Confirming ID: referees

Question 1

1. About: Confirming ID: referees

Accepted Answer

This guidance tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff:

about the purpose of a person who confirms a customer identity
about the criteria to be a person, who confirms a customer’s identity,
when staff may use discretion (when examining a person who confirms a customer identity)

1.1 Contacts

If you have any questions about the guidance and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the guidance has factual errors then email Guidance & Quality, Operating Standards.

If you notice any formatting errors in this guidance (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the guidance then you can email Guidance & Quality, Operating Standards.

1.2 Publication

Below is information on when this version of the guidance was published:

version 12.0
published for Home Office staff on 28 March 2023

1.3 Changes from last version of this guidance

This guidance has been updated to:

clarify you do not need to ask for a colour photocopy of an Irish passport
replace references to Teleperformance with Contact Centre

Question 2

2. What a referee is and why we need them

Accepted Answer

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff, what a referee is, and why and when we need a referee.

We use the term referee in guidance to refer to a person who is confirming a customer’s identity however, guidance for customers may use different terminology.

A customer will be asked to provide a:

digital referee when they apply using the Digital Customer Service (DCS) channel
paper referee (using a paper 1 page form) when they apply using the DCS channel and cannot provide a digital referee
paper referee (countersignature) when they apply using a paper SE04 or OS application form

Customer guidance may refer to the referee on a paper form as the ‘countersignatory’ but in this guidance we call this person the countersignature.

2.1 Why we need a referee

We ask referees to confirm the customer’s photo is a true likeness and corroborate (countersign) their personal details on the passport application. Referees help us to:

confirm a customer’s identity
confirm the information given by the customer is true (to the best of their knowledge)
maintain the integrity of the British passport
safeguard (protect) vulnerable customers
prevent passport fraud

To help us identify and prevent fraud we will complete standard identity checks to:

check the referee’s identity
confirm the identity of the customer

We will tell the customer they need to provide a referee when they make their application. Sometimes we will ask the customer to get a referee during processing (for example, because their appearance has changed since we issued their old passport).

2.2 When we need a referee

If a customer is applying for a British passport, our customer guidance asks them to provide a referee, when they:

apply for their first adult passport
replace their adult passport that has been damaged, lost or stolen
apply for a child’s first passport
renew a child passport (for children under the age of 12)
replace a child passport that has been damaged, lost or stolen

See Who can be a referee, for the criteria to be a digital referee, paper referee (1 page form) and paper referee (countersignature).

When we need a digital referee

DCS (Digital Customer Service) uses the personal information provided by the customer to:

decide if they need to provide a digital referee in line with When we need a referee
direct them to provide a digital referee

If DCS decides the customer must provide a digital referee, they will not be able to proceed through the DCS journey without a digital referee (unless they provide a paper referee (1 page form), see below) instead.

When we need a paper referee (1 page form)

DCS will tell the customer to provide a paper referee (1 page form) if the customer applies using DCS, but cannot find someone to be a digital referee, as they do not meet the online criteria.

When we need a paper referee (countersignature)

We will ask the customer to provide a paper referee (countersignature) when they:

meet the criteria in line with When we need a referee
renew their adult passport and their appearance has changed or we cannot recognise them from their current passport
renew a child passport (for children aged 12 to 15) if their appearance has changed or we cannot recognise them from their current passport

We may also need a paper referee (countersignature) when the confirming identity checks guidance tells you to ask for one.

2.3 Customer does not provide a referee

Customers who apply for a First time passport must provide a referee. If they do not provide a referee, you must ask for one.

However, for other application types, if a customer has not provided a referee and you do not need one (for example, you can clearly identify the customer from passport records), you must explain your decision in a case note.

If you decide you do need a referee you must ask the customer to provide one. For example, when you:

are dealing with a first time passport application and the customer did not provide a referee
cannot identify the customer from passport records
need to replace a current referee who is unacceptable

Question 3

3. Who can be a referee

Accepted Answer

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff about the criteria to be a referee (a person who can confirm a customer’s identity).

A referee must be:

a person of ‘good standing’ in the community and someone who
- has personally known the customer for at least 2 years
- works in a recognised profession (or who has retired from one)
- will lose something, if they falsely countersign an application (for example, it will have a negative impact on their life if they made a false declaration)
- has a passport we can use to check their identity
able to confirm the:
- customer’s identity
- customer’s photo is a true likeness
- information the customer gives on the application is true and correct, to the best of their knowledge
able to confirm a child’s identity (for their application), the:
- identity of the person making the application on the child’s behalf
- identity of the child
- relationship between the person making the application and the child
able to, if a third party makes an application on the customer’s behalf, confirm the:
- identity of the third party that is making the application
- identity of the person who the passport is for
- relationship between the third party and the customer

3.1 Who can be a referee for a customer applying from the UK

A referee for a customer who applies in the UK, must:

live in the UK
be 18 years old or over
pass our automatic identity checks (if they are a digital referee)
complete the 1 page form (if they are a paper referee (1 page form))
complete section 10 of the SE04 (if they are a paper referee (countersignature))
hold a British passport:
- that must be current (unexpired) and on Main Index, if they are a digital referee
- that is current (unexpired) or expired but it must be an uncancelled, digital, biometric, or machine-readable passport (we cannot accept the referee if their passport is an Old Blue passport) if they are a paper referee
hold an Irish passport which is current (unexpired) and provide their details as:
- a paper referee (1 page form)
- a paper referee (countersignature)

3.2 Who can be a referee for a customer applying from overseas

A referee for a customer who applies from overseas, must:

live in the UK or overseas (this does not need to be the same country as the customer)
be 18 years old or over
pass our automatic identity checks (if they are a digital referee)
complete the 1 page form (if they are a paper referee (1 page form))
complete section 10 of the OS form (if they are a paper referee (countersignature))

They must hold (in order of preference):

a British passport (this includes any variant type passport or British nationality):
- that must be current (unexpired) and on Main Index if they are a digital referee
- that is current (unexpired) digital, biometric or machine-readable passport (we cannot accept the referee if their passport is an Old Blue passport) if they are a paper referee (1 page form)
- that is current (unexpired) or expired but it must be an uncancelled digital, biometric or machine-readable passport (we cannot accept the referee if their passport is an Old Blue passport) if they are a paper referee (countersignature)
a current (unexpired and uncancelled) Irish passport
a current (unexpired and uncancelled) European Union passport
a current (unexpired and uncancelled) United States passport
a current (unexpired and uncancelled) Commonwealth passport

3.3 Referee: automatic identity checks

If someone agrees to be a referee, they agree for us to run automatic identity checks on the information they give.

3.4 Referee: recognised professions

A referee must be in (or retired from) a recognised profession. However, you can apply discretion under certain circumstances, if needed (for example, if the person is unemployed). This list is an example of recognised professions.

It is not a complete list, and if the customer provides a referee with a similar profession, you must consider them in line with the overall requirements:

accountant
airline pilot
articled clerk of a limited company
assurance agent of a recognised company
bank or building society official
barrister
chairman or director of a limited company
chiropodist
commissioner of oaths
councillor (for example a local or county councillor)
civil servant
dentist
director, manager or personnel officer of a vat registered company
doctor
driving instructor (must be listed on the register of Approved Driving Instructors)
engineer (with professional qualifications)
fire service official
funeral director
financial services intermediary
insurance agent (full time) of a recognised company
journalist
justice of the peace
legal secretary (fellow or associate members of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs)
licensee of a public house
local government officer
manager or personnel officer of a limited company
minister of a recognised religion (including Christian Science)
MP’s
nurse, registered mental health nurse (RMN) or registered general nurse (RGN)
officers of the armed forces
optician
paralegal (certified paralegals, qualified paralegal and associate members of the institute of paralegals)
person with honours (for example, an OBE or MBE)
photographer (professional)
police officer
post office official
president or secretary of a recognised organisation
Salvation Army officer
social worker
solicitor
surveyor
teacher or lecturer
trade union official
travel agent (must hold a professional travel agent qualification)
valuers and auctioneers (fellow and associate members of the incorporated society)

The person confirming identity must declare their relationship to the customer, and some may tell us they are related to the customer.

You must always call the referee, before you reject them, if it is unclear if they are related to the customer.

Friends, family friends or a relative’s friend or partner (for example, cousin’s partner) can be accepted. If the person has described their relationship as ‘godparent’, for example, you can accept them if they are not related (a close family member).

You must not accept a referee if they are related to the customer, for example by birth, marriage or civil partnership, divorce, or adoption. You must reject them if they are:

a relative or member of their close family (for example, siblings, in laws, cousins, step-parents)
a relative of their partners family (for example, siblings, cousins, step-parents)
in a relationship or partnership similar to marriage (for example partners, whether or not they live together)

3.6 Referee: professions and relationships we cannot accept

A person cannot confirm a customer’s identity if they are:

living at the same address or related
a doctor, unless they know the customer well (for example, they are a friend, not a patient)
an overseas agent helping the customer with their application (for example, a solicitor or commissioner of oaths)
HM Passport Office staff or contractors currently working for HM Passport Office
UK Visas and Immigration staff (UKVI), dealing with applications for British citizenship or right of abode in the UK
a civil servant, providing a service on behalf of HM Passport Office
Sopra Steria Ltd. staff, providing a service on behalf of HM Passport Office

Acting as a referee: civil service staff

Civil servants are an acceptable profession to countersign an application. However, if they are a civil servant who currently provides a service on behalf of HM Passport Office, they are not acceptable. For example, they are working as part of a surge team at the time of the customer’s application.

