Guidance

Faulty passports (accessible)

Published 12 May 2025

Version 12.0

Guidance for His Majesty’s Passport Office staff explaining how to deal with faulty passports.

About: Faulty passports

This guidance tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff how to deal with faulty passports.

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.

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Publication

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

• version 12.0
• published for Home Office staff on 25 March 2025

Changes from last version of this guidance

This guidance has been updated to confirm examiners must add validity observation OBTZ when replacing a faulty passport with a new passport with less than 10 years validity.

What is a faulty passport

This section tells HM Passport Office staff what a faulty passport is and how we deal with them.

A faulty passport is when there is a fault with the manufacture of the passport itself, for example: the passport has

• a faulty chip
• an unreadable MRZ strip
• a quality issue with the printing or the book itself (such as, the laminate is poorly applied, smudged text, misaligned pages)

This list gives an example of faults a passport can have. It is not a complete list, and every passport must be assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine if they are faulty or damaged.

It is not a faulty passport when there is:

• damage to the passport meaning the customer cannot use it as proof of identity
• an error on the passport (for example, a spelling error, wrong name, or date of birth)

If the passport is damaged (which has caused the fault) or there are any signs of tampering with the passport’s chip, MRZ strip, laminate, photos, personal details, you must deal with it using the damaged British passports guidance.

Paying a fee to replace a faulty passport

If the passport is confirmed to be faulty, the passport must be replaced to the same expiry date as the faulty passport, free of charge. If the customer has paid the fee, you must arrange a refund.

The customer must pay the full fee for a new passport if:

• the faulty passport has less than 12 months validity left, because we cannot issue a passport with less than 12 months validity
• they want a new passport with full validity to replace their faulty passport (rather than a passport with the remaining validity)

Customers with urgent travel

If a customer tells us they have a faulty passport and travel booked in the next 4 weeks (and can provide evidence of this), they must be told:

1. To attend a Customer Service Centre (CSC), bringing their passport and evidence that they are travelling (without evidence of urgent travel, our security will not allow them into the office).
2. HM Passport Office will check the suspected fault on a passport reader. If the passport is found to be:
   • faulty, the counter receptionist must make an appointment for the passport to be replaced
   • not faulty, HM Passport Office will provide a letter confirming we have checked the passport and it is working properly

If the customer has paid the fee for the appointment, it will be refunded if the passport is found to be faulty and is not damaged. For example, they have booked an appointment themselves online to attend an office without contacting HM Passport Office beforehand to ask what to do.

How a customer reports a faulty passport

This section tells HM Passport Office staff how to deal with contact from a customer about faulty passports.

A customer can report a faulty passport, by phone, email, letter or attending one of our public counter offices.

Reporting a faulty passport: by phone

If a customer phones our Contact Centres about a faulty passport and they do not have travel booked in the next 4 weeks, they will tell the customer to:

1. Write a letter explaining:
   • what the fault is
   • how they found out about the fault
2. Send the letter with their passport to:

Faulty passports
HM Passport Office
PO Box 767
Southport
PR8 9PW

When the Customer Service Management team (CSMT) receive the passport, how they will deal with the passport depends on if the passport is faulty or damaged. See, How CSMT deal with a faulty passport.

If a customer has travel booked in the next 4 weeks, they will tell them to attend a Customer Service Centre (CSC), bringing their passport and evidence that they are travelling.

Reporting a faulty passport: by post or email

If a customer sends in correspondence about a faulty passport (by post or email), it must be sent to the Customer Service Management team (CSMT) who will contact the customer.

If the Document Handling Unit (DHU) receives a faulty passport and the suppliers cannot immediately link it to a live passport application, they will record the document to be dealt with as an orphan document.

Reporting a faulty passport: by applying

A customer may submit a new passport application to replace a faulty passport.

If you, the examiner, receive an application to replace a faulty passport, you must follow the guidance for the system you are working on:

Reporting a faulty passport: at the public counter reception

If a customer attends our counter offices without a pre-booked online appointment and they do not have evidence they have urgent travel within 4 weeks, our security will not allow them into the office.

If they do have evidence of urgent travel and tells us their passport is faulty, you, the counter receptionist must:

1. Look at the passport and check for signs of damage. If the passport is damaged you must follow the damaged passport guidance and tell the customer to make an online appointment themselves.

2. Check the details in the passport match the passport record.

3. Test the passport on the passport reader and check if the passport is faulty.

4. Add a passport note to passport records to confirm the passport is faulty or not.

If the passport is found to be:

• faulty, you must deal with the customer using the urgent government or compassionate travel with no appointment guidance for the passport to be replaced (the customer must pay for a new passport to replace the faulty passport)
• not faulty, you must provide a letter confirming we have checked the passport and it is working properly

If the customer has paid the fee for the appointment, it will be refunded if the passport is found to be faulty and is not damaged. For example, they have booked an appointment themselves online to attend an office without contacting HM Passport Office beforehand to ask what to do.

