Applying for a British passport

 As you might be aware, my wife and I became British Citizens recently via naturalisation: 
https://omarsguidelines.blogspot.com/2023/05/my-experience-of-applying-for-british.html

As soon we recieved our citizenship certificates, we :
1. Returned our ILR BRPs as per the email from the home office:
Once you have received your certificate of British citizenship any Biometric Residence Permit (BRP card) you have will no longer be valid and cannot be used as evidence of your status. If you have a BRP card you should return it for secure destruction. You may have to pay a penalty of up to £1,000 if you fail to return an invalid BRP. Your BRP card should be cut in half and posted (in a windowless plain envelope) to Biometric Product Returns, IFB, 5th floor Lunar House, 40 Wellesley Road, Croydon, CR9 2BY. 

2. Applied for a British Passport
https://www.gov.uk/apply-renew-passport

PHOTO
The process is pretty straightforward and the best thing is that you can take your picture at home and upload it 
https://www.gov.uk/apply-renew-passport so no more mug shots! 

POSTING YOUR DOCUMENTS 
We had to post :
1. Our citizenship certificate 
2. Current passports from our home country -Pakistan
I spoke to the post office team who provided me with a special returns bag for the Pakistani passports to be sent back. 
So DO NOT forget to put a special returns bag in the envelope with your originals so that the passport team can send your passports issued from your home country back UNLESS they have changed this process when you apply ( so confirm with the post office and DO NOT seal your envelope till you have spoken to them as you can then add the special returns envelope to it). 

REFEREE
Also you will need a referee to confirm your identity:
https://www.gov.uk/confirm-identity-online-for-passport-application
I asked a bed manager who had an active PIN number as a nurse to become our referee as she knew me well. She needed our 
1. Names 
2. Dates of birth 
3. Our current address 

I needed their 
1. Full name 
2. Email address

TIMELINE
My wife received her passport on the 29th of June.  
I received mine on the 3rd of July 
We received our originals ( Citizenship document and Pakistani passports) on the 4th of July 

This is a copy paste of my timeline:

Passport printed6:06am on 30 June 2023
Application approved2:20pm on 29 June 2023
Documents received9:28am on 23 June 2023
Application received11:49pm on 19 June 2023
Identity details received11:49pm on 19 June 2023
Email sent to person confirming your identity10:42am on 17 June 2023
Ask someone to confirm your identity3:15pm on 15 June 2023
Application submitted3:15pm on 15 June 2023


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