The Consular Fees (No. 2) Order 1999

Statutory Instruments

1999 No. 3132

DIPLOMATIC SERVICE

The Consular Fees (No. 2) Order 1999

Made

24th November 1999

Coming into force

16th December 1999

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 24th day of November 1999

Present,

The Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty in Council

Her Majesty, in exercise of the powers conferred on Her by section 1(1) of the Consular Fees Act 1980(1) is pleased, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, to order, and it is hereby ordered, as follows:

1.  This Order may be cited as the Consular Fees (No. 2) Order 1999 and shall come into force on 16th December 1999.

2.  In this Order–

(a) “consular officer” means any person authorised by the Secretary of State to exercise consular functions, or functions in the United Kingdom which correspond with consular functions (including persons who are not, as well as persons who are, consular officers);

(b) “consular employee” means any person in the administrative or technical service of the consular post or diplomatic mission;

(c) “consular premises” means the building or parts of buildings used for the purposes of the consular post or diplomatic mission;

(d) “entry clearance” means a visa, entry certificate, entry permit or other document which, in accordance with the applicable immigration laws or rules, is to be taken as evidence of a person’s eligibility for entry into the United Kingdom, a dependency of the United Kingdom, or any other country or territory, as the case may be (but does not include a work permit);

(e) “replacement passport” means a passport issued in substitution for a valid passport in order to incorporate an addition or amendment thereto.

3.  The fees set forth in the table in the Schedule to this Order are prescribed to be levied by consular officers and by marriage officers under the Foreign Marriage Act 1892(2) and the Marriage with Foreigners Act 1906(3) in the execution of their duties, and the said table shall be construed as part of this Order.

4.  The Consular Fees Order 1999(4) is hereby revoked.

A.K. Galloway

Clerk of the Privy Council

SCHEDULE TABLE OF CONSULAR FEES

PART I NOTARIAL AND KINDRED MATTERS

Fee	£
1.  Preparing any certificate, declaration or document not otherwise provided for– (a) in standard form, per copy ... ... ... ...	20.00
(b) not in standard form, per 100 words– (i) in English ... ... ... ...	25.00
(ii) in any other language ... ... ... ...	40.00
2.  Preparing or signing, or both, a declaration of existence except in connection with pay or pensions payable by a department of Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom or of any other Government within the Commonwealth. ... ... ... ...	10.00
3.  — (1) Attesting or legalising a signature or seal except where– (a) the signature or seal is on a certificate or survey of foreign passenger ships running to or from the United Kingdom, or (b) the signature or seal is on a document required for the deposit or withdrawal of money in or from any British Post Office or other Government Savings Bank, or (c) the signature or seal is in connection with stocks or bonds on the registers of the Post Office, with Savings Bank Annuities or with the annuities granted direct by the National Debt Commissioners. ... ... ... ...	12.00
(2) Administering an oath or receiving a declaration or affirmation except where– (a) the oath, declaration or affirmation is made under the Merchant Shipping Act or in connection with the loss of a passport, or (b) fee 19, 24, 25, 27, 36 or 37 is to be taken. ... ... ... ...	30.00
4.  Supplying witnesses, for each witness ... ... ... ...	12.00
5.  Initialling alterations in any document not prepared by the consular officer or marking exhibits, for each initialling or marking ... ... ... ...	6.00
6.  Making or verifying (including certifying where necessary) a copy of a document– (a) in typescript or made by photographic process outside the consular premises, for each page ... ... ... ...	20.00
(b) by photographic process, if the copy is made in the consular premises, for each page (with a minimum charge of £15.00) ... ... ... ...	3.00
7.  Uniting documents and sealing the fastening (except where fee 37 is applicable), or affixing a photograph to a document not prepared by the consular officer and if necessary certifying it (except where fee 17 is applicable) ... ... ... ...	12.00
8.  Obtaining a legalisation or other certification from another authority upon any document ... ... ... ... in addition to costs, if any.	25.00
9.  Supplying certified copies of documents forming part of the records of a court which is, or was formerly, established under the Foreign Jurisdiction Acts 1890(5) and 1913(6)—for every page ... ... ... ...	35.00
10.  Making or verifying (including certifying where necessary) a translation in writing of a document or part of a document, for each 100 words or characters (or part thereof) in the foreign language– (a) from or into Amharic, Chinese, Japanese or Korean (three Japanese Kana being counted as one character when used independently) ... ... ... ...	40.00
(b) from or into any other language except where fee 27 or 39 is to be taken. ... ... ... ...	25.00
11.  Translating and interpreting viva voce (except where necessary for the performance of official duties)–for every 15 minutes ... ... ... ...	18.00

