Convention travel document
Certifcate of travel
Returning home
Renewing travel documents
Recognised refugees are not permitted to travel on their national passports, since they are no longer under the protection of their country. Instead, they will be issued with a folded A4 immigration status document (ISD) which has a space for the new-style UK Residence Permit (UKRP) vignette showing that the holder has been granted leave to remain as a result of an asylum decision.
Recognised refugees are entitled to a travel document for travel abroad. This also applies to refugees who are stateless. A travel document for refugees is called a Convention Travel Document (CTD) or sometimes also referred to as the ‘blue document’. It entitles the holder to travel to any country except that of his or her country of origin from which they fled persecution in the first place.
Visa requirements for refugees Holders of CTDs must check the visa requirements for the country they intend to travel to. For example, a recognised refugee whose nationality is Algerian and who has not yet applied and been granted British citizenship, is still a national of Algeria and needs to check whether the country s/he is travelling to requires Algerian nationals to apply for a visa before travelling. The Council of Europe Agreement on the Abolition of Visas for Refugees 1959 states that refugees who travel on a CTD should be able to travel to other EU countries without needing a visa if the trip is for less than three months. However, it is strongly advised to check requirements before travelling as some countries are known not to comply with the Agreement. From 11 February 2003, the UK suspended its own operation under this agreement. This means that people with refugee status from other countries travelling on a CTD need a visa in order to travel to the UK. |
A fee must be paid when applying for a CTD. At the time of writing, fees for adults were £72 per application and £46 for children under 16 and is normally valid as long as the leave granted to the applicant. To check fees and validity and for information on how to apply for a travel document, go to the Home Office's website.
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The certificate of travel is for people granted HP or DL (or indefinite leave not as a result of a grant of refugee status). They can apply for it to travel abroad, if they:
- Can prove to the Home Office that the authorities of their nationality have refused without adequate reason to issue them a passport or travel document
- Still have more than six months’ limited leave outstanding
The certificate of travel was until 17 March 2008 known as the certificate of identity. The colour of the document also changed from brown to black. However, the validity and criteria for issuing the certificate of travel remain the same as before. People who hold a brown certificate of identity document can still use it until it expires.
The Home Office accepts as proof a letter from the relevant embassy or high commission in the UK stating that they have refused to issue a passport or travel document and why. People who are granted HP as a result of fear from the authorities in their country do not have to get such proof from the embassy of their country. If this is the case, applicants must include the Home Office decision letter outlining the reasons for granting HP with the completed travel document application form.
The requirement of proof from the embassy can also be waived if there are no consular facilities of the country in question in the UK. However, the Home Office may issue a travel document to allow the person to travel to a consular facility in another EU country to obtain a passport or travel document from their own country.
Since 30 August 2005, people applying for a certificate of travel no longer have to show that they have a need to travel (such as for essential business or work-related reasons). However, if your application for a passport is being processed but this will take an unreasonably long time, the Home Office will consider giving you a certificate of travel if you can prove you have an urgent need to travel for compelling and compassionate reasons.
People with indefinite leave should get a certificate of travel that is valid for five years. People with limited leave should get a travel document that is valid as long as the leave granted. Children who are 15 or younger should apply for a child’s travel document.
At the time of writing, it was £210 for an adult certificate of travel and £130 for a child’s. For current fees, validity and how to apply for a certificate of travel, visit the Home Office’s website.
Some countries (including all countries party to the Schengen agreement) do not accept certificate of travel documents and applicants should check whether a certificate of travel is accepted by the country they intend to visit before making travel arrangements. At present, countries that do not accept it include:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Denmark
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Ireland
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- Portugal
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sweden, and
- The Netherlands
Please Note: The fees for certificates of travel are considerable and given the fact that a number of countries do not accept them, it is worth thinking twice about whether to apply for one unless it is absolutely necessary.
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Submitting applicationsAll applications for travel documents must be submitted by post to: UK Border Agency
Travel Documents FPU
Home Office
Lunar House
40 Wellesley Road
Croydon
CR9 2BY Phone the Immigration Enquiry Bureau (0870 606 7766) to: check on the progress of an application form for a travel document; get help with completing the form; check if the Home Office agrees that the applicant’s circumstances are exceptional for him/her to travel to the home country. |
As stated above, recognised refugees with a CTD cannot travel to their home country. If they are considering returning home, they must seek legal advice before taking any further steps. People with a certificate of travel should also be careful if considering returning home and get advice from the Home Office on the contact number above.
Voluntary returns programmes
People who wish to return home permanently may apply for help to do so with the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Voluntary Assisted Returns and Reintegration Programme. They may also be able to return home as part of a special programme designed specifically for their country of origin if they meet the criteria of an appropriate programme running at that time. See Voluntary returns under Asylum Process.
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To renew, replace or change an existing travel document issued by the Home Office, a new travel document application must be completed and the fee paid in full. For details on what to do exactly, go to the Home Office's website.
It is extremely difficult to renew a travel document if it expires when the holder is outside the UK. This should be avoided if at all possible. If the document does expire when the document holder is outside the country, s/he should go to the British Embassy or High Commission, who in turn will contact the Home Office. Relatives or friends of the applicant in the UK can also approach the Home Office on his/her behalf.
If the travel document is lost or stolen in the UK, the holder must report this to the police as soon as possible. The police will register the theft or loss, and provide a copy of their report. With this, the individual can apply to the Home Office for a replacement travel document. If a travel document is lost abroad, it may take time to get a replacement. The person affected should report the loss to the police and can then apply to the British Embassy or High Commission for a ‘Declaration of Identity’, which will enable him/her to return to the UK.
The Home Office can then issue a new travel document. While abroad and waiting for the Declaration of Identity, the person must not breach the immigration rules of the country s/he is currently in. This means, for example, that s/he must not stay illegally beyond the period for which the travel visa was originally issued.
Please Note: Individuals holding travel documents should always keep a photocopy or record of important details about their travel document, such as the issue number, date issued and expiry date, with them in case of loss or theft.
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