Civil servants who are not providing a service on behalf of HM Passport Office can countersign (for example, Immigration Enforcement or Border Force colleagues fulfilling their standard roles). If you need to confirm the person’s role you must phone them (for example, if they have just stated ‘Home Office’).

You, the examiner, must refer an application to your operational team leader (OTL), if the customer’s identity has been confirmed, by:

HM Passport Office staff
UK Visas and Immigration staff dealing with applications for British citizenship or right of abode in the UK
someone who is providing a service on behalf of HM Passport Office, from:
- HM Revenue and Customs
- Local Service or Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) (unless the application is from a prisoner held overseas and they have personal knowledge of the individual)
- the Home Office, for example a member of the Passport or Nationality Policy team
- UK Visas and Immigration
- any other Home Office staff who are instructed they must not act in this capacity, in line with the Human Resources personal conduct guidance

If any of the above are a referee on a British passport application, you, the OTL, must:

speak to the member of staff’s line manager to find out why they countersigned the application
reject them as a referee, and ask the customer for a new one

If you are the OTL dealing with the member of staff who has acted as a referee on a British passport application, you must:

consider whether you need to follow disciplinary procedures in line with the HR personal conduct guidance (for example, if they have been told before they must not countersign)

If you suspect fraud, you must refer the member of staff to the HO Security Central Referrals team who will refer them to the Professional Standards Unit (PSU).

Acting as a referee: supplier staff

If a person works for our supplier, Sopra Steria Ltd. and provide a service on behalf of HM Passport Office, they are not acceptable. For example, they are working as part of the Document Management Service or Document Handling Unit at the time of the customer’s application.

If they have confirmed a customer’s identity, you, the examiner, must reject them as a referee, and ask the customer for a new one.

You may accept a person who works for a partner organisation (for example Post Office and Royal Mail) if they meet the criteria to countersign an application. This is because they are not:

able to influence the outcome of an application
are not at the same risk of being sought out by criminals

Question 4

4. How a digital referee confirms a customer’s identity

Accepted Answer

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff how a person confirms a customer’s identity when they are applying for a British passport online (using DCS (Digital Customer Services)).

A person confirming a customer’s identity online using the Digital Customer Service (DCS) channel is called a digital referee. They must meet the criteria to confirm a customer’s identity.

You (the examiner) must examine the digital referee if there is one provided on the customer’s application.

4.1 How a digital referee completes an application

On an adult’s application, DCS asks the digital referee to confirm the customer’s:

photo (for example, if it is a true likeness)
address

On a child’s application, DCS asks the digital referee to confirm:

the parents’ details
if a child’s photo is a true likeness
the customer’s address (and the child’s link to it)
if the person making the child’s application has the right authority
the child’s place of birth

Digital referee: confirm the photo is a true likeness

DCS will show the referee a photo of the child or adult customer and ask them to confirm if it is a true likeness of the person named on the application. The referee will answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’, if they answer ‘no’, they must provide a reason why.

There are 4 reasons why a referee may not be able to confirm if the photo is a true likeness:

they recognise the photo but not the customer’s name
they know a person by that name but cannot identify the customer from the photo
they recognise the photo but know the customer by another name
they do not know the customer’s name and do not recognise their photo

Digital referee: confirming the customer’s address

DCS will show the referee the customer’s address and ask them to confirm if it is correct. If the application is for a child DCS will also ask the referee to confirm the child is linked to that address.

The referee will answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’, if they answer ‘no’, they must provide a reason why using the free text box.

Digital referee: confirm parents’ details on a child application

DCS will show the digital referee the details of the child’s parents and ask them to confirm if they are correct. The referee will answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’, if they answer ‘no’, they must provide a reason why using the free text box.

There are 3 reasons why a referee may not be able to confirm the identity of the child’s parents:

the referee has no knowledge of or are unable to confirm either parent
one of the parent’s details are missing
the parents’ details are incorrect (for example, their name)

Digital referee: confirm the person applying for a child

DCS will show the digital referee the details of the person making the application for a child and will ask them to confirm if they are responsible for the child. The digital referee will answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’, if they answer ‘no’, they must provide a reason why using the free text box.

There are 2 reasons why a digital referee may not be able to confirm the person making the application has parental responsibility for the child. For example, because they:

do not know the person making the application and their link to the child
do not know or believe the person making the application has parental responsibility for the child

Digital referee: confirm a child’s place of birth

DCS will show the referee the child’s place of birth and ask them to confirm if it is correct. The referee will answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’, if they answer ‘no’, they must provide a reason why using the free text box.

There are 2 reasons why a referee may not be able to confirm a child’s place of birth, including when they:

do not know the child’s place of birth
know the child was not born in that location

Question 5

5. How a paper referee (1 page form) confirms a customer’s identity

Accepted Answer

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff how a person confirms a customer’s identity when they are applying for a British passport using the paper referee (1 page) process.

A person confirming a customer’s identity using the one-page referee form is called a paper referee (1 page form). They must meet the criteria to confirm a customer’s identity.

Sometimes a customer’s digital referee will meet the online criteria, but:

cannot pass our automated identity checks
has problems logging into the system to complete the process

If this happens, they can still be the customer’s referee, using the paper referee (1 page form) process. To do this, the referee must ask the customer for a paper referee (1 page form) form and complete it. The customer must then send the form back to us to complete the application process.

Customers can get a paper referee (1 page form) (examples are here) by:

downloading and printing it themselves by logging into their application
phoning the Contact Centre to ask the examiner to send them one

Paper referees (1 page form) can only be examined using the Application Management System (AMS). Applications processed on Digital Application Processing (DAP) must be transferred to AMS if they need a paper referee (1 page form).

5.1 How a paper referee (1 page form) completes an application

We will ask the paper referee completing the 1 page form to:

give their full name, full address, profession and contact details
give their current passport number
tell us how many years they have known the customer
give the date they signed the application
sign inside the box
put their initials next to any mistakes they may make

The paper referee (1 page form) must confirm the:

customer’s photo is a true likeness
customer’s address
parents’ details (for child applications)
person applying for the child (for child applications)
place of birth (for child applications)

The paper referee (1 page form) confirms these details:

if they sign the declaration on the paper referee (1 page form) form
in their response to a system letter 920

Paper referee (1 page form): sending the 1 page form to a customer

If a customer asks us to send them a paper referee (1 page form) form the Contact Centre will transfer the customer to CSMT.

The CSMT agent must select a paper referee form on DAP to transfer the application to AMS. The system will create a case note on AMS to tell you, the examiner, to send the customer a paper referee (1 page form) form.

When you receive the application, you must:

Clear the system warning saying, ‘Application has been countersigned without the completion of the declaration’.
Send the customer the paper referee (1 page form) form (which you can print from AMS using the Print Csig form button) and:
- a system letter 920 if the application is for a child

The customer will send their documents with the completed paper referee (1 page form) form, to the address written on the letter that will come with the form.

Paper referee (1 page form): form cannot be scanned

If we get a paper referee (1 page form) form that SSL (Sopra Steria Ltd) cannot scan on to AMS, SSL will:

Add a case note to say ‘unscannable csig form’.
Send the application to examination.

When you get the application, you must:

Tell the customer we received their paper referee (1 page form) form but could not scan it on our system.
Send the customer a new paper referee (1 page form) form (which you can print from AMS using the Print Csig form button) and ask them to fill it in.
Re-send a system letter 920 if we have not received a reply to our original letter (if the application is for a child).

Question 6

6. How a paper referee (countersignature) confirms a customer’s identity

Accepted Answer

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff how a person confirms a customer’s identity when they are applying for a British passport using a paper application form (an SE04 or OS application form).

A person confirming a customer’s identity using a paper SE04 or OS application form is called a paper referee (countersignature). They must meet the criteria to confirm a customer’s identity.

Paper referee (countersignature) forms can only be examined using the Application Management System (AMS). Applications processed on Digital Application Processing (DAP) must be transferred to AMS if they need a paper referee (countersignature).

6.1 How a paper referee (countersignature) completes an application

A paper referee (countersignature) must complete section 10 of the paper SE04 or OS application form, after the customer has completed all the other sections. We will ask the paper referee (countersignature) to:

give their full name, full address, profession and contact details
give their current passport number
give the years they have known the customer
give the date they signed the application
sign inside the box
put their initials next to any mistakes they may make

6.2 How a paper referee (countersignature) confirms a customer’s photo

The certification (signature) on the back of the photo must confirm the photo is a true likeness of the person named and match the name on the customer’s application.

A paper referee (countersignature) must sign 1 of the photos the customer sends with their application. On the back of the photo, the paper referee (countersignature) must:

write a statement to say: ‘I certify that this is a true likeness of Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms or title [full name of customer]’
sign and date it (under the statement)

For legal reasons, we must not accept ‘true likeness’ certifications on a separate piece of paper, even if it’s attached to the back of a photo.

Question 7

7. When you must examine a referee

Accepted Answer

This section tells HM Passport Office staff when to examine a digital referee, paper referee (1 page form) and a paper referee (countersignature).

Depending on the type of referee the customer has provided, you may or may not need to examine the referee. However, you must always examine the referee if the application is for a first time passport.

7.1 When you must examine a digital referee

You must always examine a digital referee if one is provided, for example, even if you can identify the customer from our records, or the customer is attending interview.

