Renouncing British Citizenship to use EEA FP route

[White Emerald]

Oh, and by the way, I did not use the 137 page RC application form. I wrote a covering letter and just filled in the personal section and biometric page!!!

Could you elucidate on this Angie? I'm not sure i'm following it. What's the 137 page RC form? I used the RN1 form from the site. For this application form no biometric data was required. I've already received my irish passport back 3-4 weeks ago and my wife and I are waiting on the declaration of renouncement to proceed with the EEA family route as an Irish citizen living and working in the UK.

[White Emerald]

Oh, and by the way, I did not use the 137 page RC application form. I wrote a covering letter and just filled in the personal section and biometric page!!!

OK, having read back on previous posts again, I understand that the COA and the biometrics are required for the second part of the process after the first 6 months have elapsed? As stated above I'm still waiting for the RN renouncement. Your son was very lucky to get his in a month. ))

[Lissa6]

Hi there.,

I'm wondering if anyone can help., I live in South Africa, and have renounced.. It reached the Liverpool office on the 9th July 2015, and the fee was taken off a week or so after that from my bank account.
I'm a little worried as they haven't replied to any of my emails. Does anyone know of a telephone number to contact the office on? Or how long the renunciation takes?

A DHL van got robbed here not to long ago with a lot of documentation from the UK in (Passports etc) and I am hoping my documents are not in there... But I have no way of knowing as no one gets back to me via the email address!
I also need some of my documents back in the next month or so.,

Thanks in advance!

[White Emerald]

Hi there.,

I'm wondering if anyone can help., I live in South Africa, and have renounced.. It reached the Liverpool office on the 9th July 2015, and the fee was taken off a week or so after that from my bank account.
I'm a little worried as they haven't replied to any of my emails. Does anyone know of a telephone number to contact the office on? Or how long the renunciation takes?

Thanks in advance!

Hi Lissa,

Renunciation can take up to 6 months; it says this on both the government site and on the letter I received from the Home Office. it is very difficult if not impoosible to get in contact with [It's infuriating] them and it leaves people hanging in limbo. I'm in the same boat as you; although, they received my RN on 20th July. Having read some of the messages here it seems 2-3 months is the average time to wait, but, theoretically it can take 6 months. It must depend on how busy they are and if there are any complications in the application. I wish all the best, as I'm waiting for the same thing and is really stressful for myself and my wife waiting for this. Good luck!

[Lissa6]

Hi White Emerald,

thank you for your reply! I sent the forms over. bit didn't receive any letter etc. was it on the gov.uk website? I think I read ever inch regarding renunciation.. but maybe I missed something..
iy is very frustrating and stressful! we are living with my family and they are all moving over, house Iis up for sale. so I'm hoping it will be 3months not 6.

Best of luck too! hope you get yours sorted soon too.

[White Emerald]

Hi Lissa,

I received a letter of confirmation that they had received both passports [my Irish one they returned to me] and the fee. However, before this [a few days], I got a letter saying they had received my letter for APPLICATION FOR British citizenship; so, it makes you wonder who is working there and how careful they are. It stresses me out because they are deliberately evasive, but since it says UP to 6 months there is no come back on that.

This is only the start for us, as once the RN application has been stamped and received, we then have to go ahead with the EEA application. meanwhile, my wife and I are apart and it is causing additional and unwanted stress. Thanks, for your good wishes; much appreciated. Keep us informed! I've written a few times here but this thread seems to have died due to lack of interest.

[Lissa6]

okay! I understand now. sorry you have to be apart. that's something we haven't wanted to do really as our daughter is only 1 now.

Are you doing this from the Uk? We are both still in South Africa, so could possibly be why I didn't get any letter or my passport back. Hopefully they won't send through the South African postal service as there is a backlog from all the strikes...

and here I thought it was just our government! like you said, you never know who works at these places..

Please keep me informed too and thanks for the wishes. I will be here! this is the only place I've found more information..

[White Emerald]

hi Lissa,

Yes, I'm here in the UK. I have my own place and am working but the rule says you can't go the EEA path working in a country you already have nationality in. What is your second nationality? I asked them to return my irish passport immediately after seeing it for proof and they did [ I also need it for travel]. As far as I know, the british passport isn't returned to you.

Trying to co-ordinate this from SA must be really hard. However, once you have the stamped RN form it maybe easier as you can return together; plus, you're not apart which is a major plus. The waiting and uncertainty is the most difficult thing.

[Lissa6]

Hi White Emerald,

Sorry I didn't get a notification that there was a reply. Hope all is well. Has your RN come through?

It is difficult as we are "in the dark" so to speak with organising everything. Especially when you can't speak to anyone and there is no one replying to emails (which is the only enquiry option they have!).

I was British, now I have both South African and Irish nationality. I sent through my South African passport and a copy of my Irish passport. So hopefully that will suffice. My husband and I are both looking for jobs but it is quite difficult! (Especially as everyone wants to see you and we are on a budget, so we aren't able to fly back and forth all the time!)

We are still waiting for the RN! We are on week 11 right now.

[White Emerald]

Hi White Emerald,
I was British, now I have both South African and Irish nationality. I sent through my South African passport and a copy of my Irish passport. So hopefully that will suffice. My husband and I are both looking for jobs but it is quite difficult! (Especially as everyone wants to see you and we are on a budget, so we aren't able to fly back and forth all the time!)

We are still waiting for the RN! We are on week 11 right now.

Wow, 11 weeks? that's the longest time I' ve read. Usually, it's 2.5-3 months max from what I've read on here; I mean is there that many people looking to renounce? I wonder why it's taking them so long. I'm only on 9 weeks and it's causing my wife terrible stress. The fact they are almost impossible to get hold off just adds to it. There should be something in the law that makes all this cloak and dagger secrecy illegal. People have a right to be able to contact and discuss their futures.

