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 Order 1996 and shall come into force on 14th August 1996.
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 1995(4) is hereby revoked.
N. H. Nicholls
Clerk of the Privy Council
SCHEDULETABLE OF CONSULAR FEES
PART INOTARIAL 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 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 Acts 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 IIPASSPORTS, 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
18.00
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
27.00
14. Issuing a collective passport
40.00
15. Amending an existing passport by adding the particulars of a child or children
5.00
16. Amending an existing passport by amending the holder’s name at the request of the holder, or issuing a replacement passport which contains such amendment
5.00
17. Amending an existing passport by adding a fresh photograph or amending the holder’s description, or issuing a replacement passport which contains such addition or amendment
except where the holder was under 16 years of age at the date of issue of the existing passport
5.00
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
10.00
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 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
130.00
(ii)for settlement
210.00
(iii)for marriage ... ... ... ...210.00
(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
210.00
(d)a confirmation of 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
210.00
(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 IIIMARRIAGES, 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 “certificat de coutume” for an intended marriage in accordance with the local law
35.00
29. Registering a birth or death
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 where applicable
35.00
PART IVSEARCHES
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)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 VESTATES
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 value2% 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 VIATTENDANCES
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 VIIMATTERS 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 VIIIREPATRIATION 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 IXSHIPPING, 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
40.00
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)
50. Signing and, if required, sealing any documents at the request of the master of the ship
40.00
except where—
(a)
this is required under the Merchant Shipping Acts, or
(b)
fee 49 is taken
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
30.00
except where fee 49 is taken in addition to fee 35
(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 1995. As a result of a review of the costs involved in providing the various services some consular fees are being increased and some decreased. The overall effect is an average increase of approximately 20% and represents a further step towards eventual full cost recovery.
The Order also repeals the fees for issuing a British Visitor’s passport, a visa for passing through the United Kingdom without entering it where the applicant is under 25 years of age and a single visit entry clearance where the applicant is under 25 years of age (as these documents are no longer issued).
(1)
1980 c. 23.
(2)
1892 c. 23.
(3)
1906 c. 40.
(4)
S.I. 1995/1617.
(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.