7.2 When you must examine a paper referee (1 page form)

You must always examine a paper referee (1 page form) if one is provided, for example, even if you can identify the customer from our records, or the customer is attending interview.

7.3 When you must examine a paper referee (countersignature)

Our customer guidance tells the customer when they need to provide a paper referee (countersignature).

However, we may not always need to examine the paper referee (countersignature), even when the customer has provided one.

You must always examine the paper referee (countersignature), if the:

application is for a first-time passport
customer is applying to renew their old passport and either:
- you cannot identify them from the photo on their previous passport record on Main Index (MI) or G-Search when you compare it to the one on the application
- the previous passport record on MI or G-Search does not have a photo
customer has asked us to deliver to a different address and they are a child or vulnerable adult
application meets the criteria in this guidance

If the customer has not provided a paper referee (countersignature) and you need one to the confirm the customer’s identity, you must ask for one.

If you have referred the application to CFT (Counter Fraud Team) and they return the application to you with a case note showing ‘No CFT interest’, you must examine the paper referee (countersignature) if this guidance confirms you must.

When not to examine a paper referee (countersignature)

When a customer provides a paper referee (countersignature) on their application, we may not always need to examine their information. However, you must always examine the referee on first time passport applications.

You must decide if you can continue with the application without examining the paper referee (countersignature) if:

you can clearly identify the customer from the photo on the previous passport record on MI or G-Search when you compare it to the one on the application
the application is a joint application with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
CFT have investigated an application and added a case note to show, ‘Identity (ID) not in doubt’

Before you decide not to examine the paper referee (countersignature), you must make sure:

you consider the application as a whole, taking into account all the facts, before you make a decision
you have confirmed the customer’s identity, there are no risk indicators and the application can continue without a paper referee (countersignature)
the name on the back of the certified photo matches the name on the application

7.4 Referee: fraud or safeguarding concerns

You, the examiner, must complete additional checks (on DAP (Digital Application Processing)) or refer the application to an Enhanced Application Checking (EAC) examiner (on AMS (Application Management System)), if:

you have fraud concerns with the application
the referee tells us that they do not know the customer
2 or more referees do not respond to 2 letters, asking for more information
the referee cannot confirm a vulnerable customer’s change of delivery address
the referee’s passport is:
- stolen
- lost in the post
- lost or unavailable

You must refer the application to the CFT, if:

you complete additional or EAC checks and still have concerns
you have any safeguarding (for example, child protection) concerns
the referee’s passport number belongs to a deceased passport holder

Question 8

8. How to check a referee is acceptable

Accepted Answer

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office examiners how to check a referee who has confirmed a customer’s identity is acceptable for the purposes of British passport applications.

If you (the examiner) have an application with a digital referee, paper referee (1 page form), or paper referee (countersignature) confirming the customer’s identity, you must decide if:

they meet the criteria to be a referee
you need to use discretion because they do not quite meet the full criteria

8.1 Referee and customer’s details are the same

You must check the surname, email address and phone number of a customer and the referee confirming their identity. This is to make sure they are not the same person, or it is not a family member.

If the phone number or email address are the same, you must reject the referee confirming the customer’s identity and ask the customer for a new referee to confirm their identity.

8.2 Checking a referee’s signature: digital or paper referee (1 page form)

If you have an application with a digital referee or paper referee (1 page form) and they are a British passport holder, you must not compare their signature with the one on Main Index (MI).

If they are an Irish passport holder, you will not have a photocopy of their passport to compare signatures. You must complete a check of their Irish passport.

If they are an EU, US or Commonwealth passport holder, they are told to provide a colour photocopy of their passport. If they are a:

digital referee, you cannot compare their signature, but you must check the colour photocopy of their passport matches the details provided on the application
paper referee (1 page form), you must compare their signature on the paper referee (1 page form) with the one on the colour photocopy of their passport (if their foreign passport includes their signature)

8.3 Checking a referee’s signature: paper referee (countersignature)

If you have an application with a paper referee (countersignature) and you are using them to prove the customer’s identity, you must check the paper referee (countersignature)’s signature on the paper application form against the customer’s photo.

If you have concerns about the paper referee (countersignature)’s signature, you must compare their signature on the application form and photos to the one on their passport, by checking MI records (you can use their old passport record if their current passport record does not include a signature).

If a paper referee holds a British passport and their signature does not exist on MI you must ask for more information to prove their signature is genuine (see Confirming identity: checking a signature is genuine).

If they are an Irish passport holder, you will not have a photocopy of their passport to compare signatures. You must complete a check of their Irish passport.

If they are an EU, US or Commonwealth passport holder, they are told to provide a colour photocopy of their passport. You must compare their signature on the form with the one on the colour photocopy of their passport (if their passport includes their signature).

8.4 Checking a referee’s British passport

A referee with a British passport must provide their name and British passport number on the application so the system can check it against our passport records.

Checking a British passport: digital referee

If you have a digital referee, their British passport has already been checked by our systems.

A digital referee cannot continue the online process to confirm a customer’s identity, if the system cannot find their British passport number on our records.

Checking a British passport: paper referee (1 page form or countersignature)

A paper referee (1 page form) or paper referee (countersignature)’s British passport is not checked against our systems until the form they have completed is scanned onto the system.

If the system does not complete the checks on the referee’s British passport or their details are missing or incorrect, you must do a manual check using MI or G-search.

Checking a British passport: passport is cancelled

If the referee’s British passport has been cancelled and MI shows they have had a new one issued, you must:

Check MI to see if the passport declared on the application, and the new passport, are issued in the same identity (for example, check the referee’s details and their photo).
Refer the application to the Counter Fraud team (CFT) if the MI records show different identities.
Contact the referee by phone to confirm their current passport number, if the records show the same person (only use a system letter 201, if you cannot contact them by phone).

If you are processing the application on DAP and need to send a system letter 201 to the digital referee as you need extra information, you must transfer the application to AMS.

If the referee responds with their new passport number, you must check the new passport number they have given against MI. If the referee has confirmed their new passport number, you must case note the new passport number and how you confirmed this and clear the warning.

If the referee is still waiting to receive their new passport (for example, they have renewed their passport at the same time you are processing the application you are dealing with), you must put the application on hold and contact them again when they have received it.

If you have any fraud or safeguarding concerns, you must refer the application to CFT.

Checking a British passport: no trace in our records

If you have an application where you cannot find the referee’s British passport on Main Index (MI) or G-search, you must:

Carry out confirming identity checks on the customer and referee.
Check we can accept the referee confirming the customer identity.
Contact the referee confirming the customer’s identity to ask for their passport number (if the results show no signs of fraud).

8.5 Checking a referee’s Irish passport

If you have an application where the referee is an Irish passport holder, you must check the details on the application match the details on the Irish Passport Checking service (for example, name and passport number).

If you believe the referee’s passport may be Irish, you must check the details on the application using the Irish Passport Checking service.

To use the Irish Passport Checking service, you must:

Access the Irish Passport Checking service.
Enter the referee’s:
- passport number
- first forename (do not enter any middle names, apostrophes, or wild cards)
- surname
Select check referee.

You will be able to identify the referee’s passport may be Irish because:

the customer will not have sent a photocopy of the referee’s details page for their passport (because we do not ask for this when they hold an Irish passport)
the passport number will start with a P or L, followed by another letter and 7 digits (for example, PA1234567)

8.6 Checking a referee’s non-British or non-Irish passport

If you have an application where the referee is a non-British or non-Irish passport holder they must send a colour photocopy of the personal details page of their European Union, United States or Commonwealth passport. They must send this with the customer’s British passport application or at our request (if we contact them).

You must check the details (for example name and passport number) on the application match the colour photocopy of the personal details page of their passport.

If the details do not match or they do not include them, you must ask the referee for them:

using the task on the Digital Application Processing (DAP) system
by sending a system letter 201 using the Application Management system (AMS)

Referee cannot provide a colour photocopy

If the referee cannot provide a colour photocopy of their non-British passport, you must send a guidance query to Guidance & Quality, Operating Standards using the Quality and Examination Support team referral route.

Guidance & Quality, Operating Standards will refer these to Passport Policy, who will:

decide if you can accept the black and white photocopy of the referee’s passport
assess if there are issues with referees from certain countries providing colour photocopies of their non-British passport

8.7 Checking a referee’s passport: passport in a different name

If the referee’s current passport shows a different name to the referee’s name on the application, you must consider if it’s a different:

surname (or minor change of name)
person

If it is a different surname (or minor change of name) you must contact the referee, to confirm if there has been a change of name. If they respond with an explanation for the change of name (for example, marriage) you must accept their response, if all checks are clear and add a case note confirming their response on the customer’s application.

If it is a different person, you must check the passport number on the application is the same number you are checking on the system. If the passport number is:

not the same, you must change the incorrect number on the system and do the checks again
the same, you must contact the referee to confirm the correct passport number

If the referee responds with:

a different passport number, you must change the incorrect number on the system and do the checks again

If they respond with the same passport number, you must:

refer to an EAC examiner to do further checks if you are working on AMS
complete additional checks if you are working on DAP

8.8 Checking a referee’s address

Before you accept a referee you may need to check the address they gave us.

If the referee has provided a business address, you can check their details (for example their company name and address) on third party reference sources, such as 192.com, Yell.com and larger company websites.

If the referee has provided a home address and they hold a British passport, you can use Main Index (MI) to see if they used the same address for their passport application.

If the referee provides a home address, you can accept their home address, if they are in a recognised profession or retired.

8.9 Checking a referee’s profession

Before you accept a referee you must make sure they have a recognised profession for passport purposes. The person provides this information on the application (for example, their job title, position in the community, profession, or professional qualifications).

Retired referee

If the referee has stated they are retired, they must still provide information that shows they are or were in a recognised profession for passport purposes. You can accept the referee if they are retired but otherwise meet the criteria to act as a referee. You may also be able to apply discretion if they are retired and unqualified, for example.

If the referee has just told us they are ‘retired’ and not given their profession or qualifications, you must contact them for this information.

If the referee is retired, they will:

usually provide their home address on a paper form (though they may also provide a previous work address as additional information)
only provide their home address if the application is completed online (because they are not asked for their work address if they are a digital referee)

Confirming a referee’s profession

If you need to confirm a referee’s profession or qualifications, you may be able to use third party reference sources depending on their profession, for example:

the Medical Register (General Medical Council)
Nursing and Midwifery Council register
Solicitors Regulation Authority
Companies House register (if the person is part of a limited or unlimited company)
VAT registration details on GOV.UK
using an ADI number to search the register of Approved Driving Instructors

Confirming a teacher during school holidays

If the referee is a teacher who has provided their work address, and you must contact them and it is the school holidays, you must contact the customer by phone. You must explain to the customer you cannot contact the teacher during the school holidays, and they can:

ask a new person to be their referee, for the application to continue
have their application put on hold until the school holidays end, and we can contact the teacher

When you get the new the referee you must contact them by email (to speed up the process). If you cannot, you must send them a letter.

Question 9

9. Referee: information is missing or incorrect

Accepted Answer

This section tells HM Passport Office examiners what to do if the information given by the referee is missing or incorrect.

Sometimes the information given by a referee is missing or incorrect. If there is missing information from the referee, you (the examiner) may need to contact them to ask for it.

If the referee:

gives you the missing information, you must complete the relevant checks and decide if you have any fraud or safeguarding concerns (if you do not have any concerns, you must consider the application as a whole and continue to examine it)
does not give you the missing information and you need it, you must ask the customer for a new referee

9.1 Referee does not provide their qualifications

If the referee tells us their profession but does not give us their professional qualifications, you can accept them. For example, a dentist does not need to list their qualifications.

If you have any concerns about their qualifications, you must contact them to ask for more information about their qualifications.

If the referee is not employed and does not hold a qualification in a recognised profession, you must ask the customer for a new referee. However, before you reject the referee, you must still consider if you can accept them by applying discretion, or if they are retired but otherwise meet our criteria.

9.2 Referee’s passport number is missing or incorrect

If the referee has an acceptable profession and appears genuine but does not include their passport details, you must contact them to ask for their passport number.

If the referee’s passport appears to be incorrect (it is in a different surname or person), see the person’s passport is in a different name.

If they have a non-British passport, they must send us a colour photocopy of their non-British passport personal details page.

If you are dealing with a paper referee (1 page or countersignature) and the referee has not provided their passport number, you must contact them to ask for it.

If you are processing on AMS (Application Management System), when they respond with their British passport number, you must:

Enter it in the ‘countersignatures passport number’ section on the ‘countersig’ tab on the Application Management System.
Select ‘Save’.

The system will carry out an automatic check on the British passport number.

9.3 Referee: if you ask the customer for a new photo

You may sometimes ask the customer for a new photo (for example, to meet photo standards). If the customer has provided a referee or you need one, and you are dealing with the application on AMS, you must:

ask the customer using letter 350, to get their current referee to certify the back of the new photo
send letter 276 (for a child application) or 274 (for an adult application) with the SE04 form to ask the customer for a new referee to confirm their identity and certify their photo

9.4 Digital referee not complete: documents received

If the customer has applied online and sends their documents before the digital referee completes their section online, you must follow the DAP to AMS guidance.

9.5 Paper referee (1 page form) not complete: documents received

If the customer has applied online and has selected to send us the paper referee (1 page form), but sends their documents without the paper referee (1 page form), SSL (Sopra Steria Ltd) will:

Case note the application with ‘no csig form enclosed’.
Send the application to examination.

If you receive an application like this, you must tell the customer to provide the paper referee (1 page form).

9.6 Paper referee (countersignature): incorrectly certified paper photo

The paper referee (countersignature) must correctly certify the customer’s photo. However, if they do not correctly certify the customer’s paper photo, and you:

must contact them for more information or to confirm they countersigned the application you do not need to ask for a correctly certified photo as your letter will ask them to confirm the application photo
do not need to contact them for more information, you must ask the customer to send a correctly certified photo that matches the one the customer sent with their passport application

9.7 Paper referee (countersignature): when a customer does not send a certified photo

If the customer provides a paper referee (countersignature) (for example, they are applying for a first time passport), you must have a correctly certified photo.

If the customer has not provided a correctly certified photo, you must ask for one.

Question 10

10. Referee: using discretion

Accepted Answer

This section tells HM Passport Office examiners when and how to use discretion when examining a referee.

You (the examiner) may need to use discretion when examining a referee.

When considering using discretion to accept or reject a referee, you must:

check the person using reference sources (for example, the General Medical Council, Royal Mail or the Yellow pages) if you need to contact them for missing information
record your decision when you apply discretion (for example, by adding a case note) and include the reasons why
consider the application as a whole and check if there are any other risk indicators

If you have any fraud or safeguarding concerns, you must:

refer the application to an Enhanced Application Checking (EAC) examiner if you are working on AMS (Application Management System)
complete additional checks if you are working on DAP (Digital Application Processing)
refer the application to the Counter Fraud team (CFT)

10.1 Referee: unqualified

If the referee is an unqualified person, you can accept them if the application has no risk indicators and the referee:

is 70 years old or older
fulfils the rest of the criteria to confirm the customer’s identity but are not in (or retired) from a recognised profession

For example, a person can be a referee if they are the customer’s retired next door neighbour who was a cleaner.

10.2 Referee: unemployed

If the referee is unemployed, you can accept them if:

they fulfil the criteria to be a referee, but are not currently employed in the relevant and recognised profession
they have an acceptable passport
they can provide the correct qualifications for their profession
there are no risk indicators

For example, a person can be a referee if they are a qualified dentist but currently unemployed.

10.3 Referee: ‘capacity known’ missing

If the referee has not told us how they know the customer (for example, they leave the ‘how do you know them’ section blank), you may use discretion if:

there is no suggestion the person is related to the customer
you have no fraud or safeguarding concerns (for example, child protection)

If you have no fraud or safeguarding concerns but do not accept the ‘capacity known’ section as blank, you must ask for a new person to confirm their identity.

10.4 Referee: known customer less than 2 years

If the referee has known the customer for less than 2 years, you may use discretion if they have known them for at least 1 year.

You may also accept a referee who has known the customer for less than 2 years, if they fit the criteria to be a referee and the application was sent to us by:

a member of His Majesty’s Armed Forces and their dependents, using the dedicated armed forces route
a prisoner who is overseas with a member of the Local Service or Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office staff who have personal knowledge of the individual

10.5 Referee: overseas customer cannot find a referee

If you are dealing with an application where a customer living overseas is unable to find a referee who holds one of the accepted passports but can find an alternative, they must tell us why they have been unable to get a suitable person.

You must refer the application to your operational team leader (OTL) or above who may decide to accept the referee after considering:

the application as a whole
why the customer is unable to provide a referee that does not hold one of the accepted passports
the documents and information provided
other identity checks that we will make on the application (for example, if the customer will attend an interview)

The OTL must case note their decision.

10.6 Paper referee (countersignature): dated the form before the customer

If you have a paper referee (countersignature) who has dated the application form before the customer signed their declaration, you can use discretion and accept them unless you have any fraud or safeguarding concerns.

10.7 Paper referee (1 page or countersignature): more than 6 months old

If a paper referee (countersignature or 1 page) completes and dates a paper application form more than 6 months before we receive it, you must reject the application and ask the customer for a new referee.

10.8 Paper referee (countersignature): same handwriting throughout the application

If you have a paper application form with a paper referee (countersignature) with what appears the same handwriting throughout the form, you can use discretion and accept it, if:

the customer’s and paper referee (countersignature)’s signature are clearly different
you have no fraud or safeguarding (for example, child protection) concerns

If it appears the same person has completed the whole form (including the customer’s and paper referee (countersignature)’s signature), you must contact them, to ask, if they:

completed the countersignature section
certified the photo

If the paper referee (countersignature) confirms they did not complete or sign the application, but they know the customer, you must:

ask the customer for a new application form, photos, and a new paper referee (countersignature)
send letter 171 ‘Forged countersignature warning letter’ to the customer

Question 11

11. DAP: how to examine a referee

Accepted Answer

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office examiners how to examine a digital referee, paper referee (1 page form) and paper referee (countersignature) on Digital Application Processing (DAP).

You can ask the customer to provide a referee if one has not been provided, if you decide you need one (for example, you cannot identify the intended passport holder). If the customer has applied for a first time passport, you must ask them to provide a referee.

11.1 DAP: how to examine a digital referee

DAP calls the information given by a digital referee a reference. DAP will show:

‘Digital reference – Accept or reject’ (referee who is a British passport holder)
‘Foreign digital reference – Accept or reject’ (referee who is not a British passport holder)

The system automatically checks some of the information provided by the referee and may have created other tasks, for example a watchlist task. To check a digital or foreign digital reference using DAP, you must:

Click to open the task:
- ‘Digital reference – Accept or reject’
- ‘Foreign digital reference – Accept or reject’
Refer to DAP: how to deal with digital and paper reference tasks.

