If you request for your passport to be returned, delivery will take 15 working days from the date of your request.

If you have sent documents to us by recorded or special delivery and would like to confirm receipt, you can use the track and trace facility on the Royal Mail website.

You do not need to contact us to check the progress of your application.

We will contact you as soon as a decision has been made or if we require further information. Our staff cannot provide any information about your application if you applied less than 6 months ago.

Return of documents

If you applied for a visa from outside the UK

Select the relevant country on the Visa application centres overseas page. The 'Contact us' link can be found on the left hand side of the page.

If you applied for British citizenship

If you want us to return your documents submitted in a nationality application, contact our nationality contact centre or send your request in writing to: UK Border Agency, Department 2, PO Box 306, Liverpool, L2 0QN.

If you applied under Tier 2 or Tier 5 of the points based system.

You can find information on this website about requesting the urgent return of your documents if you have applied under Tier 2 or Tier 5 of the points-based system.

If you are a Bulgarian or Romanian national and have applied for a work permit or accession work card.

See the Enquiries about Bulgarian and Romanian work permits page for contact information.

To request the return of documents from any other application for permission to stay in the UK

See the Enquiries about permissions to stay and settlement page for contact information.