UK Clarifies Staff Guidance for Passport Applications of Children Born to EU Settlement Scheme Parents, Enhancing EUSS R

Current rules

HM Passport Office staff guidance clarifies when examiners can search for a parent’s EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) record using UK Visa and Immigration’s Atlas system for passport applications. It also includes an update to check for outdated links within the guidance.

Overview

UK Visas and Immigration has updated its guidance for caseworkers regarding the renunciation of British nationality. This update, effective 7 August 2026, aims to align processes with current systems for individuals requesting to give up their British citizenship. It clarifies the legal basis and required evidence for such renunciations.

What changed in the latest version

This update is very important for HM Passport Office staff. It gives them clear steps on a key task. This task is checking a parent's EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) status to process a child's passport application. Parents may feel more confident that the passport application process for their children will be consistent and clear. This is because this internal guidance has been improved. It makes sure staff correctly identify claims for British nationality. This is especially true for children whose parents gained settled status, a type of permanent permission to live in the UK, after the child was born. This change makes the checking process smoother. It could also reduce delays linked to EUSS status checks. If staff do not follow this guidance correctly, it could lead to wrong decisions about nationality and giving out passports.

Explained simply

Imagine you're trying to get a new passport for your younger brother or sister, and your parents are from an EU country but live in the UK under a special rule called the EU Settlement Scheme. Before, it was a bit tricky for the passport office to check if your parents had that special status if they didn't have a specific number ready. Now, the passport office staff have clearer instructions. They can use a special computer system called Atlas to look up your parents' status, even if your parents didn't provide that specific number right away. This makes it easier and faster for kids like your sibling to get their British passports, as long as they were born in the UK after 28 August 2018, and their parents have the right status.

Frequently asked

Version history

1. v12Effective 20 Aug 2026EffectiveMedium impact
   UK Clarifies Staff Guidance for Passport Applications of Children Born to EU Settlement Scheme Parents, Enhancing EUSS Record Search Capabilities

   From 20 August 2026, His Majesty's (HM) Passport Office has new rules for staff. These rules are about how the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) affects passport applications. The new rules explain when passport examiners can look for a parent's EUSS record. They will use the UK Visa and Immigration's (UKVI) Atlas system for this. These rules apply to children born in the UK or Crown Dependencies from 28 August 2018. They must have parents who are from the EU, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein. These parents must have status under the EUSS.

Timeline

1. Takes effect

   20 Aug 2026

   HM Passport Office staff guidance clarifies when examiners can search for a parent’s EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) record using UK Visa and Immigration’s Atlas system for passport applications. It also includes an update to check for outdated links within the guidance.

2. Announced

   22 Nov 2023

   HM Passport Office has updated its EU Settlement Scheme: passport staff guidance to clarify how staff must handle passport applications for children born in the UK to parents with EUSS status. The new guidance, effective from 20 August 2026, details when examiners can search for a parent's EUSS record using UKVI's Atlas system, streamlining the process for confirming British citizenship claims ba