M&M Immigration Lawyers

Stateless Person Travel Document

You may apply for a stateless persons' travel document if you have been recognised as a stateless person under the terms of the 1954 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons. This convention defined a stateless person as someone who is not considered as a national by any country under the terms of its laws. You will need to provide a letter from the UKBA confirming your status.

You cannot be recognised as stateless if:

• you are receiving help or protection from agencies of the United Nations (except the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees);
• you are recognised by the competent authorities of the country in which you are resident as having the rights and obligations attached to having nationality of that country; or
• there are serious reasons for considering that you have committed a crime against peace, a war crime, a crime against humanity, a serious non-political crime outside your country of residence before you started living there, or acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

You must have permission to stay in the UK for at least six months from the date when you make your application. 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 your current permission to remain in the UK will expire in less than six months, you must apply to extend your stay before you can apply for a travel document.

A stateless persons' document issued to an adult will usually be valid for 10 years if you have permission to stay in the United Kingdom permanently (known as 'indefinite leave to remain'). If you have temporary permission to stay in the United Kingdom (known as 'limited leave to remain'), your stateless persons' document will usually be valid for the same period as your permission to stay in the UK, up to a maximum of five years.

Children cannot be named on the travel document of their parent or guardian. A stateless persons' document issued to a child will usually be valid for five years if the child has permission to stay in the United Kingdom permanently. If the child has temporary permission to stay in the United Kingdom, the stateless persons' document will usually be valid for the same period as their permission to stay here, up to a maximum of five years.

A stateless persons' document is normally valid for travel to all countries.