11.2 DAP: how to examine a paper referee (1 page form)

Digital Application Processing (DAP) does not currently accept paper referees (1 page forms).

11.3 DAP: how to examine a paper referee (countersignature)

Digital Application Processing (DAP) does not currently accept paper referees (countersignatures).

11.4 DAP: how to deal with digital, foreign digital and paper reference tasks

You must use the table below to help you deal with the digital reference or foreign digital reference task.

Check	Yes or no
Does the referee work in a recognised profession?	If yes, you must continue with examination. If no, you must consider if you can apply discretion because the: - referee’s profession is similar to one of the recognised professions - referee meets all other criteria to be a referee If you cannot apply discretion, you must ask the customer for a new referee.
Is the referee related to the customer?	If yes, you must ask the customer for a new referee. If no, you must continue with examination.
Does the referee have a British passport?	If yes, you must continue with examination.
Does the referee have an Irish passport?	If yes, check the referee’s Irish passport.
Does the referee have an EU, US, or Commonwealth passport?	You must check the documents tab to see the colour photocopy of the referee’s foreign passport
Can you apply discretion to accept a referee, because the referee: - is unqualified or has not listed their qualifications - is an unemployed professional - does not live in the same country as the customer (overseas only)	If yes, you must continue with examination. If no, you must ask the customer for a new referee.
Did the referee answer Yes to Are they retired?	If yes, they are retired, the Employer section will be blank, and the referee will have been asked to tell us: - their Profession (or qualifications) – you must ask them for this information (by phone) if the referee has just said ‘retired’ - their home address only (but DAP shows this in a section called Work address) If no, you must continue the examination.
Are the referee’s responses acceptable in line with ‘Referee response’?	If yes, you must continue with examination. If no, you must read the case notes or additional information sections (including from the previous passport application) to see if there are reasons to support the referee’s responses.
Do you need to read the case notes or additional information sections (including from the previous passport application) to see if there are reasons to support the referee’s responses?	If yes, you must read the case notes or additional information sections (including from the previous passport application) to see if there are reasons to support the referee’s responses. If no, you must continue with examination.
Do you need to contact (phone) the referee to ask for more information?	If yes, you must refer to ask for more information. If no, you must continue with examination.

You must then:

Decide if you:
- can accept the referee (reference)
- need to ask the customer for a new referee
- need to ask for a colour photocopy of the foreign referee’s passport
- need to ask the referee for more information
- need to refer the application for investigation after completing additional checks, as required by following the guidance
Add a case note to show the actions and decisions you made, including the result of any checks or contact with the referee.

DAP: how to accept the digital, foreign digital or paper reference

If you can accept the digital or foreign digital referee, you must:

Select Yes in the ‘Do you accept this digital reference?’ section.
Select the reasons why you selected yes, based on the checks you have done (you can select one or more reasons):
- evidence provided above
- address confirmed
- employer details confirmed
- call with referee
- other (add a case note to explain why you accepted the referee)
Click Save.

You do not have to complete all the checks listed in the on-screen reasons for accepting the referee. For example, you only need to check the referee’s address or their employer details in certain circumstances.

If you are accepting the referee based on the information shown on DAP (and you have not needed to complete extra checks) you must select evidence provided above.

DAP: how to ask for a new digital, foreign digital or paper reference

If you do not accept the referee, you must:

Select No, ask applicant for a new referee.
Select the reasons why:
- profession not recognised
- how they know the applicant is not acceptable (for example, they are related)
- address not confirmed
- other (add a case note to explain why you rejected the referee)
Click Save.

DAP: how to ask for a colour photocopy of the foreign referee’s passport

If you need a colour photocopy of the referee’s passport, you must:

Select Not sure, need applicant to send a copy of the referee’s passport.
Add a case note to explain why you are asking for a colour photocopy of the referee’s passport.
Click Save.
Send an email to the customer to request the colour photocopy of the referee’s passport.

DAP: how to ask the referee for more information

If you need to ask the referee for more information, you must:

contact the referee by phone, for example if you need to confirm their profession, employer details, or relationship to the customer (put the application on hold if you need to call them later)
select I can’t do this if you need to take an action that you cannot yet complete in DAP (for example, sending a system letter 201)

You must only select I can’t do this when you are unable to process the application in DAP, because this will transfer the application to AMS (Application Management System).

DAP: if there are concerns about a digital, foreign or paper referee

If you suspect fraud or safeguarding concerns about a referee, you must:

Complete additional checks, as required by following the guidance.
Select Refer for investigation.
Select a reason why:
- unable to contact referee
- other (add a case note to explain why you are referring the application for investigation)
Click Save.

DAP will transfer the application to the Counter Fraud team.

Question 12

12. AMS: how to examine a digital or paper referee (1 page form)

Accepted Answer

This section tells HM Passport Office staff how to examine a digital or paper (1 page) referee on AMS (Application Management System)

If the referee completes their section:

online, AMS (Application Management System) will show the digital referee’s information in a case note
offline, the paper referee (1 page form) will be scanned onto the application

If you are examining a digital referee or paper referee (1 page form) on AMS, you must answer yes or no to the questions in the table below:

Check	Yes or no
Does the application have any warnings or matches that relate to the referee?	If yes, you must deal with them, in line with the warnings and matches guidance. If no, you must continue with examination.
Are all watchlist checks completed in line with confirming identity guidance?	If yes, you must continue with examination. If no, do the identity checks in line with the confirming identity guidance.
Is the referee acceptable to confirm the customers identity?	If yes, continue with examination. If no, you must consider if you can apply discretion.
Can you apply discretion to accept the referee?	If yes, you must confirm they meet all other criteria to be a referee and continue with examination. If no, you must ask the customer for a new paper (1 page form) referee.
Are the referee’s responses to the questions we ask them acceptable, in line with Referee response?	If yes, continue with examination. If no, you must read all other case notes and the additional information section, including from the previous passport application (if you need to) to see if there are reasons to support the referee’s responses.
Do you have a response from the paper referee (1 page form) to a system letter 920?	If yes, you must check the responses are in line with Referee response. If no, you must send a system letter 920 to the paper referee (1 page form).
Have you read all other case notes and the additional information fields, including from the previous passport application (if you need to) to see if there are reasons to support the referee’s responses?	If yes, continue with examination. If no, you must read all other case notes and the additional information fields, including from the previous passport application (if you need to) to see if there are reasons to support the referee’s responses.

You must then add a case note to show the actions and decisions you made. You must include in your case note:

if the referee has not confirmed either the customer’s photo or address
‘referee details checked – no action required’ if you do not need to take any action

If you have any fraud or safeguarding concerns, you must:

refer the application to an Enhanced Application Checking (EAC) examiner
refer the application to the Counter Fraud team (CFT)

12.1 AMS: digital referee’s information case notes

If you have a digital referee on AMS, the referee’s information will be included in case notes:

Referee details

Case note section	Detail	Examiner action
First and middle names:	‘referee’s forenames’	No action.
Last name:	‘referee’s surname’	No action.
Date of birth:	‘referee’s date of birth’	No action.
Passport number:	‘referee’s passport number’	No action.
Passport expiry:	‘referee’s passport expiry month and year’	No action.
Are they retired:	‘yes/no’	If yes, the referee’s address will be a residential address. If no, the referee must also provide their employment address. If no and the address is a residential address, you must consider if the referee is self-employed or works from home.
Profession:	‘referee’s profession’	You must check it’s an eligible profession (if needed) in line with this guidance.
Employer:	‘referee’s employer’	No action.
Work address:	line1: ‘1st line of referee’s work address’ line2: ‘2nd line of referee’s work address’ town or city: ‘town or city of referee’s work address’ postcode: ‘postcode of referee’s work address’	You must check if the address is a business address (some fields may be missing, depending on the address). If the address is a residential address, check the ‘Retired field’. If the customer is retired, it will show Home address and not Work address.
Telephone number:	‘referees phone number’	No action.
E-mail:	‘refereeemail@email.com’	No action.
Declaration Date:	‘date and time the referee completed the declaration’	No action.

Answers about person applying:

Case note section	Detail	Examiner action
Number of years known:	‘the number of years the referee has known the customer’	No action, as DCS will not accept anything less than 2 years.
How they know them:	‘how the referee knows the customer (for example, colleague or neighbour)’	You must confirm the relationship with the customer, in line with this guidance.
Relationship between person applying and the applicant:	‘confirmed’ or ‘not confirmed’	Only present if someone else if applying on the intended passport holder’s behalf. If confirmed, take no action. If not confirmed, you must refer the application to an Enhanced Application Checking (EAC) officer.
Address:	‘confirmed’ or ‘not confirmed’	If confirmed, no action. If not confirmed, you must refer to confirming the customer’s address.
Photo:	‘confirmed’ or ‘not confirmed’	If confirmed, no action. If not confirmed, you must refer to confirming the customer’s photo.
Reason they could not confirm:	‘reason the referee has said no to the photo of the customer’ (only present if the referee answers ‘not confirmed’ to the photo)	Only present if the referee answers ‘not confirmed’ to the photo. You must refer to confirming the customer’s photo.
Father’s details: (on a child’s application)	‘confirmed’ or ‘not confirmed’	If confirmed, take no action. If ‘not confirmed’, you must refer to confirming the child’s parents’ details.
Mother’s details: (on a child’s application)	‘confirmed’ or ‘not confirmed’	If confirmed, take no action. If not confirmed, you must refer to confirming the child’s parents’ details
Place of birth: (on a child’s application)	‘confirmed’ or ‘not confirmed’	If confirmed, take no action. If not confirmed, you must refer to confirming the child’s place of birth.

