The Consular Fees Order 1995

Made: 28th June 1995

Coming into force: 20th July 1995

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 28th day of June 1995 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[^f00001] 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 1995 and shall come into force on 20th July 1995.

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[^f00002] and the Marriage with Foreigners Act 1906[^f00003] in the execution of their duties, and the said table shall be construed as part of this Order.

4

The following Orders are hereby revoked—

• The Consular Fees Order 1994[^f00004]

• The Consular Fees (Amendment) Order 1994[^f00005].

SCHEDULE — TABLE OF CONSULAR FEES

PART I — Notarial and Kindred Matters

1

Preparing any certificate, declaration or document not otherwise provided for—

2

Preparing or signing, or both, a declaration of existence

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

4

Supplying witnesses, for each witness

5

Initialling alterations in any document not prepared by the consular officer or marking exhibits, for each initialling or marking

6

Making or verifying (including certifying where necessary) a copy of a document—

7

Uniting documents and sealing the fastening (except where fee 38 is applicable), or affixing a photograph to a document not prepared by the consular officer and if necessary certifying it (except where fee 18 is applicable)

8

Obtaining a legalisation or other certification from another authority upon any document

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[^f00006] and 1913[^f00007]—

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—

11

Translating and interpreting viva voce (except where necessary for the performance of official duties)—

PART II — Passports, Visas and Kindred Material

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

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

14

—

• (1) Issuing a British Visitor’s passport except where fee 14(2) is applicable

15

Issuing a collective passport

16

Amending an existing passport by adding the particulars of a child or children

17

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

18

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

19

• (1) Receiving an application for—

20

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

21

• (1) Receiving, outside the United Kingdom, an application for

22

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

23

Renewing a Travel Certificate, a certificate of identity or other travel document on behalf of a dependency of the United Kingdom

24

Revalidating or renewing a Seaman’s Certificate of Nationality and Identity or a Seaman’s Identity Book

PART III — MARRIAGES, BIRTHS AND DEATHS

25

Receiving notice of an intended marriage

26

Solemnising or attending a marriage under the Foreign Marriage Acts 1892 to 1947 (as amended)[^f00008], administering oaths to the parties and registering the marriage

27

Issuing in English or in the local language a certificate that no impediment to an intended marriage has been shown to exist

28

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[^f00009], including the provision of any necessary certification

29

Issuing a “certificat de coutume” for an intended marriage in accordance with the local law

30

Registering a birth or death

31

Making an addition to or correction in the consular register of births, deaths or marriages at the request of the parties concerned

32

Furnishing a certified copy of an entry in the consular register of births, deaths or marriages

PART IV — SEARCHES

33

Making a search in—

34

Having a search made for, or obtaining copies of, or both, entries in the local registers or records not kept by a consular officer—

PART V — ESTATES

35

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

PART VI — ATTENDANCES

36

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—

PART VII — MATTERS RELATING TO LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

37

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—

38

Providing evidence of service or attempted service

39

Providing the services of a consular officer or consular employee—

40

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

PART VIII — REPATRIATION AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

41

Arranging the repatriation of a person or a group of persons of the same family and travelling together

42

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

PART IX — SHIPPING, SEAMEN AND KINDRED MATTERS

43

Granting or considering whether to grant a provisional certificate of registry, whether the owner is a private individual or body corporate

44

Receiving a return of the birth or death of any person on board a ship and endorsing the agreement with the crew accordingly

45

Examining or arranging for the examination of provisions or water, payable by the party who proves to be in default

46

Noting a marine protest and furnishing one certified copy if required

47

Extending a marine protest, filing the original and furnishing one certified copy if required—

48

Making a request, or issuing or arranging for the issue of a document, in connection with a survey of a ship—

49

Issuing a bill of health

50

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

51

Signing and, if required, sealing any documents at the request of the master of the ship

52

Inspecting—

Signed

N. H. Nicholls — Clerk of the Privy Council

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order revokes and replaces the Consular Fees Order 1994 and the Consular Fees (Amendment) Order 1994. It increases some consular fees by amounts that are intended to meet, to some extent, the increase in the cost of providing the services. The increase is a step towards eventual full cost recovery. The average increase is approximately 60 per cent.

The Order also repeals the fee for issuing an excursion document for travel to France (as this document is no longer issued) and makes new provision for the issuing of a multiple entry clearance valid for one year.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1980 c. 23.

[^f00002]: 1892 c. 23.

[^f00003]: 1906 c. 40.

[^f00004]: S.I. 1994/2793.

[^f00005]: S.I. 1994/3202.

[^f00006]: 1890 c. 37.

[^f00007]: 1913 c. 16.

[^f00008]: 1892 c. 23, 1934 c. 13, 1947 c. 33, 1988 c. 44.

[^f00009]: S.I. 1970/1539.

[^f00010]: Cmnd. 7874.

[^f00011]: Cmnd. 5748.

[^f00012]: Cmnd. 7347.

[^f00013]: 1970 c. 36.