Guidance

Basic passport checks

To be used when checking passports for identification.

• From: HM Passport Office
• Published: 9 February 2011
• Last updated: 28 January 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 28 January 2026

     The guidance has been updated

  2. 1 December 2025

     Updated guidance to include the new series D passport design introduced in 2025.

  3. 19 May 2022

     Accessible HTML version added.

  4. 22 February 2020

     Updated to remove references to DX.

  5. 18 September 2018

     Updated to reflect extended validity

  6. 9 December 2015

     Updated guidance

  7. 9 February 2011

     First published.

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

Basic passport checks (accessible)

HTML

Basic passport checks

PDF, 5.13 MB, 26 pages

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Details

This document is to be used when checking passports for identification.

It covers the important information of what to expect, plus additional notes for the 1988, 1998, 2006, 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2025 versions of the UK passport.