, such as their:
  • British passport number
  • full birth certificate

If the parent was born after 1 January 1983, or was born abroad, you may also need to give information about the child’s grandparents. See Section 8 of HM Passport Office’s (HMPO) guidance.

You must send original documents or official copies. Photocopies, even certified ones, are not accepted.

What to do if documents or information are missing or lost

Birth certificates

If you need replacement birth certificates, you can order official copies from the General Register Office. You need to register online or call them on 0300 123 1837.

Court order paperwork

If you have misplaced your SGO or CAO, ask the court that issued it for an official copy.

Information about the parents

If you can’t get information about one or both parents, include a cover letter to:

• explain what you haven’t been able to get
• include evidence of attempts to contact them, such as text messages or emails
• include any documents you do have

The passport office may ask for more information.

Process for applying for your kinship child’s first passport

If you have parental responsibility and consent to apply for your kinship child’s first passport, these are the steps you and the passport office will take.

1. Complete the online application – use the passport office’s guidance document to help you complete each section. You can also complete a paper application to post, but it will cost slightly more. Get a paper application from a Post Office that has a Passport Check and Send service, or call the passport office.
2. Gather your documents.
3. Explain any missing information in a cover letter.
4. Submit or post the application and send your documents.
5. Follow up with a call to the passport office – some carers have found this step helpful to explain their situations.
6. The passport office will ask your chosen person to confirm the child’s identity – they will get instructions from the passport office.
7. Wait for the checks to complete.

The passport office may ask for more information. Once they have everything they need, they’ll issue the passport.

Process for renewing your kinship child’s passport

If you have parental responsibility and consent to renew your kinship child’s passport, you’ll follow a similar process to a first passport, but you’ll also need the old passport.

1. Complete the online application – use the passport office’s guidance document to help you complete each section. You can also complete a paper application to post, but it will cost slightly more. Get a paper application from a Post Office that has a Passport Check and Send service, or call the passport office.
2. Gather your documents.
3. Explain any missing information in a cover letter.
4. Submit or post the application and send your documents.
5. Send the old passport to the address the passport office gives you.
6. Follow up with a call to the passport office – some carers have found this step helpful to explain their situations.
7. The passport office will ask your chosen person to confirm the child’s identity – they will get instructions from the passport office.
8. Wait for the checks to complete.

The passport office may ask for more information. Once they have everything they need, they’ll issue the passport.

Travelling with your kinship child when your surnames are different

If you have a different surname from the child, you may find it helpful to carry some documents with you when you travel.

Questions border officials may ask

When you arrive at border control, the officials might want to know:

• who you are in relation to the child
• how you know the child
• where the child’s parents are
• where you are travelling and why

Documents you may need to carry

If you carry these documents, it should make answering these questions easier:

• your SGO or court order
• the child’s birth certificate
• evidence of any name changes
• a letter of travel consent from whoever has parental responsibility