Reporting a faulty passport: to a counter examiner

When a customer attends the counter for an appointment to renew or replace their faulty passport, they may have:

• attended the office, without booking an appointment and the counter receptionist has confirmed their passport is faulty, or;
• booked and paid to attend a premium or fast track appointment to renew or replace their passport

You must follow the guidance for How counter staff deal with a faulty passport.

How counter staff deal with a faulty passport

This section tells HM Passport Office counter staff how to deal with an application to replace a faulty passport on DAP when the customer has applied using a counter service.

If the customer tells you, the counter examiner processing on DAP (Digital Application Processing), their passport is faulty, you must check to see if there is a passport note on passport records to confirm it is faulty, by the counter receptionist or Customer Services Management team (CSMT) officer.

If there is a passport note confirming the passport is faulty, you must continue with the application.

If the customer tells you their passport is faulty and there is no passport note on passport records, you must:

1. Look at the passport and check for signs of damage. If the passport is damaged you must follow the damaged passport guidance.

2. Check the details in the passport match the passport record.

3. Test the passport on the passport reader and check if the passport is faulty.

If the passport is found to be:

• faulty, you must ask the customer if they want to replace the passport with a new one that has:

  • the same expiry date as the faulty passport, free of charge by sending us a paper application form to the Document Handling unit (DHU). If the customer has paid the fee, you must arrange a refund, or;

  • full validity. This must be done if the faulty passport has less than 12 months validity left or if the customer wants to complete the application using the Digital Customer Service (DCS)

• not faulty, you must ask the customer if they want:

  • to continue with the application to replace the passport and receive a new passport with full validity, or;

  • us to not continue with the application and provide a letter confirming we have checked the passport and it is working properly. If they choose this, the customer must receive a refund

You must:

• retain the documents and transfer the application to the national queue if the passport is faulty, and you are going to issue either:

  • a replacement passport with full validity
  • a passport with the remaining validity and give the customer a refund

• continue with the application as a replacement for a damaged passport if the passport is not faulty

In addition to the standard validation process, you must record on the passport validation screens if:

• you have tested the passport using the passport reader, and the result
• we accepted the passport as being faulty and does not show signs of damage
• the passport was not found to be faulty, and any signs of damage

You must also add case notes (or a passport note if there is no live application) to show:

• if the customer was told the passport is faulty
• if the passport has been to CSMT for investigation (for example, there was already a passport note on passport records showing they checked it)
• you are sending the passport to CSMT, if it is faulty
• the customer has paid the fee, and we are replacing the passport with full validity because:
  • there is less than 12 months validity
  • the customer wants a new passport

You must add these case notes to either:

• one of the DAP tasks you process (if you are going to complete processing at the counter)
• the I cannot complete the application case note field (if you are referring the application to the national queue)

If you complete processing the application at the Counter, you must not return the passport to the customer if you found it to be faulty. You must leave the passport physically uncancelled and send the passport to CSMT.

If you send the application to the national queue to complete processing, the DAP examiner will use your notes, and will arrange for the passport to be sent to CSMT.

How counter staff deal with a faulty passport (AMS)

This section tells HM Passport Office counter staff how to deal with an application to replace a faulty passport on AMS (Application Management System).

If the customer tells you, the counter examiner processing on AMS (Application Management System), their passport is faulty, you must check to see if there is a passport note on passport records to confirm it is faulty, by the counter receptionist or Customer Services Management team (CSMT) officer.

If there is a passport note confirming the passport is faulty, you must continue with the application on AMS, if the customer applied using the paper Premium Service or fast track service (because they were unable to apply using our online services).

If the customer tells you their passport is faulty and there is no passport note on passport records, you must:

1. Look at the passport and check for signs of damage, if the passport is damaged you must follow the:
   • Damaged passport guidance
   • Customers who are unable to use our online priority services guidance (if a customer brings a damaged passport to their paper counter application appointment)
2. Check the details in the passport match the passport record.
3. Test the passport on the passport reader and check if the passport is faulty.

If the passport is found to be:

• faulty, you must continue with the application and ask the customer if they want to replace the passport with a new one that has:
  • the same expiry date as the faulty passport, free of charge. If the customer has paid the fee, you must arrange a refund, or;
  • full validity. This must be done if the faulty passport has less than 12 months validity left
• not faulty, you must ask the customer if they want:
  • to continue with the application to replace the passport and receive a new passport with full validity, or;
  • HM Passport Office to not continue with the application and provide a letter confirming we have checked the passport and it is working properly. If they choose this, the customer must receive a refund

Faulty passport: completing the back office examiner form

If you are processing the application on AMS, you must add on a back office examiner (BOE) form:

• the customer was told the passport is faulty
• if we accepted the passport as being faulty and does not show signs of damage
• if the passport has been to CSMT for investigation
• if the passport is faulty, it must be sent to CSMT to be sent for investigation after the application is completed
• if the expiry date must be the same as the last passport
• if the customer has paid the fee or the passport is being issued free of charge
• if we are replacing the passport with full validity because:
  • there is less than 12 months validity
  • the customer wants a new passport

How CSMT deal with a faulty passport

This section tells HM Passport Office Customer Services Management team how to deal with faulty passports.

When you, a Customer Services Management team (CSMT) officer, receive a faulty passport from a customer or examiner, you must, on the day you receive the passport:

1. Add a passport note to passport records to confirm we have received the passport and it is waiting on checks to confirm if it is faulty.
2. Look to see if the customer has provided evidence of urgent travel (within the next 4 weeks).

Then you must, within 2 weeks (or 24 hours, if they have urgent travel):

1. Look at the passport and check for signs of damage.
2. Check the details in the passport match the passport record.
3. Test the passport on the passport reader.
4. Contact the customer, by phone, to tell them the passport has been received and tested.
5. Tell the customer what actions you will take depending on if the passport is:

When you receive a faulty passport from a counter and they have confirmed the passport is faulty, you must send the faulty passport to the supplier for investigation.

CSMT: customer has urgent travel

If the customer has told us they have urgent travel (for example, they tell us in a letter sent in with the passport). You must, within 24 hours of receiving and testing the passport:

If the passport is not faulty, see CSMT: passport is not faulty

If the passport is faulty, contact the customer, by phone, to ask if they can attend a Customer Service Centre (CSC):

• if they can attend a CSC, they must take evidence that they are travelling, along with their completed application. If there is less than 12 months validity, the customer will be asked to pay a fee for a full validity passport
• if they cannot attend a CSC, they must send to CSMT:
  • evidence that they are travelling (if not provided)
  • a new passport application form and 2 photos (we can issue them a free replacement passport, valid to the same date as the original, if it had more than 12 months validity remaining)
  • the relevant fee, if the original passport has less than 12 months validity remaining

CSMT: passport is not faulty

If the passport is confirmed to be not faulty, you must:

1. Add a passport note to passport records to confirm the passport is not faulty and it is being returned to the customer.
2. Return the passport to the customer with a letter to confirm the microchip is working as expected.

CSMT: passport is not faulty but replaced by new passport

If the passport is confirmed to be not faulty but the system shows the customer has already applied to replace it, paid the fee, and received a new passport, you must:

1. Add a passport note to passport records to confirm the passport is not faulty but has been replaced.

2. Physically cancel the passport.

3. Check the passport has been cancelled electronically.

4. Send the passport back to the customer with a letter to tell them the passport was not faulty, adding that the passport has been replaced by a new passport.

CSMT: passport is faulty (more than 12 months validity)

If the passport is faulty and there is more than 12 months validity, you must tell the customer:

1. To send in a new paper application form and 2 photos. If they cannot get a form, post one to them.

2. To complete on the new form:

• sections 1, 2, 3 and 9, if the passport is for an adult
• sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 9, if the passport is for a child (if the child is under 12 years old, a referee must complete section 10 and confirm the customer’s new photo)

You must add a passport note to passport records to confirm the passport is faulty and you have sent the customer a new form to complete and send back so we can replace the passport
Within 2 weeks of receiving the completed form, photos, and fee (if required) you must:

1. Send a letter 116 to the customer to let them know we will replace their passport free of charge and send the passport to our supplier for investigation.

2. Add a passport note to passport records to confirm it: - has been tested using a passport reader - is faulty and has no damage - will be sent to the supplier for investigation - will be replaced and the new passport will have the same expiry date

3. Send the form, photos and an APC referral form by internal post to the Document Handling unit (DHU).

4. Add the details to the Faulty Passports log.

5. Send the faulty passport to the supplier for investigation.

CSMT: passport is faulty (less than 12 months validity)

If the passport is faulty and has less than 12 months validity, we cannot replace the passport free of charge as we cannot issue a passport with less than 12 months validity.

You must ask the customer to apply and pay the relevant fee, for us to issue a full validity passport.

CSMT: passport is faulty and is damaged

If the passport is faulty and shows signs of damage (which has caused the fault), for example, the customer has bent the passport and that has damaged the passport chip. You must:

1. Add a passport note to passport records to confirm it:
   • has been tested using a passport reader
   • is faulty and the damage which has caused the fault
   • will be replaced with a new passport
2. Return the passport with letter 115.
3. