Immigration Corner | Replacement of British citizenship certificate

Dear Mr Bassie,

I have damaged my United Kingdom citizenship certificate. Can you advise me how to go about replacing it? Your advice would be appreciated.

- BG

Dear BG,

Persons must pay a fee to apply for a replacement registration or naturalisation certificate, or to correct mistakes on a certificate. How persons apply for a certificate will depend on when those persons became a citizen.

If a person became a citizen after September 30, 1986, to replace a lost or damaged certificate it would cost £S250.

Persons can either apply online or apply by post. Those persons can get help completing the online form if they do not feel confident using a computer or do not have access to one.

For help completing the online form, persons should utilise the following contact information: visa@we-are-digital.co.uk.

Text: 'VISA' to 07537 416 944

Telephone: 03333 445 675

Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

When applying by post, persons should download and complete an application for duplicate citizenship certificate and then complete the payment slip with the correct fee for a 'duplicate certificate', which is £250. Persons can pay by cheque, credit or debit card. Persons should then send both forms to the following address:

Department 102

UKVI (United Kingdom Visa Immigration)

The Capital

New Hall Place

Liverpool

L3 9PP

Please note that persons must tell the police if their certificate has been stolen.

With respect to persons who would like to correct mistakes on a certificate, they should download and complete an application for a correction of a registration or naturalisation certificate and send the form and their original certificate to Department 1, UKVI.

They will need to pay a £250 fee if the mistake on the certificate was their own fault. UKVI will send that person a letter advising if payment is needed. The payment should be made to the following department:

Department 1

UKVI

The Capital

New Hall Place

Liverpool

L3 9PP

If persons became a citizen on or before September 30,1986, they can search the National Archives and order a certified copy for a registration certificate issued between January 1, 1949 and September 30, 1986, and a naturalisation certificate issued between January 1, 1844 and September 30, 1986. Please note that a person cannot get a replacement certificate from UKVI if he/she became a British citizen before October 1986. If further assistance is needed, persons should contact UKVI.

I hope this helps.

- 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). mail:lawbassie@yahoo.com