PART II PASSPORTS, VISAS AND KINDRED MATTERS

12.  Issuing a passport of not more than 32 pages which includes replacing an expired passport, and issuing a new passport of full validity when an original passport of restricted validity is unavailable– (a) for applications made by post in the UK (i) where the applicant is aged 16 years or over ... ... ... ...	28.00
(ii) where the applicant is under 16 years old (for a passport valid for 5 years) ... ... ... ...	14.80
(b) for applications made in person in the UK (i) where the applicant is aged 16 years or over ... ... ... ...	40.00
(ii) where the applicant is under 16 years old (for a passport valid for 5 years) ... ... ... ...	26.80
(c) for applications made abroad (i) where the applicant is aged 16 years or over ... ... ... ...	49.00
(ii) where the applicant is under 16 years old (for a passport valid for 5 years) ... ... ... ...	29.00
13.  Issuing a passport of 48 pages which includes replacing an expired passport, and issuing a new passport of full validity when an original passport of restricted validity is unavailable– (a) for applications made by post in the UK ... ... ... ...	38.00
(b) for applications made in person in the UK ... ... ... ...	50.00
(c) for applications made abroad ... ... ... ...	60.00
14.  Issuing a collective passport– (a) for applications made by post in the UK ... ... ... ...	40.00
(b) for applications made in person in the UK ... ... ... ...	52.00
(c) for applications made abroad ... ... ... ...	50.00
15.  Amending or extending an existing passport (a) for applications made by post in the UK ... ... ... ...	17.00
(b) for applications made in person in the UK ... ... ... ...	29.00
(c) for applications made abroad ... ... ... ...	40.00
16.  Extending a passport to 10 years validity where the holder was under 16 years of age at the time of issue of the existing passport and the passport was issued for an initial 5 year period before 26th March 1998– (a) for postal applications in the UK ... ... ... ...	0.00
(b) for applications made in person in the UK ... ... ... ...	12.00
(c) for applications made abroad ... ... ... ...	0.00
17.  [WITHDRAWN]
18.  — (1) Receiving an application for– (a) entry clearance (other than for the United Kingdom or a dependency of the United Kingdom) ... ... ... ...	20.00
(b) entry clearance for a dependency of the United Kingdom ... ... ... ...	20.00
(2) Preparing or forwarding, or both, any letter, certificate, declaration or other document which may be required by an authority in any country or territory in connection with an application for or the issue or renewal of an entry clearance (for a country or territory for which the consular officer does not himself have authority to issue entry clearance), a residence permit or identity card or forwarding any other certificate or document (except a Home Office travel document and applications for registration and naturalisation) ... ... ... ...	35.00
(3) Preparing or forwarding, or both, an application for registration or naturalisation to the Home Office ... ... ... ...	35.00
19.  Issuing and, where required, preparing an Emergency Passport or other document not otherwise provided for in lieu of a passport, or accepting a Declaration of Identity on which a visa is to be granted and issuing a certificate on such declaration describing the applicant ... ... ... ...	30.00
20.  — (1) Receiving, outside the United Kingdom, an application for (a) a visa for passing through the United Kingdom without entering it ... ... ... ...	25.00
(b) entry clearance: (i) in respect of any of the following– for employment or self-employment for a period of six months or less, as a returning resident, as a visitor; as a student, as a passenger in transit, except where the sub-paragraph (a) above applies, as an “au pair”, for a working holiday, valid in each case in accordance with the following specified conditions for one entry ... ... ... ...	33.00
for multiple entries, valid for six months from the date of issue ... ... ... ...	45.00
for multiple entries, valid for one year from the date of issue ... ... ... ...	55.00
for multiple entries, valid for two years from the date of issue ... ... ... ...	65.00
for multiple entries, valid for five years from the date of issue ... ... ... ...	80.00
(ii) for settlement ... ... ... ...	240.00
(iii) for marriage ... ... ... ...	240.00
(iv) for any purpose other than those listed in sub-paragraphs (i) to (iii) above ... ... ... ...	50.00
(c) a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode ... ... ... ... or such sums (being the equivalent of fees charged by the authorities or any State for receiving or granting an application for an entry clearance to a British citizen) as the Secretary of State, with the consent of the Treasury, directs to be taken for receiving or granting an application for an entry clearance from a national or citizen of that State.	100.00
(2) Receiving in the United Kingdom an application made in the United Kingdom for a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode. ... ... ... ...	20.00
21.  Renewing a Travel Certificate, a certificate of identity or other travel document on behalf of a Commonwealth country or of a dependency of a Commonwealth country except where fee 23 is to be taken. ... ... ... ...	35.00
22.  Renewing a Travel Certificate, a certificate of identity or other travel document on behalf of a dependency of the United Kingdom except where fee 23 is to be taken. ... ... ... ...	35.00
23.  Revalidating or renewing a Seaman’s Certificate of Nationality and Identity or a Seaman’s Identity Book in addition to fee 18 where applicable. ... ... ... ...	35.00

