Certificate of Travel —
where can I travel?
The CoT is a black-cover document for people who have no national passport. The key rule is not about the CoT itself — it's about your UK eVisa. Many countries allow entry based on your UK eVisa, not the CoT. Check your destination below before buying tickets.
Before buying a ticket — 3 steps: ① Check our list below → ② Call the destination country's embassy in London → ③ Only then buy the ticket
Where do you want to travel?
31 countries verified as of May 2026 · Source: StartNewLife UK
Can't find your country?
✗
Country not listed? Do this before buying a ticket:
- IATA Travel Centre → select document type "Certificate of Travel (UK)"
- Call the destination country's embassy in London
- Apply for a visa BEFORE buying the ticket — CoT processing takes longer
Transit hubs
Airside transit rules for CoT holders
IST
✅ Airside OK
Airside transit (without leaving international zone) — no visa. For landside transit or entry — sticker visa
DXB
✅ Airside OK
Airside transit ONLY. UAE does not allow CoT holders for landside entry
DOH
✅ Airside OK
Airside transit OK. Qatar Airways stopover programmes — passport only
FRA
✅ Airside OK
UK residence permit EXEMPTS from Airport Transit Visa. Lufthansa hub
AMS
✅ Airside OK
UK residence permit EXEMPTS from ATV. KLM hub
CDG
✅ Airside OK
UK residence permit EXEMPTS from ATV. Air France hub
SIN
✅ Airside OK
Airside transit usually OK. 96-hour visa-free transit programme — passport only
HKG
❌ Visa required
⚠️ VISA REQUIRED EVEN FOR AIRSIDE TRANSIT — HK is the most restrictive hub for CoT holders. Cathay Pacific hub. Use alternative hub.
01
Who qualifies
6 grounds — gov.ukYou can apply if
- Permission to stay or ILR + passport expired or full + cannot get a new one
- Permission to stay or ILR + home country embassy refused to issue a passport
- Humanitarian Protection + Home Office officially accepted your fear of the home country authorities
- Family reunion to an HP holder
- UK-born child of a refugee but without refugee status themselves
- Important reason to travel + home country authorities cannot or will not issue documents
Not for you if you have
- Refugee Status → you need a Refugee Travel Document (blue, £102)
- Recognised stateless person → Stateless Person's Document
"Reasonable steps" — what gov.uk says is NOT unreasonable:
applied incorrectly; military service; criminal record; tax arrears; did not meet home country's passport laws. All of these are explicitly listed by gov.uk.
02
How to apply
5 steps1
Make sure you have at least 6 months of leave remaining If less — extend your leave first. Applications with less than 6 months are refused.
2
Build your reasonable-steps evidence file Written embassy refusals, Recorded Delivery receipts, email correspondence. If HP with accepted fear of authorities — no need to approach the embassy.
3
Complete the form at gov.uk/apply-home-office-travel-document You need an eVisa share code and UKVI account — without these the application will be rejected. Pay online: £320 (adult) / £161 (child).
4
Send supporting documents by post Special Delivery only — not to an office. For children under 16: birth certificate and consent from both parents.
5
Wait — up to 14 weeks No Priority or Super Priority service available for CoT. For delays — escalation ladder §04.
Each family member applies separately. No group applications. No fee waiver. No refund on refusal (only if you withdraw within 7 days of submitting).
03
Fees
real costs£320
Adult
£161
Child
£102
RTD (compare)
CoT is 3.1× more expensive than RTD
- No fee waiverYou pay regardless, even if you have free legal help
- No refund on refusalWithdrawal refund only within 7 days of submission
- No Priority / Super PriorityStandard processing only — up to 14 weeks
Total real cost: £320 + Special Delivery ~£5–15 + photos ~£6–15 = ~£330–350.
If lost abroad: temporary visa £154 or Returning Resident £726, then a new CoT at £320 again.
If lost abroad: temporary visa £154 or Returning Resident £726, then a new CoT at £320 again.
04
Waiting — when to escalate
escalation ladder1
14 weeks have passed Email: traveldocumentenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk — include your application reference, full name, date of birth
2
20 working days after email — formal complaint Via gov.uk/complain-home-office. Response within 20 working days.
3
Write to your MP Find your MP at members.parliament.uk. A letter from an MP typically speeds up review.
4
Parliamentary Ombudsman via MP Only through your MP. Takes several months.
5
Pre-Action Protocol → Judicial Review 3-month deadline. £1,500+ solicitor fees. Legal Aid is not available for CoT.
Compassionate priority: possible but not guaranteed. Attach a medical letter. Solicitors advise marking the email "urgent compassionate case" — gov.uk does not specify this wording.
05
🚨 Denied boarding
1
Ask for a supervisor — ask them to check by document type (CoT), not by nationality
2
Show everything together: CoT + printed eVisa share code + destination visa (if required)
3
Ask the carrier to contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub
4
Get written reasons for the refusal You will need this for a complaint and possible compensation
5
Re-book on a carrier familiar with CoT Lufthansa / Air France / KLM / Turkish Airlines — better than low-cost carriers
6
Complain to the airline within 7 days
06
🚨 Document lost abroad
Important: The British Embassy does NOT issue Emergency Travel Documents for non-British nationals. You need a temporary visa or Returning Resident visa.
