Guidance

Connected applications

Updated 16 March 2026

Version 31.0

This guidance tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff how to identify and deal with connected applications.

About: Connected applications

This guidance tells HM Passport Office staff about connected applications. It includes how to process connected applications on Digital Application Processing (DAP).

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 the Guidance team.

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 the Guidance team.

Publication

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

• version 31.0
• published for Home Office staff on 11 February 2026

Changes from last version of this guidance

This guidance has been updated:

• in the section Connected applications in a DHU: processing, to remove the instruction that told examiners they must disassociate a document they linked to a connected application, before they issue the last open application.
• in the section Connected applications, to tell HM Passport Office staff when an application  is connected to another application on DAP
• in the section Viewing connected (linked) applications, to tell examiners how to view the number and details of connected applications found during the automatic check completed by DAP
• in the section Connected application processing to tell HM Passport Office staff how to deal with documents they need to disassociate from the last open application.
• to tell HM Passport Office staff to deal with a Review linked applications and documents task.

Connected applications

This section tells HM Passport Office staff about connected applications.

Connected applications may be:

• submitted together (for example, husband and wife)
• dependent on another passport application that we are processing at the same time (for example, a child application whose nationality claim may be dependent on their parent’s passport application)
• for the same customer (for example, if a customer applies for a standard and Diplomatic passport at the same time)
• at 1 or more
  • Application Processing Centre (APC)
  • Document Handling Unit (DHU)
• submitted by the customer through:
  • Digital Customer Service (DCS)
  • Digital Fast Track service
  • Digital Premium Service
  • postal or paper counter channel
  • Post Office Check & Send
  • Post Office Digital Check & Send (tablet) service
  • international Local Services

Connected applications are not electronically linked on Digital Application Processing (DAP), however their documents can be associated, if the customer has sent the:

• documents in the same envelope for multiple applications
• application number of other applications the customer wishes to share documents
• payment for multiple applications together, on paper application only (for example, by cheque to a DHU)

DAP will:

• complete an automated check for connected applications when a new application is received; and,
• show the number of connected applications found in the blue banner at the top of the screen (these will show as ‘linked applications’ on DAP only, and the links will not be highlighted on our passport application records when the application is complete)

If the customer has applied using the Digital Fast Track service, the customer may tell the Counter examiner they have connected applications when they attend their appointment. Counter examiners will follow this guidance for handling these.

A customer (or the Counter examiner dealing with a Digital Fast Track application) may send documents for multiple applications in one envelope to a DHU. All the documents in the envelope are recorded under a single Pack ID on ARD and associated to applications.

Once documents have been recorded on ARD (Application Receive Domain), you can use ARD to identify applications that may be connected.

The Pack ID may include documents that are associated to multiple applications. This means using ARD you can identify:

• associated applications (the applications that are associated on ARD to a document)
• related applications (other applications associated to other documents within the Pack ID, but not associated to the application you are processing)

How customers send us paper connected applications

Customers may send their connected applications in separate envelopes to 1 or more addresses, if they use the:

• postal channel
• Post Office Limited Check & Send
• international Local Services

For example, they may send their connected applications on different days, but we may be processing them at the same time.

How customers send us online connected applications

We tell customers using the standard service on DCS to apply for their passport application, where to send their documents.

When a customer applies using Post Office Digital Check & Send (tablet) service, the Post Office has guidance telling them where they must post the customer’s documents.

If the customer is applying as part of a family or couple, DCS will tell the customer to:

• send all documents together in the same envelope
• list each application reference number on the envelope (above the address)
• send the documents to any of the addresses, if we have given the customers in the group different addresses
• not send the documents immediately, if one person in the group needs to have their identity confirmed (this person will be told to send their documents once their digital referee has completed their information)

The DHU (Document Handling Unit) will scan the customer’s documents and an image of the original envelope provided by the customer (showing any application numbers recorded). See Dealing with customer documents.

If the customer has been given more than 1 address for their connected applications, they may contact us to ask where to send their documents.

If a customer contacts us to ask where to send their documents, you must tell them:

• to check the passport application tracking page and send the documents together for connected applications, to either:
  • one of the addresses on the tracking page
  • their nearest APC, if they cannot access the tracking page
• to send documents together if they are applying as a couple or family group
• to include the application reference numbers of all other connected applications
• we will make sure we process connected applications together (for example, if we need a document for more than 1 application)
• to give us the application reference numbers for all their connected applications if they contact us to say they have already sent a document we have asked them for

You, the examiner, may need to process connected applications together (see processing overview).

