When applying for entry clearance, leave to remain or leave to enter at port, or on each return to the UK with non-lapsing leave, is there a minimum period of validity required on your passport?

The Immigration Rules in the simplified routes require provision of a passport or other travel document which satisfactorily establishes the applicant’s identity and nationality, as a validity requirement for entry clearance, leave to remain or, where relevant, leave to enter. Eg Immigration Rules, Appendix Skilled Worker, in the validity requirements, provides that:

‘SW 1.2. An application for entry clearance or permission to stay as a Skilled Worker must meet all the following requirements:

[…] (c) the applicant must have provided a passport or other travel document which satisfactorily establishes their identity and nationality’

Similar wording is found in the validity requirements in the Visitor Rules (at Immigration Rules, Appendix V: Visitor, para V 2.3.

In this context, a passport must be valid (see, eg Visit caseworker guidance/Visit: validity requirements for applications for visit visas and permission to stay as a visitor).

This is because, ‘passport’