Question 13

13. AMS: how to examine a paper referee (countersignature)

Accepted Answer

This section tells HM Passport Office staff how to examine a paper referee (countersignature) on AMS (Application Management System).

If you are examining a paper referee (countersignature) on AMS (Application Management System), you must:

Check the application for any warnings or matches relating to the paper referee (countersignature) and deal with them, in line with the warnings guidance.
Check all watchlist checks are completed (in line with confirming identity guidance).
Check the documents tab to see the colour photocopy of a referee’s foreign passport (if they hold an EU, US or Commonwealth passport).
Check the referee’s Irish passport (if they hold an Irish passport).
Check the paper referee (countersignature)’s information on the application matches the details recorded on AMS and:
Correct any errors (if AMS allows you to change the information)
Click Save to save the changes and prompt the system to re-run automated checks
Check the paper referee (countersignature) is acceptable to confirm the customer identity.
Check if the handwriting is the same on the entire application.
Check if you need to apply discretion.
Check the paper referee (countersignature)’s section has been completed in full and contact the referee if any information is missing.
Check the paper referee (countersignature) has correctly certified the back of 1 photo, and: - they have confirmed the photo is a true likeness of the customer - compare their signature on the application form and the certified photo - check if the name on the back of the certified photo matches the name on the application - contact the paper referee (countersignature) if the certification on the photo is incomplete
Read all other case notes and the additional information fields, including from the previous passport application (if you need to) to see if there are reasons to support the paper referee (countersignature)’s responses.
Contact the paper referee (countersignature) if you need to do additional confirming identity checks, to confirm their identity or that of the customer.
Add a case note to show the actions and decisions you made.

If you cannot accept the paper referee (countersignature), you must ask the customer for a new one.

If you have any fraud or safeguarding concerns, you must:

refer the application to an Enhanced Application Checking (EAC) examiner
refer the application to the Counter Fraud team (CFT)

Question 14

14. Digital referee and paper referee (1 page form) responses

Accepted Answer

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff what to do with the information a digital referee or paper referee (1 page form) provides and how to process an application depending on their response.

When a customer uses a digital referee to help confirm their identity, you, the examiner must check the referee’s responses to the questions they are asked by Digital Customer Services (DCS).

Digital Application Processing (DAP) will automatically transfer applications to the Application Management System (AMS), if:

the customer provided a paper referee (1 page form)
the digital referee responded ‘NO’ to any of the questions DCS asked them

If you are dealing with an application with a paper referee (1 page form) and the customer was sent a system letter 920, you must check the referee’s responses to the questions.

You must:

ask the customer for a new referee if they are:
- not acceptable to confirm a customer’s identity for passport purposes
- unable to confirm a customer’s or child’s details
refer an application to an EAC (Enhanced Application Checking) examiner, if:
- the referee tells you anything that raises concerns about the safety of the person
- you have any fraud or safeguarding concerns
refer an application to Counter Fraud teams if:
- the referee tells you anything that raises concerns about the safety of a child

14.1 Response: confirming the customer’s photo is a true likeness

How you deal with an application when the referee has not confirmed the customers photo is a true likeness, will depend on if the application is for an adult or a child.

Child application: photo is not confirmed

If the system shows ‘not confirmed’, the digital referee has selected ‘NO’. You must consider the digital referee’s reason why they could not identify the child from the photo (if they have given one).

After considering their reason, you must:

send a system letter 200 to the digital referee, if they tell us the photo, is:
- of the child but their appearance has changed dramatically (for example, their hair is a different colour)
- not a recent photo of the child
refer the application to EAC if the digital referee:
- did not give a reason why they could not identify the child
- tells us the child in the photo is not the child named on the application

If the digital referee:

responds to the system letter 200 and tells you:
- the photo is a true likeness of the child named in the application, you must continue with standard examination (for example, you must make sure that the photo meets Photo standards)
- the photo is not a true likeness of the child named in the application; you must refer the application to an EAC (Enhanced Application Checking) so they can refer it to Counter Fraud team (CFT)
responds and you have any fraud or safeguarding concerns, you must refer the application to an EAC examiner
does not respond and you do not have any fraud or safeguarding concerns, you must ask the customer for a new paper referee (countersignature) and send them an SE04 form
does not respond and you have any fraud or safeguarding concerns, you must refer the application to an EAC examiner

Adult application: photo is not confirmed

If the digital referee has selected ‘NO’ they have confirmed the photo is not a true likeness of the adult applicant, you must:

send a system letter 200 to the digital referee, if they tell us the photo, is:
- of the customer but their appearance has changed dramatically (for example, their hair is a different colour)
- not a recent photo of the customer
phone the digital referee, to ask why they said the photo is not a true likeness of the customer, if they:
- did not give a reason why they could not identify the customer
- tells us the customer in the photo is not the customer named on the application

If you have phoned the digital referee, you must:

add a case note to show the conversation you had with the digital referee
send system letter 200 to the digital referee if they:
- confirm they made a mistake on the application (for example, they pressed the wrong button)
- can explain why the photo is different
refer the application for investigation, if you have fraud or safeguarding concerns about the digital referee’s response

If the digital referee responds to the system letter 200 and tells you:

the photo is a true likeness of the customer named in the application, you must continue with standard examination (for example, you must make sure that the photo meets Photo standards)
the photo is not a true likeness of the customer named in the application, you must refer the application to an EAC (Enhanced Application Checking) so they can refer it to Counter Fraud team (CFT)

If their current digital referee does not reply to the system letter 200 and you do not have any fraud or safeguarding concerns, you must ask the customer for a new digital referee.

When you get the new digital referee, you must:

Examine the new digital referee.
Write to the new digital referee to confirm their details (using the system letter 200).

You must refer the application to EAC, if:

the digital referee tells you anything that raises concerns about the safety of the person
you have any fraud or safeguarding concerns

EAC: confirming the adult photo is a true likeness

You, the EAC examiner, must phone the digital referee to ask why they said the photo is not a true likeness of the intended passport holder (for example, if they did not give a reason or told us it’s not the adult or child named on the application).

You must:

add a case note to show the conversation you had with the digital referee
send a system letter 200 to the digital referee if they:
- confirm they made a mistake on the application (for example, they pressed the wrong button)
- can explain why the photo is different
refer the application to the CFT, if you have fraud or safeguarding concerns about the digital referee’s response

14.2 Response: confirming the customer’s address

If the referee completes the process online, Digital Customer Services (DCS) will ask the digital referee to confirm the customer or the adult and child are linked to the address provided.

The digital referee provides HM Passport Office with independent verification of the customer’s current address. This is:

because it is not always possible for HM Passport Office to verify a customer’s address

If the digital referee selects:

YES, the system will show the address is confirmed and you must continue with standard examination
NO, the system will show the address is not confirmed, see: Not confirmed: the customer’s address

If the paper referee (1 page form) has responded ‘NO’ to a system letter 920, see: Not confirmed: the customer’s address.

Not confirmed: the customer’s address

If the referee has selected NO, you must consider their reason.

The referee may tell us:

they made a mistake with the application (for example, they pressed the wrong button)
they cannot confirm the exact address, but they do know:
- the customer lives in the area
- the child lives in the area with the named parent
they know the adult customer, but the child does not live at that address
the referee tells us the intended passport holder has moved, and they do not know the address or have no link to the address

If the referee tells you they made a mistake (for example, they pressed the wrong button) or cannot confirm the exact address, and you do not have any fraud or safeguarding concerns, you must:

Ask the referee to send a letter (or email) to explain what happened and to include any additional information. Tell them:
- we will accept a handwritten or typed letter
- to include the date and their name
- to include their signature (if they send it by post)
- where they need to send it (office address or team email)
Add a case note to show the details of your conversation with the referee.
Continue to examine the application.

You must ask the customer for a new referee if their current referee does not reply to us after 2 weeks or you are not satisfied with the referee’s response (for example, they do not know where the customer lives).

When you get the new referee, you must:

Examine the new referee.
Send a system letter 200 to the new referee to confirm their details (if you are processing the application on the Application Management System (AMS)).

You must refer an application to EAC or complete additional checks (if processing on DAP), if:

the referee tells you anything that raises concerns about the safety of a customer
the referee tells us the customer has moved and they do not know the address or have no link to the address
you have any fraud or safeguarding concerns

EAC: confirming the customer’s address

If the referee has told the examiner they cannot confirm the child’s address, you must:

ask the customer for a new referee
send a system letter 200 to the new referee to confirm the details of the customer

If you have any fraud or safeguarding concerns, you must refer the application to the CFT.

14.3 Response: confirming a parent’s details

If the referee completes the process online, Digital Customer Services (DCS) asks the digital referee to check the parents’ details on the application. A digital referee is asked to confirm the parent’s (mother and father) separately.

If the referee selects:

‘YES’, the system will show:
- Mother’s details ‘confirmed’
- Father’s details ‘confirmed’

You must continue with standard examination if both the mother’s details and father’s details are ‘confirmed’.

If the referee selects:

‘NO’, the system will show that parent’s details are ‘not confirmed’

If one or both parent’s details are not confirmed and they are named on documents received to support the application, you must follow Not confirmed: a child’s parents’ details.

If the paper referee (1 page form) has responded ‘NO’ to a system letter 920, see: Not confirmed: a child’s parents’ details.