Viewing connected (linked) applications on DAP

You, the examiner, can view any connected applications on DAP, by selecting either:

• the hyperlink embedded under the number of connected applications shown on the blue banner at the top of the screen; or,
• the Linked applications tab on the Application details screen

DAP will display the linked applications screen, which will show a list of potential connected applications found based on the documents being sent in the same envelope, the application numbers of multiple applications being provided by the customer or for paper applications, paid for together.

The linked applications screen will show the details of the applications, including:

• the customer’s name
• the application reference number
• a hyperlink to any documents provided for the application

You can use this list to review each application and confirm whether the documents need to be associated or not. You must disassociate the documents in line with the ARD: how to associate and disassociate documents guidance, if:

• there is not a connection between the applications
• the customer has not agreed for the documents to be linked to the other applications

Connected applications: Sopra Steria Ltd

This section tells HM Passport Office examiners, how Sopra Steria Ltd (SSL) process connected applications.

When a customer applies using Digital Customer Services (DCS), we tell them which address they must post their documents to. When a customer applies using Post Office Limited Check & Send or Post Office Digital Check and Send (tablet), the Post Office has guidance that tells them which address they must post the customer’s documents to.

Sopra Steria (SSL) will process each application separately and cannot electronically link these applications on DAP (Digital Application Processing).

SSL will process the applications using the DHU guidance.

If the documents have been sent to one of our DHU addresses, SSL will:

1. Validate and record the documents.
2. Scan the documents and upload them onto the Application Receive Domain (ARD).

When the documents have been scanned, validated, and recorded, ARD will carry out an automatic matching process to associate the documents with an application. ARD will do this by matching any:

• passport numbers present against DAP
• reference numbers on the front of the customer’s envelope against DAP

If ARD cannot identify a match between a document and an individual application, the document will be associated to all applications related to the Pack ID (envelope).

The DHU does not pass physical document sets to the Application Processing Centres (APCs). When the documents are scanned by the DHU, they are stored until the application processing is complete and we tell the DHU what action to take next. This action could be, for example, returning the documents to the customer or sending them to confidential waste.

Connected applications: Contact Centres and CSMT

This section tells HM Passport Office staff how Contact Centres and the Customer Service Management team will record and process connected applications if the customer contacts us.

You, the examiner, may contact a customer on the application you are processing, to request documents. The customer may then contact us (usually by phoning a Contact Centre) to tell us they have already sent these documents with another application.

The Contact Centres must tell CSMT (Customer Service Management team) to check Digital Application Processing (DAP) for connected applications using the information they have.

If all connected applications are found on DAP, CSMT must:

1. Access ARD.
2. Find the documents needed from the connected application using the:
   • customer name or name on the document
   • document reference
3. Associate the documents from the connected application, with the customer’s application.

DAP will then create a Documents received task for the application. When the DAP examiner then processes the application, the documents from the connected application will be visible on the DAP documents tab.

Connected applications: processing

This section tells HM Passport Office staff how to process connected applications.

Connected applications are not electronically linked on Digital Application Processing (DAP), however their documents can be associated, if the customer has sent the:

• documents in the same envelope for multiple applications
• the application number of other applications that the customer wishes to share documents
• for paper applications, payment for multiple applications together (for example, by cheque to a DHU)

Where one of these scenarios occurs, DAP will show the connection between multiple applications by:

• creating a Review linked applications and documents task and,
• showing the number of connected applications, in:
  • the hyperlink embedded under the number of connected applications shown on the blue banner at the top of the screen; or,
  • the Linked applications tab on the Application details screen

If the applications meet the criteria above but are not already connected on the system, you, the examiner, must manually associate the required documents, in line with the ARD: associate and disassociate documents guidance.

