Until the First World War it was not necessary to have a passport in order to migrate. Early passports were issued to merchants and to government and court officials to ensure safe conduct in foreign countries and the British West Indies were not considered foreign countries.

Passports were also issued to foreigners who wished to go to British colonies. From 1917 most migrants needed passports to leave or arrive in the colonies or foreign countries.

British passports were issued by the Foreign Office and some information can be found in the National Archives - please note that there are no application forms. See passport leaflet for further information.

The colonial secretary also issued passports to people wishing to go to the colonies. Correspondence relating to passes issued between 1796 and 1818 is in CO 323/97-116; later correspondence can be found in the relevant Colonial Office correspondence series. Most of the earlier passes were issued to Dutch merchants and planters wishing to travel to the newly captured colonies of Surinam and Demerara (Guyana).

Under the Colonial Regulations of 1868, governors were authorised to issue passports to people naturalised in the colonies. However, it was not until 23 September 1891 that governors were permitted to issue passports to British born subjects, although some had already been doing this. Colonial passport registers and any application forms may survive in the relevant country's archive or immigration department.

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