Not confirmed: a child’s parents’ details

If the system shows ‘not confirmed’, the referee has selected ‘NO’ when DCS asked them to confirm if the parents’ details are correct.

You must check if the reason a parent’s details are ‘not confirmed’ is because the parent is not named on the documents received with the application (for example, there is no father named on the child’s birth certificate). If this is the case, you must:

Continue with standard examination.
Check the customer’s previous applications, for clear case notes that confirm the parent is or is not named on the child’s birth certificate (or court order). You must do this when all the following apply:
- the system shows ‘not confirmed’
- the application is a renewal or replacement
- there are no documents sent in to support the application
Case note (on the current application):
- if a parent is not named on the previous application
- what evidence was seen to confirm the parent is not named on the documents
Manually complete a name watchlist check on the missing parent’s details (for example, their father) if the parent is named on the previous application, if there is:
- no record of the parent on the watchlist, you must continue with standard examination
- a record of the parent on the watchlist you must add a case note and refer for investigation (to the Counter Fraud team)
Phone the referee (if there are no concerns) to ask why they selected ‘NO’ (if you are dealing with an application, where both parents are named on the child’s birth certificate).

If the referee tells you they made a mistake (for example, they pressed the wrong button) or the parents’ details are wrong, and you do not have any fraud or safeguarding concerns, you must:

Ask the referee to send a letter (or email) to explain what happened and to include any additional information. Tell them:
- we will accept a handwritten or typed letter
- to include the date and their name
- to include their signature (if they send it by post)
- where they need to send it (office address or team email)
Add a case note to show the details of your conversation with the referee.
Continue to examine the application.

Confirming a parent’s details: no response

You must ask the customer for a new referee if their current referee does not reply to us after 2 weeks or confirms in their letter (or email):

they cannot confirm the parent’s details because of a lack of knowledge of the child
the parents’ details are incorrect on the application

If you asked for a new referee, when you receive the details, you must:

Examine the new referee.
Send the referee a system letter 200 to confirm the information (if you are processing the application on AMS).

14.4 Response: confirming relationships (supporting parental responsibility)

The referee does not confirm parental responsibility but provides information to support who has parental responsibility for a child. See Parents and guardians: consent guidance to confirm who has parental responsibility for a child.

If the referee completes the process online, DCS will ask the referee to confirm:

the full name of the person who made the application on behalf of the child and their relationship
if the person who made the application has a relationship to the child

The referee:

can only answer ‘YES’ or ‘NO’
must answer the questions (to the best of their knowledge)
must answer ‘NO’, if they know the person making the application does not have a relationship to the child

When dealing with a child application, you (the examiner) must:

look at the details of the person making the child application, to confirm if they are responsible for the child
make sure the documents the customer has provided support the child application

Regardless of how the referee answers the question, you, the examiner, must confirm if the person making the application has parental responsibility or legal guardianship for the child.

If the referee selects:

‘YES’, the system will show the relationship between the person applying and the applicant is ‘confirmed’, and you must continue with standard examination
‘NO’, the system will show the relationship between the person applying and the applicant is ‘not confirmed’, see: Not confirmed: confirming the relationship between the person applying and the child (supporting parental responsibility).

If the paper referee (1 page form) has responded ‘NO’ to a system letter 920, see: Not confirmed: confirming the relationship between the person applying and the child (supporting parental responsibility).

Not confirmed: confirming relationships (supporting parental responsibility)

If the system shows ‘not confirmed’, the referee has selected ‘NO’. You must phone the referee to ask why they selected ‘NO’.

If the referee tells you they made a mistake (for example, they pressed the wrong button) and you do not have any fraud or safeguarding concerns, you must:

1. Ask the referee to send a letter (or email) to explain what happened and to include any additional information. Tell them: - we will accept a handwritten or typed letter - to include the date and their name - to include their signature (if they send it by post) - where they need to send it (office address or team email)
  1. Add a case note to show the details of your conversation with the referee.
  2. Continue to examine the application.

You must ask the customer for a new referee if you are not satisfied with the referee’s response. For example, they cannot confirm the details because they do not know enough about the person making the application on behalf of the child.

When you get the new application form, you must:

1. Examine the new referee.
  1. Send a system letter 200 to the new referee to confirm their details (if you are processing the application on AMS).

You must refer an application to EAC or complete additional checks (if processing on DAP), if:

the referee selects ‘NO’ and tells us the relationship between the person making the application and the child is not correct or they do not have a relationship to the child (they are not responsible for the child)

EAC: confirming relationships (supporting parental responsibility)

You (the EAC examiner) must consider the application as a whole, to confirm the person making the application has a relationship to the child (they have parental responsibility). If you do not have any fraud or safeguarding concerns, you must:

1. Ask the customer to provide a new referee.
  1. Complete checks on the new referee.
  2. Send a system letter 200 to the new referee to confirm the details of the child and customer.

If you have any fraud or safeguarding concerns, you must refer the application to CFT.

14.5 Response: confirming a child’s place of birth

If the referee completes the process online, DCS will ask the digital referee to confirm that the child’s place of birth is correct.

If the referee cannot confirm the details we have on the birth certificate, we will ask the customer for more evidence (for example, a new referee or supporting documents) to confirm the child’s place of birth.

If the referee selects:

‘YES’, the system will show the child’s place of birth is ‘confirmed’ and you must continue with standard examination
‘NO’, the system will show the child’s place of birth is ‘not confirmed’, see: Not confirmed: a child’s place of birth

If the paper referee (1 page form) has responded ‘NO’ to a system letter 920, see: Not confirmed: a child’s place of birth.

Not confirmed: a child’s place of birth

If the system shows ‘not confirmed’, the referee has selected ‘NO’. You must investigate their response by:

checking the child’s place of birth, using the documents we received with the application (for example, the child’s birth certificate)
phoning the referee to ask why they selected ‘NO’ and where they think the child was born

If the referee tells you, a town, country, or region that is on the child’s birth certificate and you have no fraud or safeguarding concerns, you must:

consider the application as a whole
continue with standard examination

If the referee tells you they made a mistake (for example, they pressed the wrong button) and you do not have any fraud or safeguarding concerns, you must:

1. Ask the referee to send a letter (or email) to explain what happened and to include any additional information. Tell them: - we will accept a handwritten or typed letter - to include the date and their name - to include their signature (if they send it by post) - where they need to send it (office address or team email)
  1. Add a case note to show the details of your conversation with the referee.
  2. Continue to examiner the application

You must ask the customer for a new referee if their current referee does not reply to us after 2 weeks or you are not satisfied with their response. For example, they do not know where the child was born or gives you different information to that on the supporting documents and you do not have any fraud or safeguarding concerns.

When you get the new referee, you must:

Examine the new referee.
Write to the new referee to confirm their details (using a system letter 200).

You must refer an application to EAC or complete additional checks (if processing on DAP), if:

the referee tells us that the child was born in a different a town, country, or region, to the one on the application
you have any fraud or safeguarding concerns
the referee tells you anything that raises concerns about the safety of a child

EAC: confirming a child’s place of birth

You (the EAC examiner) must consider the information the referee has told the examiner and the application as a whole.

If the referee tells you they do not know where the child was born or gives you different information to that on the supporting documents, but you do not have any fraud or safeguarding concerns, you must:

Ask the customer to provide a new referee.
Complete checks on the new referee.
Send a system letter 200 to the new referee to confirm the details of the child and customer.

You must continue with standard examination (if multiple referees cannot confirm the child’s place of birth), as long as you:

can confirm the information, using the supporting documents
do not have any fraud or safeguarding concerns

If you have referred the application for investigation, CFT will decide if they must add the customer or child’s details to the watchlist.

Question 15

15. Contact the referee

Accepted Answer

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office examiners how we contact a referee, the timescale we allow for a referee confirming a customer’s identity to respond, and how the referee can reply to us.

You, the examiner, may need to contact the referee as part of the application. Before you contact them, you must check they are acceptable and genuine.

You must contact a referee if you need:

confirmation they countersigned an application (a system letter 200)
more information (by phone, email or a system letter 201)
a response to a system letter 920

Any contact made must be by phone or email in the first instance, before post.

15.1 Check a person acted as referee (system letter 200)

If you need to check a referee completed an application for example, if the confirming identity checks guidance tell you to, you must:

Check their details, including their address and phone number in outside reference sources.
Check they are acceptable to confirm a customer’s identity and examine them.
Send a system letter 200, by email or post.
Remove the customer’s or child’s name from the letter.
Follow the response times to letters and emails: countersignatures and referees if you do not get a response from the referee.

If you are processing the application on DAP and need to send a system letter 200 to the digital referee as an extra identity check, you must transfer the application to AMS (Application Management System).

15.2 Referee: when we need more information (phone, email or system letter 201)

If you need more information to confirm if a referee is acceptable, you must:

Check their details, including their address and phone number using outside reference sources.
Examine them using this guidance.
Contact them by:
- phone
- email
- post
Follow the response times to letters and emails: countersignatures and referees, if you do not get a response from the referee.

If you are processing the application on DAP (Digital Application Processing) and need to send a system letter 201 to the digital referee as you need extra information, you must transfer the application to AMS.

15.3 Paper referee (1 page form): no response to a system letter 920

If you (the examiner) are dealing with a paper referee (1 page form) but have not received a response to the additional questions in a system letter 920, you must:

Check the referee’s details, including their address and phone number in outside reference sources.
Examine the referee.
Send the referee a system letter 200 including the phrase 920L from the system letter 920, by email or post.
Follow the response times to letters and emails: referees.