For example, you may:

• identify connected applications when you do manual system checks (for example, if a customer has already told us about a sibling’s application which has the documents associated with it that you need to be able to deal with the current application)
• get an Applicant told us document supplied task on DAP created by Customer Service Management team (CSMT), if the customer has told us about a connected application
• see a scanned note showing connected application reference numbers, if you are processing on DAP and the applications were made using the Digital Fast Track service
• see a document on the Application Receive Domain (ARD) which is associated with more than 1 application

You may identify the customer has connected applications. For example, we are processing two first time child applications (for siblings), the parent has told us about both applications, and they both need the parents’ documents which have already been sent in for one of the applications.

You must check the system to see if there is a connected application, if:

• you receive an application that has documents associated to it on ARD that you believe should be associated to another application (for example, a child application has a birth certificate associated to it, the parent has made us aware of a sibling’s connected application and the birth certificate belongs to the sibling)
• there is an envelope, note or compliment slip scanned onto the DAP application, containing another application reference number
• the customer has included another application reference number (for example, in a note, when a child’s first time application has been sent with a parent’s renewal application)
• a case note tells you there is a connected application (and the customer has given permission for us to use their documents across multiple applications, in line with ARD: associate and disassociate documents guidance)

If you are processing an application and the documents you need are on another connected application, you can associate and disassociate the documents with the application you are dealing with.

ARD (Application Receive Domain) will not allow a document to be disassociated from a live application if the document would:

• become an orphan document
• only be associated to closed applications

If you need to disassociate a document from the last open application, you must return the document to the customer using ARD before disassociating it (see Disassociating a document from the last open application).

You must always check the return addresses for documents on connected applications, when associating or disassociating these, to make sure documents are being returned to the correct address.

If you are unable to associate the document and return this to the correct customer you must follow the exception process. 

You can use the documents that are scanned and validated on the connected application while the connected application is still ‘live’ or was completed within the last 28 days. This is because the:

• application and the scanned images are still visible on Digital Application Processing (DAP)
• documents can still be associated with a connected application, if they have been handled by a Document Handling Unit (DHU)
• other application may have been processed more quickly

If you receive (or identify) connected applications on DAP, you must:

• process them together where possible (by considering the outcome of the connected application) if 1 or more applications are dependent on another, for example, you need to:

  • confirm the nationality and identity of a parent before you can process a child’s application
  • put on hold any dependent connected applications until the customer completes an identity interview
• process applications independently, if the applications are not dependent on each other, for example, if you can confirm nationality and identity for each customer
• make sure the right documents are associated to each application, using ARD

As the document handling process involves scanning the documents onto ARD, the DAP examiner will be able to view the documents already associated with each application.

Review linked applications and documents task

When an application is received, DAP will complete an automatic check to identify any connected applications from the customer either:

• sending the documents in the same envelope for multiple applications
• providing the application number of other applications that the customer wishes to share documents
• making the payment for multiple applications together, on paper applications (for example, by cheque to a DHU)

DAP will show any connected (linked) applications, and create a Review linked applications and documents task, when:

• a customer has sent a paper application form or documents for multiple applications in the same envelope; or,
• the customer has sent the payment for multiple applications together (for example, by cheque or postal order)

To complete a Review linked applications and documents task, you must:

1. Select the Review linked applications and documents task, from the list of tasks in DAP.
2. View the connected applications found, and confirm the link.
3. Select the Clear this task option.
4. Add a case note to record the details of any connected (linked) applications.
5. Select Save.

Where the documents are correctly associated with the applications, you must continue to deal with the applications in line with guidance.

If you have reviewed the applications and the documents appear to have been incorrectly associated, you must follow the ARD: how to associate and disassociate documents guidance.

Errors identified on connected applications

If you are processing a connected application and you discover that documents have been incorrectly associated with the application, you must follow the ARD: how to associate and disassociate documents guidance.

If you are processing a connected application and you discover an error on the application you are not dealing with, and the application is live you must:

1. Contact your operational team leader (OTL) immediately by phone or in person.
2. Tell them about the error you have identified. Place your application on hold for 7 days and await further instruction from your OTL.

The OTL must:

1. Contact the OTL of the examiner dealing with the application with the error (if applicable)
2. Work together with the other OTL to rectify the error, speaking with Quality Examination and Support team (QuESt) if necessary for advice.
3. Process both applications to completion at the same time if possible.

If the application is not in examination (for example, it is in the national queue) you the OTL must:

1. Email Customer Service Management team and ask them to add a note to the application.

2. The email must include:

   • the connected application number(s)
   • details of the error
   • your team email address
   • your forename

If the application has already been passed for issue or withdrawn you must contact your local QuESt immediately and give them the application number.

Local QuESt will:

1. Immediately contact either the:

   • QuESt in the regional office where the error was made; or,
   • relevant OTL in their office

2. Ask the other QuESt team or OTL to speak with the examiner who made the error (and their operational team leader (OTL) if relevant) to deal with the error following How to correct errors on passports guidance.

3. Act as the main contact point for examination teams and local QuESt while the error is resolved.

Applicant told us document supplied task

If you are dealing with an Applicant told us document supplied task on DAP because the customer has told us we have a connected application, you must:

1. Make a note of the application number for the connected application, from the notes added by CSMT.

2. Follow the Connected applications in a DHU: processing guidance.

3. Complete the Applicant told us document supplied task and select Submit.

Child applications

If you are dealing with an application for a child and you need a further document to be able to process the application, you must check if the:

• parent has provided the application reference number for any other connected applications
• documents for the application you are dealing with were sent in the same envelope as the documents for another connected application

Where the parent has provided an application number belonging to a connected application, you must use the Find an application function on DAP to search for this application. You must not search for connected applications, if the parent has not already provided the application reference numbers.

You must do this before you contact the customer to ask for the documents, as the document you need may be already associated with this connected application.

You can use any of the following search criteria, when you are searching for the connected application:

• the same surname and address as the customer; or,
• the surname of either parent and the same address; or,
• the parent’s details (for example, name and date of birth)

If the application search finds the connected application, it is still live and has been completed within the last 28 days, you must follow the Connected applications in a DHU: processing guidance.

If the document you need has been requested on the connected application, but the customer has not replied yet, you need to put your application on hold until we receive this. You must use the I’m waiting for checks outside of DAP reason. This will put the application on hold for 7 days, but you can check the connected application at any time during those 7 days.

You, the examiner, must contact the customer for the document we need if the:

• document is not held and has not been asked for, on the connected application
• find an application function does not find any connected applications

Connected applications in a DHU: processing

To process connected applications, you must:

1. Access the connected application using the Find an application function.

2. Check to see if the documents have been scanned and validated by the DHU. If they are not yet recorded, you must put your application on hold until we receive them and add a case note.

3. When the documents have been recorded on the connected application, you must access ARD and view the customer’s documents on screen and check:

   • they have been scanned and successfully validated
   • for any information on the Item validation screen
   • the documents are acceptable for passport purposes
   • we have received all the documents you need to deal with the application you are processing

4. Using ARD, you must associate the documents you need from the connected application, with the application you are working.

5. Continue to process the application you are dealing with using the documents, in line with current guidance.

Refer for investigation

If you need to refer the application you are processing for investigation and you have identified a connected application, you must:

1. Select refer for investigation on the application you are processing.
2. Add the reference number of the connected application you have identified into the case note you make.

Connected applications: if the customer needs an interview

This section tells HM Passport Office staff how to process connected applications, if one of the customers needs an interview.

If you identify connected applications, they may include applications:

• where the customer needs to attend an identity interview, for example:
  • a first time adult applying in the UK
  • a first time customer applying from a group 3 country overseas
  • a customer in the UK that needs to attend a Passport Application Interview (PAI)
• from customers that do not need an interview (for example, the child of a parent in the UK who needs to attend an interview, and the nationality claim is dependent on the parent)

We must not issue a passport to a customer on a dependant application, until the customer that needs to attend interview has successfully completed the interview process.

You must place on hold any dependent connected applications until the interview has been completed successfully, continuing to check the application for a further update.

You must:

1. Process the application going for interview.

2. Case note the dependent application with details of the application that is going for interview.

3. Case note the application (that is going for interview) with details of the connected application that you are holding (in the pigeonhole or placing on hold). This tells the interview officer that you cannot process the application until the customer completes the interview.

4. Put the dependent application on hold for 7 days.

5. Continue to process the dependent application when you receive the application off hold. If the customer has:

   • completed their interview, continue to process the dependent application
   • not completed their interview, repeat steps 4 or 5
   • another outcome process the dependent application based on this outcome (for example, if they failed the application and the application has been referred to the Counter Fraud team, you must refer your connected application as well)