1
Get a Police Report (Crime Reference Number)
2
Email the Home Office: traveldocumentenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk Include: full name, date of birth, nationality, CoT number, eVisa number, police report
3
Apply for a Temporary Visa £154 For a single entry back to the UK. OR Returning Resident visa £726 (if ILR + more than 2 years abroad)
4
Biometrics at a Visa Application Centre abroad
5
Return to the UK
6
On return — apply for a new CoT at £320 Full price again. No discounts.
07
Refused — what next
- Reconsideration28 days, once only, email subject "Reconsideration request" + application reference (gov.uk verbatim)
- Judicial Review3-month deadline. £1,500+ solicitor required. Legal Aid is not available for CoT.
- Re-applyWith fresh evidence. No minimum waiting period. A new evidence base is essential.
08
Validity and conditions in the document
- Up to 5 years OR until the end of your leaveWhichever is sooner. ILR holders — usually 5 years. HP / DL / LTR — usually until the end of leave.
Important (HC 1691, March 2026): new asylum claims now receive 30-month refugee leave instead of 5 years. So a CoT for a new refugee = 30 months. You'll need to renew leave + CoT mid-degree or mid-career. Plan accordingly. - "VALID FOR TRAVEL TO ALL COUNTRIES"OR "VALID FOR TRAVEL TO ALL COUNTRIES EXCEPT FOR [country]" — for HP holders with accepted fear of the authorities of that country
- ILR holders"CURRENTLY NO TIME LIMIT ON THE HOLDER'S STAY IN THE UK"
09
CoT vs RTD vs national passport
| CoT (black) | RTD (blue) | National passport | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | £320 / £161 | £102 / £66.50 | varies by country |
| Validity | up to 5 years | up to 10 years | usually 10 |
| For | HP / DL / LOTR / ILR | Refugee Status | Citizens |
| Visa-free countries | few, via UK eVisa | ~44+ (Convention) | varies |
| Schengen | visa required | many visa-free | varies |
10
KH v SSHD + "reasonable steps"
2025 precedent R (KH) v SSHD [2025] EWCA Civ 675 (Court of Appeal) — lesson: consistency in stating your nationality matters; a verbal "the embassy refused me" is insufficient — you need a paper trail.
| Evidence | Weight |
|---|---|
| Written embassy refusal | Strongest |
| Application receipt + correspondence | Strong |
| Screenshots of emails / WhatsApp with consul | Medium |
| Witness statements | Medium |
| Own witness statement / sworn declaration | Weak |
| News articles / forum posts | Weakest |
11
Changes 2024–2026
- 11 March 2026 — HOTDs auto-linked to UKVI accountVisible within 2 working days. You still need to carry the physical document — this is gov.uk verbatim.
- BRP no longer valid from 2 June 2025The eVisa share code is now the canonical proof of right to live and work in the UK.
- Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025An enforcement Act. Does not change CoT eligibility or fees.
- Fee £320 / £161 — currently in forceSet by the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Denied boarding with my CoT — what do I do?
<a href="#sos-denied-boarding">Full action plan in §05</a>. In brief: ask for a supervisor, show CoT + share code + visa, ask the carrier to contact UK Border Force, get written reasons, re-book on Lufthansa / Air France / KLM / Turkish.
Russian / Belarusian / Iranian embassy not responding — is that enough?
2-3 letters by Recorded Delivery + email, 6 weeks apart. Keep all receipts. Attach Home Office CPIN or UNHCR report. Two or three documented attempts with no reply plus an expert statement is generally accepted. This is practitioner guidance — gov.uk does not specify the exact format.
Can I go to Tbilisi visa-free — really?
Yes — 90 days with a valid UK eVisa. It is the UK eVisa that gives the right, not the CoT. Print Ordinance 256/2015 in advance — there are known denied-boarding cases without it.
My CoT has expired but I still have 2 years of leave
Apply for a new CoT — full £320 again. No discount, no automatic renewal.
Can I travel to my country of origin for a funeral?
No. The Home Office can revoke your HP. There is no statutory exception for funerals. If travel is unavoidable — urgent IAA solicitor advice before buying tickets.
Can I get a national passport and get my £320 back?
No. No refund. Obtaining a passport from your country of origin while holding HP is a risk of status revocation (para 339A).
Can a CoT be valid for more than 5 years?
No. Maximum 5 years or until the end of your leave, whichever is sooner. <strong>HC 1691 (March 2026):</strong> new refugee leave grants are now 30 months (not 5 years). So a CoT for a new refugee = 30 months. Mid-degree renewal of leave + CoT is almost unavoidable.
Can I switch from a CoT to a Refugee Travel Document?
Only if your status changes to Refugee Status (Convention refugee). RTD costs £102 and is more widely accepted in Europe. Switching from CoT to RTD requires a change of status, not just a document swap.
Sources: gov.uk — Apply for a Home Office travel documentgov.uk — Report lost or stolen travel documentgov.uk — Updates on move to eVisas (11 March 2026)BAILII — R (KH) v SSHD [2025] EWCA Civ 675IATA Travel Centre — check by document type and routeFree Movement — practitioner blog Updated 24 Apr 2026