Complaints procedure

If you're not satisfied with the service received when applying for a passport or dealing with the General Register Office, you can make a complaint by phone or email, or in writing.

What you can expect from us

We aim to provide a high standard of customer service in all our dealings with customers. You can expect:

  • staff to be polite, helpful and professional

  • passports to be issued in line with our published standards

  • details on your passport to be correct and your supporting documents to be returned promptly

  • registration certificates to be issued in line with our published standards from the General Register Office (GRO)

  • special provisions and services for people with disabilities

  • clear and helpful explanations from our staff if you are denied a British passport because of citizenship or on other grounds

Passports

Step 1

If you have a complaint about how we handled your passport application, please contact our customer contact centre by phone, in writing or by using our online enquiry form.

Phone

0300 222 0000 Textphone 0300 222 0222 Text Relay 18001 0300 222 0000

Write to
HM Passport Office
PO Box 767
SOUTHPORT
PR8 9PW

Online

Complete our passport enquiries form.

When you write to us, please provide:

  • full details of the problem
  • the name and date of birth of the person the passport was for
  • the date the application form was sent to us
  • which of our offices the application form was sent to
  • the barcode number from the application form, if you have a note of it
  • the passport number, if you have one
  • information so we can contact you (name, address, postcode, day and evening phone numbers, and a fax number and email address if you have these)
  • the date and time of your appointment and an appointment reference number if you visited one of our offices to get your passport.

When we receive your complaint, we will investigate and let you know what went wrong and advise you what we are doing to put things right. We will contact you within 15 working days from receiving your complaint, either with a full reply or to let you know what is happening if we have not finished our investigation.

Step 2

If you have followed step 1 and are not satisfied with our response, you can ask us to review your complaint.

Step 3

If you have followed steps 1 and 2 and are still not satisfied, you can escalate your complaint to the Independent Examiner of Complaints (IEC) within 3 months of receiving our response.

Email iec@homeoffice.gov.uk or write to:

PO Box 6147
Sheffield
S2 9JD

If you decide to escalate your complaint to the IEC team, you will need to provide them with a copy of the final review response.

Step 4

If you are still not satisfied, you can ask your MP to request an investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (the Ombudsman). You can only do this through your MP.

The Ombudsman’s role is to investigate complaints by members of the public about the way government departments, and their executive agencies, have treated them.

Compensation

We realise that sometimes our mistakes may cause you expense or financial loss. In these cases, you should follow the instructions in step 1 and write us a letter. You should send any documents that prove your claim with the letter. We only normally offer compensation for financial loss which has occurred as a direct consequence of an error made by the General Register Office.

General Register Office

Please note that GRO does not deal with passports. For passport complaints, please see the information above.

If you have a complaint or enquiry about our service, please contact our customer contact centre by using our online enquiry form, by phone or in writing.

Online

If your complaint relates to a certificate which you have ordered from GRO, you can use our certificate service order enquiries form to send us a message.

When you submit this form, it will generate an email to us with the details you have supplied.

By phone

0300 123 1837 (+44 300 123 1837 if you are calling from overseas)

Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm

Saturday: 9am to 1pm

Our contact centre staff will do their utmost to put things right. If we cannot give you an immediate answer, we will agree a convenient time to call you back, as we may need to arrange for someone with more detailed knowledge to speak to you.

In writing

Customer Services Manager
Room C1.11
General Register Office
HM Passport Office
Trafalgar Road
Southport
PR8 2HH

Please provide:

  • full details of the problem

  • a reference number (you should already have one if this is an ongoing case) or a certificate order number (this is usually found in the top right-hand corner of any letter we have sent you or provided at the time of ordering a certificate)

  • contact details (name, address, postcode, day and evening phone numbers, and an email address if you have these)

When we receive your complaint, we will let you know we have received it (if it was a letter or email), investigate it and respond to you within 20 days, either with a full reply or to let you know what is happening if we have not finished our investigation.

Please remember that while we always aim to provide the best possible service, we have to work within the provisions set out in legislation covering the work of our office.

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