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HM Passport Office: passports policy

Passports policy publications.

Updates to this page

From:
HM Passport Office
Published:
7 February 2012
Last updated:
19 June 2026
Show all updates

  1. Added a link to the Mother and baby institutions, Magdalene Laundries and workhouses caseworker guidance.

  2. Added the document Complaints: handling overview and Definition of parent for nationality purposes.

  3. Published a new document: 'Welsh language: Digital Fast Track and Premium service applications'.

  4. Added Duplicate applications guidance.

  5. Added link to Nationality: diplomatic privileges,

  6. Added caseworker guidance: 'Returning documents on live applications' and 'Nationality: Crown, Designated and EU community service'.

  7. Published the caseworker guide on historic passport information.

  8. Added caseworker guidance on connected applications.

  9. Added Paper Post Office Limited Check and Send: how a customer applies: caseworker guidance.

  10. Added Digital Fast Track: caseworker guidance and Digital Check & Send (tablet) service: caseworker guidance.

  11. Added a link to paper application: how a customer applies: caseworker guidance.

  12. New guidance added "DAP: His Majesty’s Armed Forces passport applications".

  13. Added premium service: who can apply: caseworker guidance.

  14. Added Uncollected passports from the counter: caseworker guidance.

  15. Added Posting passports and documents: caseworker guidance.

  16. Added a link to refusing passport applications and passport facilities: caseworker guidance.

  17. Added EU Settlement Scheme: what the EU Settlement Scheme is

  18. Added data protection: caseworker guidance.

  19. Added 'Counter collections' guidance.

  20. Added 'Check if a parent would have had settled status on 30 June 2021'.

  21. Added EU Settlement Scheme: child born 28 August 2018 to 30 June 2021 and One passport per person.

  22. New guidance added: EU Settlement Scheme: customer granted pre-settled status and EU Settlement Scheme: child born on or after 1 July 2021.

  23. Added 'Sign after receipt' guidance.

  24. Added the guidance on Renunciation.

  25. Added Faulty passports: caseworker guidance

  26. Added a link to the expedited service caseworker guidance.

  27. Added the documents Urgent government business or compassionate reasons: how to deal with requests and Urgent government business or compassionate reasons: processing the application.

  28. Guidance on confirming identity checks added.

  29. Added caseworker guidance about: Complaints: MP enquiries, Definition of "the customer", How to deal with customers of different ages, Passport litigation and Right of Abode certificates.

  30. Added link to Knowledge Base profiles for countries and territories beginning with the letters G to L and those beginning with Q to S.

  31. Added 4 caseworker guides: 'Confirming consent from third parties', 'Local Services, how a customer applies', 'Parents and grandparents, why we need their details' and 'UK immigration permissions'.

  32. Added 'Old blue (hardback style) passports: caseworker guidance'.

  33. Added surrogacy caseworker guidance.

  34. Four new pieces of caseworker guidance about parental responsibility have been added.

  35. Added new guidance on Authorisation and consent.

  36. EU Settlement Scheme: passport staff guidance has been added.

  37. Added guidance on copyright and trademarks and on customer queries about foreign travel.

  38. Added guidance on assisted reproduction.

  39. Added guidance on braille stickers.

  40. Added 'suicide and self-harm: supporting vulnerable customers'.

  41. Added links to Knowledge Base profiles.

  42. Added updated information on specimen passports, HMPO names policy, names we use in passports, name related case notes, how to show uncommon names in passports, and signatures that do not match a customer's name.

  43. Added Knowledge Base: caseworker guidance.

  44. Added British Citizenship guidance.

  45. Withdrawing passports and passport facilities caseworker guidance added.

  46. Added new guidance on birth registrations.

  47. Guidance on vulnerability considerations, Windrush applications and withdrawing applications added.

  48. Added new guidance on dealing with customer documents.

  49. Added new guidance on naturalisation and registration certificates.

  50. Guidance on customers who are unable to sign their passports published.

  51. Guidance on authorisation and consent published.

  52. Added guidance on Deceased person's passport.

  53. Added a new version of the Legitimacy and domicile document.

  54. Guidance added on 'Interviews: overview of the interview process' and 'Digital premium service: how a customer applies'.

  55. Added guidance on Home Office issued documents.

  56. New tiered application service: the service levels we provide, Home Office issued documents and Travel documents issued by UK government offices staff guidance added.

  57. New British overseas territories citizens guidance added.

  58. New British national (overseas) passport processing added.

  59. Removed link to guidance on 'Counter services and upgrades' as it is now out of date.

  60. New 'How we communicate with customers' staff guidance added.

  61. Added new guidance: "Urgent government business or compassionate travel".

  62. Added new guidance: "Delivery addresses for passports and documents" and "British overseas citizen passports". The following guidance is out of date and has been removed: "Passports: marriage guidance", "General information and application types", "Civil partnership", "Children's applications", "Posting passports and documents".

  63. Added new British protected persons, British subject status, passport printing and collective passport guidance.

  64. Added documents: "Digital referee: how to examine" and "Recording decisions, case notes and passport notes".

  65. Added new publication: "confirming identity: countersignatory and digital referees".

  66. New date of birth and place and country of birth guidance which replaces the date and place of birth guidance.

  67. New guidance on DNA testing for British passport applications added.

  68. New 'Confirming identity: checking a signature is genuine' and 'Crisis situations: supporting our customers' guidance added.

  69. New passport cancellations: malicious lost and stolen reports guidance added.

  70. Added guidance on 'Types of British passports'.

  71. New diplomatic and official service: passports and observations and how to decide if an application is a UK or overseas submission added.

  72. Added guidance on 'Balance of probabilities', 'Supporting documents not available' and 'Names that cannot be used in passports'.

  73. Added guidance on 'Names: aligning names on foreign documents', 'Names: evidence to change a name', 'Names: change of name passport applications' and 'Cancelling passports: non-payment of child maintenance'.

  74. Added 'Safeguarding: consent issues' guidance.

  75. 'Titles' guidance updated.

  76. Added concessionary passports guidance.

  77. Added link to new guidance on reimbursing out of pocket expenses.

  78. Additional passports guidance added.

  79. HM Forces applications document updated.

  80. Guidance on posting methods for passports and documents added.

  81. First published.

Information and guidance on HM Passport Office passport policy.

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