Convention travel document
This page explains what a convention travel document is and who may apply for one. For other types of Home Office travel document, see Travel documents.
If we have given you permission to stay in the United Kingdom as a refugee, you can apply to us for what is know as a convention travel document. It is called this because it is provided in a way that is set out in part of the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.
We will give you this travel document unless we believe there are extremely good reasons to refuse, such as to protect national security. You will need to be legally resident in the United Kingdom and be able to prove your refugee status here. Documents that prove you have permission to stay in the United Kingdom as a refugee include those we have sent you that have the following official reference numbers printed on them:
- ACD 0122;
- ACD 2151;
- ADL 1;
- ASL 2167;
- GEN 23;
- GEN 22; or
- ICD 0726.
You must have permission to stay here for at least six months from the date when you apply for a Home Office travel document. This is because other countries may not accept your travel document if you have less than six months' permission to return to the United Kingdom. If you have less than this, you must apply for an extension to your permission to stay before you apply for a travel document.
Unless the circumstances are exceptional, you cannot use a Home Office convention travel document to travel to your country of origin, or the country from which you sought asylum. It will normally be valid for travel to all other countries.
Some authorities require holders of Home Office convention travel documents to obtain a visa before entering their country. You should enquire at the embassy of the country or countries you wish to travel to before making any travel arrangements.
A convention travel document issued to an adult will usually be valid for 10 years if you have permission to stay in the United Kingdom permanently (we call this 'indefinite leave to remain'). If you have temporary permission to stay in the United Kingdom (we call this 'limited leave to remain'), your convention travel document will usually be valid for the same period as your permission to stay here, up to five years.
Children cannot be named on the travel document of their parent or guardian. A convention travel document issued to a child will usually be valid for five years if the child has permission to stay in the United Kingdom permanently (indefinite leave to remain). If the child has temporary permission to stay in the United Kingdom (limited leave to remain), the convention travel document will usually be valid for the same period as his/her permission to stay here, up to five years.
See Applying for details of how to make your application.
If you already have a convention travel document, it may say on page 30 that you need a visa for visits of three months or less to Estonia, Iceland, the Republic of Ireland, Poland, or Luxembourg. This is no longer the case and you will always need a visa to visit these countries using a convention travel document.
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Terms explained
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Indefinite leave to remain
Indefinite leave to remain (often known as ILR) is permission to stay permanently (settle) in the United Kingdom, free from immigration control.
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Limited leave to remain
Permission to stay in the United Kingdom temporarily, for the length of time stated on your visa.