Guidance

Confirming ID: referees

Tells HM Passport Office staff who can confirm a customer’s identity and how they do this.

• From: HM Passport Office
• Published: 9 July 2021
• Last updated: 16 July 2025
  Show all updates

  1. 16 July 2025

     Updated the guidance to version 25.0. A list of changes can be found in the guide.

  2. 6 September 2024

     Updates throughout, including telling examiners what to do if the referee does not correctly certify a customer's paper photo, and Digital Application Processing (DAP) system changes.

  3. 12 May 2023

     Clarified that you do not need to ask for a colour photocopy of an Irish passport. Replaced references to Teleperformance with Contact Centre.

  4. 19 December 2022

     This guidance has been updated to reflect the change in our sovereign from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to His Majesty King Charles III.

  5. 26 September 2022

     Accessible version added.

  6. 9 July 2021

     First published.

Documents

Confirming ID: referees (accessible)

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Confirming ID: referees

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Details

This guidance tells HM 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)