15.4 Referee: contact by phone

You may contact the referee by phone to confirm:

how they know the customer
how long they have known the customer
their profession
their professional qualifications
their passport number
if they have had a passport in any other name

When you contact the referee by phone you must:

check their phone number using outside reference sources
confirm the person you are speaking to is the referee
tell them we are making checks on an application where they are the referee
not tell them who the customer is (for security reasons)
not tell them the customer’s name as this defeats the purpose – we expect the person acting as referee to be able to confirm the application and customer’s details

If you are dealing with an urgent or compassionate application, you must contact the referee by phone, as long as you are certain they can correctly identify the customer.

15.5 Referee: contact by email

If you are working on AMS and contact a referee by email you must send it from your team email address and not your personal email address.

You must:

manually enter the referee’s email address from the 1 page paper referee form, onto the AMS system (it is not scanned on)
check the email address on the SE04 or OS paper application form matches the one on the system, if it does not, you must change it.

You may accept email responses from a referee, in line with the Electronic Communications Act 2000, that:

do not have physical signatures
come from the email address we have on the customer’s application

When you get an email response, you must:

Add a case note to confirm you received it.
Scan the email on the system as a permanent record.

If you are working on DAP, you cannot contact a referee by email.

15.6 Referee: contact by post

When you contact a referee by post you must follow the sending a letter guidance.

15.7 Referee: contact by fax

Some referees may contact us by fax, which you must accept. You must treat their response as if they sent it to you as a letter in the post.

15.8 Referee: response times to letters and emails

If you are working on AMS and are waiting for a response from a referee, you must:

Send the letter by post or email to the referee and allow them 28 days to respond.
14 days after the first letter, send the same letter again by post, asking them to respond.
After 14 days of the second letter, see Unable to contact the referee.

If you do not receive a response from the referee, you must reject them and ask the customer for a new referee.

If you are working on DAP, you cannot contact the referee by email or letter.

15.9 Referee: unable to contact the referee

If you are unable to contact a referee, for example, a letter or email has been returned because they are not at that address or they have not responded to letters sent to them, you must:

reject them and ask the customer for a new referee to confirm their identity
refer an AMS application to EAC (Enhanced Application Checking) or complete additional checks if you are processing on DAP, if you have fraud or safeguarding concerns

15.10 Two referees do not respond to the system letter 200 or 201

You must refer an application to EAC or complete additional checks (if processing on DAP), if you are unable to contact 2 or more referees, for example, a letter or email has been returned because they are not at that address or they have not responded to any letters sent to them, asking for more information.

An EAC examiner must deal with these applications using the EAC: dealing with Enhanced Application Checking referrals guidance.

Question 16

16. Asking for a new referee

Accepted Answer

This section tells HM Passport Office examiners how to ask the customer for a new referee if we rejected their original one or they did not provide one.

You, the examiner, may decide to ask for a referee or a new referee to confirm a customer’s identity (for example, if the referee does not meet the criteria). What you must send depends on whether you are:

processing on DAP (Digital Application Processing) or AMS (Application Management System)
requesting a new digital referee, paper referee (1 page form) or paper referee (countersignature)

16.1 AMS: how to ask for a new paper referee (countersignature)

You may need to ask the customer for a new referee if you are processing on AMS. This may be to:

replace a paper referee (countersignature)
ask for a referee because the customer, who applied using a paper form, did not originally provide one

You must:

Send by post, to the customer, a blank paper SE04 or OS application form and the correct system letter:
- 170 (if you reject a paper referee and need a new one)
- 172 (if you reject a paper referee and need a new one and there are multiple applications from the same address)
- 171 (if you need to send a warning letter to confirm the paper referee is forged)
- 274 (if an adult application form is incomplete)
- 276 (if a child application form is incomplete)
Store the application in your team, while you wait for the customer to respond.

When you get the new application, you must:

Send it to Sopra Steria Ltd and ask them to scan it on the system.
Check the paper referee (countersignature) is genuine and examine the paper referee (countersignature).

16.2 AMS: how to ask for a new paper referee (1 page form)

You may need to ask the customer for a new referee if you are processing on AMS. This may be to:

replace a digital referee
replace a paper referee (1 page form)
ask for a referee because the customer, who applied online, did not originally provide one

You cannot use AMS to ask for a new digital referee. You must ask the customer to provide a paper referee (1 page form), by sending them, by email:

a system letter 918
a system letter 920 (if it’s a child application)
a paper referee (1 page form) form (that you can print from AMS using the Print Csig form button)

When AMS prints the paper referee (1 page form), it will pre-populate the form with the customer’s details shown on the application:

reference (barcode) number
forename and surname
date and place of birth
telephone number
address
photo

The customer must return the form to us when it is completed (in hard copy). However, if you are dealing with an application on AMS to renew a British national (overseas) (BN(O)) passport and need a paper referee, you can accept a completed paper referee (1 page form) form sent to you from the customer by email.

If the customer does not reply to our request, you must follow the withdrawing passport application guidance.

16.3 DAP: how to ask for a digital referee

You may need to ask the customer for a new referee if you are processing on DAP. This may be to:

replace a digital referee
ask for a referee because the customer, who applied online, did not originally provide one

If you are using DAP, you can ask for a digital referee (if a customer has not provided one), when:

you compare the customer’s photo to their child photo in their old passport
you cannot confirm the customer’s identity from their previous photo

If you must request a digital referee from the customer (if they have not provided one when the application was submitted), you must select the option to ask the customer for a referee in the task you are processing.

If you are using DAP, you can ask for a new digital referee (for example, if the referee does not meet the criteria), when you are examining the referee, by selecting No, ask applicant for a new referee.

If you have asked a customer for a referee their application will remain in DAP. After the customer provides us with a digital referee and completes our questions, we will assign their application to the next available DAP examiner.

DAP will send the customer automatic reminders to submit a digital referee. If they do not provide one their application can be withdrawn.

Cookies on GOV.UK

1. About: Confirming ID: referees

1.1 Contacts

1.2 Publication

1.3 Changes from last version of this guidance

2. What a referee is and why we need them

2.1 Why we need a referee

2.2 When we need a referee

When we need a digital referee

When we need a paper referee (1 page form)

When we need a paper referee (countersignature)

2.3 Customer does not provide a referee

3. Who can be a referee

3.1 Who can be a referee for a customer applying from the UK

3.2 Who can be a referee for a customer applying from overseas

3.3 Referee: automatic identity checks

3.4 Referee: recognised professions

3.5 Referee: related to the customer

3.6 Referee: professions and relationships we cannot accept

Acting as a referee: civil service staff

Acting as a referee: supplier staff

4. How a digital referee confirms a customer’s identity

4.1 How a digital referee completes an application

Digital referee: confirm the photo is a true likeness

Digital referee: confirming the customer’s address

Digital referee: confirm parents’ details on a child application

Digital referee: confirm the person applying for a child

Digital referee: confirm a child’s place of birth

5. How a paper referee (1 page form) confirms a customer’s identity

5.1 How a paper referee (1 page form) completes an application

Paper referee (1 page form): sending the 1 page form to a customer

Paper referee (1 page form): form cannot be scanned

6. How a paper referee (countersignature) confirms a customer’s identity

6.1 How a paper referee (countersignature) completes an application

6.2 How a paper referee (countersignature) confirms a customer’s photo

7. When you must examine a referee

7.1 When you must examine a digital referee

7.2 When you must examine a paper referee (1 page form)

7.3 When you must examine a paper referee (countersignature)

When not to examine a paper referee (countersignature)

7.4 Referee: fraud or safeguarding concerns

8. How to check a referee is acceptable

8.1 Referee and customer’s details are the same

8.2 Checking a referee’s signature: digital or paper referee (1 page form)

8.3 Checking a referee’s signature: paper referee (countersignature)

8.4 Checking a referee’s British passport

Checking a British passport: digital referee

Checking a British passport: paper referee (1 page form or countersignature)

Checking a British passport: passport is cancelled

Checking a British passport: no trace in our records

8.5 Checking a referee’s Irish passport

8.6 Checking a referee’s non-British or non-Irish passport

Referee cannot provide a colour photocopy

8.7 Checking a referee’s passport: passport in a different name

8.8 Checking a referee’s address

8.9 Checking a referee’s profession

Retired referee

Confirming a referee’s profession

Confirming a teacher during school holidays

9. Referee: information is missing or incorrect

9.1 Referee does not provide their qualifications

9.2 Referee’s passport number is missing or incorrect

9.3 Referee: if you ask the customer for a new photo

9.4 Digital referee not complete: documents received

9.5 Paper referee (1 page form) not complete: documents received

9.6 Paper referee (countersignature): incorrectly certified paper photo

9.7 Paper referee (countersignature): when a customer does not send a certified photo

10. Referee: using discretion

10.1 Referee: unqualified

10.2 Referee: unemployed

10.3 Referee: ‘capacity known’ missing

10.4 Referee: known customer less than 2 years

10.5 Referee: overseas customer cannot find a referee

10.6 Paper referee (countersignature): dated the form before the customer

10.7 Paper referee (1 page or countersignature): more than 6 months old

10.8 Paper referee (countersignature): same handwriting throughout the application

11. DAP: how to examine a referee

11.1 DAP: how to examine a digital referee

11.2 DAP: how to examine a paper referee (1 page form)

11.3 DAP: how to examine a paper referee (countersignature)