I'm still waiting as you'll have guessed. I'm here in the UK with a job and place to live, I just can't pursue the EEA family permit until I get my stamped RN form back. It's either that or try to get a a job in another EU country. Wishing you all the best.

[tigerram]

I am at 14 weeks. I renounced my British citizenship by filling in the form on 22nd June. They promptly took the money and sent a receipt, on the 25th June.

I do believe that being born in Norn Iron and submitting an Irish passport, mine is a simple open and shut case. Recently I asked for my passport back, as I have realised that I don't need to have the process completed to marry my non-EEA partner abroad - it must be completed to bring her to live here as a partner of a EEA citizen, which I will be then. I will marry her as Irish even if this process isn't completed. Chances are, the six months will be completely irrelevant in this case.

[Lissa6]

Hi again,

wow 13 week! we are really hoping to get ours soon..where and how do you request your passports back?

thanks for all the help!

[tigerram]

The website. I don't have the link on me. Make sure you do not accidentally cancel the application.

I shall look for links and a tel number.

Edit - ring 0300 123 2253 and ask what to type into their website search engine as it can be hard to navigate - even staff have problems with it sometimes! You can also check if they received your documents. There is a limit to what they can tell you, and some staff are more useful than others.

[Lissa6]

Thanks tigerramm!

This is the email address i have -NationalityEnquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk its the only aaddress I could find on the form! but I have emailed them 4 or 5 times and haven't gottenany reply.

[tigerram]

You are wasting your time emailing them.

Guess what? The email address probably doesn't exist. They changed their website too but the documentation they sent to me didn't show it.

[tigerram]

I think this is it:

https://eforms.homeoffice.gov.uk/outrea ... ments.ofml

Be aware that returning a passport could slow down the application; however, I was told this was unlikely in my case. I got it back three days later.

[White Emerald]

You are wasting your time emailing them.

Guess what? The email address probably doesn't exist. They changed their website too but the documentation they sent to me didn't show it.

This is terrible news for me personally; I was really hoping that the form would be completed in 2-2.5 months as most on here have previoulsy written. Now, the timescale appears to have gone up to almost 5 months; awful. This is just too long for me, I may have to seek work abroad in an EU country and submit the EEA Family permit there; 6 months is ridiculously long.

[tigerram]

Five months? How do you know this?

[Lissa6]

oh dear really?

thats really unhelpful! did they send your documents back in the normal post or courier?
Our postal serviceais terrible due to strikes and so difficult when you can't speak to someone.

I only have the gov.co.uk website that I can get information from. if you havr a number that would be great!

[White Emerald]

Five months? How do you know this?

Sorry, I misread your post; It's just over 3 months you've been waiting, right? That's still longer than the other people I've read in this thread. I was sure i'd get mine back after 2 months. However, It does say up to 6 months so there is no come back on that. I'm definitely considering work in other EU countries.

[oddlyenough]

I've been following this thread for a while, and just wanted to chime in to say that we've been waiting nearly 13 weeks now (same story: practically instantaneous acknowledgement of receipt and removal of the payment funds, and nothing since). It's been frustrating and nerve wrecking, to say the least. I am curious to know when those of you who have been waiting longer (tigerram?) finally hear back, and hope that you will keep us updated.

[tigerram]

oh dear really?

thats really unhelpful! did they send your documents back in the normal post or courier?
Our postal serviceais terrible due to strikes and so difficult when you can't speak to someone.

I only have the gov.co.uk website that I can get information from. if you havr a number that would be great!

I did normal post and it was fine but I live only 40 miles away from Liverpool.

I edited that previous post to put the number in: here is the information again. I hope it helps. The UK international code is 44.

Edit - ring 0300 123 2253 and ask what to type into their website search engine as it can be hard to navigate - even staff have problems with it sometimes! You can also check if they received your documents. There is a limit to what they can tell you, and some staff are more useful than others.

[tigerram]

Five months? How do you know this?

Sorry, I misread your post; It's just over 3 months you've been waiting, right? That's still longer than the other people I've read in this thread. I was sure i'd get mine back after 2 months. However, It does say up to 6 months so there is no come back on that. I'm definitely considering work in other EU countries.

I was under the impression that it would take 14 weeks from other threads. I was silly. I should have realised that I didn't need to have it revoked first to marry as Irish, and just married in the summer.

You might get your work sorted out only to have it come through straight away. Who knows. I think that we paid 223 for quite a poor service, actually.

[tigerram]

I've been following this thread for a while, and just wanted to chime in to say that we've been waiting nearly 13 weeks now (same story: practically instantaneous acknowledgement of receipt and removal of the payment funds, and nothing since). It's been frustrating and nerve wrecking, to say the least. I am curious to know when those of you who have been waiting longer (tigerram?) finally hear back, and hope that you will keep us updated.

Absolutely. I have been helped by others such as chacoclive and the least I can do is give back as well as take.

[Lissa6]

Hi again,

So I managed to get through on that number you sent me tigerram, the guy I spoke to said "there's no way they can tell anything about the renunciation, the only way to know they received it was that the took the money from my bank account.... and that it can take up to 6 months probably.:

So unfortunately no help! He also couldn't answer about how they send it back - by post office or by courier.

I guess we just sit in this waiting game! We are supposed to be in the UK by December.. So here is praying we get it by then! But you are right... quite poor service for the 223 pound and postage paid!

We are also thinking of going to a different EU country like you White Emerald.. but as tigerram says, you might change jobs etc and the next day get your paperwork.. which makes all this even more frustrating!!