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Guidance

Cancelling British passports: caseworker guidance

Tells HM Passport Office staff how to physically and electronically cancel a British passport.

Updates to this page

From:
HM Passport Office
Published:
13 January 2012
Last updated:
25 September 2026
Show all updates

  1. This guidance has been updated to add a new section: When a customer needs to cancel their own British passport.

  2. This guidance has been updated: to remove references to Application Management System (AMS); in the Cancelling a British passport in error section; in the Cancelling UK series C and series D e-passports (blue e-passport) section to explain how to cancel the new series D e-passport; in the How to securely destroy a passport section to explain how to destroy the new series D e-passport.

  3. This guidance has been updated to remove instructions to transfer application to AMS (Application Management System); change terminology from ‘overseas’ to ‘international’ when referring to local services; reflect changes in passport operational systems; and remove references to Application Management System (AMS).

  4. This guidance has been updated. A full list of the changes is available in the document.

  5. Updated guidance.

  6. Accessible version added.

  7. This guidance has been updated to tell you when you need to manually cancel passports on Main Index.

  8. First published.

Documents

Cancelling British passports

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Details

This guidance tells HM Passport Office staff:

  • how and when to physically cancel all types of British passports
  • how to electronically cancel a passport record
  • how to securely destroy a British passport if necessary
  • how and when we will tell customers to physically cancel their own British passport

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