PART III MARRIAGES, BIRTHS AND DEATHS

24.  Receiving notice of an intended marriage ... ... ... ...	35.00
25.  Solemnising or attending a marriage under the Foreign Marriage Acts 1892 to 1947 (as amended)(7), administering oaths to the parties and registering the marriage ... ... ... ...	75.00
26.  Issuing in English or in the local language a certificate that no impediment to an intended marriage has been shown to exist ... ... ... ...	35.00
27.  Transmitting a record of a marriage under the local law to the appropriate Registrar General in accordance with Article 7(1) of the Foreign Marriage Order 1970(8), including the provision of any necessary certification ... ... ... ...	20.00
28.  Issuing a “certificate de coutume” for an intended marriage in accordance with the local law ... ... ... ...	35.00
29.  Registering a birth or death in addition to fee 31 where applicable. ... ... ... ...	55.00
30.  Making an addition to or correction in the consular register of births, deaths or marriages at the request of the parties concerned ... ... ... ...	20.00
31.  Furnishing a certified copy of an entry in the consular register of births, deaths or marriages in addition to fee 32 or fee 29 where applicable. ... ... ... ...	35.00

PART IV SEARCHES

32.  Making a search in– (a) the consular registers of births, deaths or marriages where the number or date of entry is not provided ... ... ... ...	35.00
(b) the records of the United Kingdom Passport Agency where the request originates in the UK. ... ... ... ...	10.00
(c) any other records or archives of Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom ... ... ... ... in addition to fee 31 where applicable.	72.00
33.  Having a search made for, or obtaining copies of, or both, entries in the local registers or records not kept by a consular officer for an entry in a local register of births, deaths or marriages or for any other document in addition to costs exceeding £5.00. ... ... ... ...	72.00

PART V ESTATES

34.  Administering in full or in part, safeguarding, or arranging the transmission of all or part of the personal effects and other estate of a deceased person or proceeds thereof, excepting the wages and personal effects of a seaman and except where the gross current market value is less than £1,000, on the amount of the gross current market value…2% rounded to the nearest £10.00 but with a fee, where a local lawyer is employed and the matters or things to be done by the consular officer are nominal, of ... ... ... ...

45.00

PART VI ATTENDANCES

35.  Attending (except in connection with commercial enquiries) for each hour or lesser period, including if appropriate the time taken in proceeding from a reasonable point of departure and in returning to a reasonable point– (a) at the consular premises or elsewhere during customary business hours except that where the attendance is for the purpose of supervising an examination and two or more persons are sitting examinations at the same time the fee may be apportioned between them;	72.00
(b) at the consular premises or elsewhere outside customary business hours ... ... ... ...	72.00
with a maximum in any one period of 24 hours for each consular officer of ... ... ... ...	520.00

PART VII MATTERS RELATING TO LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

36.  Presiding at the taking of evidence under a commission or order from a Court, including any matter or thing done by the consular officer as examiner– (a) for the first two hours or less on the first day ... ... ... ...	144.00
(b) for each additional hour or less ... ... ... ...	72.00
37.  Providing evidence of service or attempted service in addition to fee 35 or 38. ... ... ... ...	72.00
38.  Providing the services of a consular officer or consular employee– (a) to assist the consular officer in the taking of evidence under a commission or order from a Court, for each such person–for each hour or less ... ... ... ...	72.00
(b) to effect or endeavour to effect service of a document, for each hour or shorter period elsewhere than at the consular premises– during customary business hours ... ... ... ...	72.00
outside customary business hours ... ... ... ...	90.00
39.  Forwarding a request to a local authority for the taking of evidence or the service of a document, where necessary, certifying the accuracy of a translation accompanying the document ... ... ... ...	72.00

PART VIII REPATRIATION AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

40.  Arranging the repatriation of a person or a group of persons of the same family and travelling together ... ... ... ...	72.00
41.  Arranging for currency to be made available against the payment of a sterling cheque or against the deposit elsewhere of funds with or to the order of Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom in addition to fee 35 where applicable. ... ... ... ...	36.00

PART IX SHIPPING, SEAMEN AND KINDRED MATTERS

42.  Granting or considering whether to grant a provisional certificate of registry, whether the owner is a private individual or body corporate ... ... ... ...	210.00
43.  Receiving a return of the birth or death of any person on board a ship and endorsing the agreement with the crew accordingly ... ... ... ...	30.00
44.  Examining or arranging for the examination of provisions or water, payable by the party who proves to be in default in addition to the cost, if any, of survey. ... ... ... ...	30.00
45.  Noting a marine protest and furnishing one certified copy if required ... ... ... ...	25.00
for every further copy ... ... ... ...	25.00
46.  Extending a marine protest, filing the original and furnishing one certified copy if required– (a) for any number of words up to 200, excluding the declaratory clause ... ... ... ...	60.00
(b) for every subsequent 100 words or less ... ... ... ... in addition to fees 1 and 3 where applicable.	25.00
47.  Making a request, or issuing or arranging for the issue of a document, in connection with a survey of a ship– (a) for the purposes of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 1974(9) (SOLAS) or of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships 1973(10) as modified by its Protocol of 1978(11) (MARPOL) ... ... ... ...	40.00
(b) for any other purpose ... ... ... ... in addition to fee 6 where applicable.	72.00
48.  Issuing a bill of health ... ... ... ...	25.00
49.  Preparing or signing, or both, any document, whether required by the Merchant Shipping Acts or by the local authorities, relating to the master or the members of the crew of a ship, to their numbers, names or other details, or to their engagement, discharge, desertion or death except where– (a) fee 43 is taken in addition to fee 35, or (b) a death inquiry is held under section 271 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995(12). ... ... ... ...	40.00
50.  Signing and, if required, sealing any documents at the request of the master of the ship except where– (a) this is required under the Merchant Shipping Acts, or (b) fee 49 is taken. ... ... ... ...	40.00
51.  Inspecting– (a) a ship’s papers when required to enable a consular officer to do any matter or thing in respect of a ship ... ... ... ... except where fee 49 is taken in addition to fee 35.	30.00
(b) the marking of a ship, irrespective of the number of visits ... ... ... ... in addition to fee 35	30.00

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order revokes and replaces the Consular Fees Order 1999.

The Order sets out the fees to be charged for consular services. The overall effect is to continue the drive towards full cost recovery for fee-bearing consular services by revising charges for passport services.

Overseas passport fees are raised from £43 to £49 (standard adult passport), and from £50 to £60 (48 page passport). The fee for amending an existing passport will be increased from £30 to £40. Children’s passports, valid for five years, will be issued at an increased cost of £29 rather than £25. The fee for an emergency passport will be increased from £20 to £30.

Home passport fees are raised from £21 to £28 (postal applications for standard passport), and from £31 to £40 (personal applications for standard passport). The fee for amending an existing passport will be increased from £11 to £17 (postal applications), and from £21 to £29 (personal applications). The fee for a 48 page passport will be increased from £31 to £38 (postal applications) and from £41 to £50 (personal applications). Children’s passports, valid for five years, will be issued at an increased cost of £14.80 rather than £11 (postal applications) and £26.80 compared to £21 (personal applications). The fee for extending a five year children’s passport issued before 26th March 1998 for another five years will increase from £10 to £12 when such an application is made in person. The fee for a collective passport will be increased from £50 to £52 where an application is made in person.

(1)

1980 c. 23.

(2)

1892 c. 23.

(3)

1906 c. 40.

(4)

S.I. 1999/655.

(5)

1890 c. 37.

(6)

1913 c. 16.

(7)

1892 c. 23, 1934 c. 13, 1947 c. 33, 1988 c. 44.

(8)

S.I. 1970/1539.

(9)

Cmnd. 7874.

(10)

Cmnd. 5748.

(11)

Cmnd. 7347.

(12)

1995 c. 21.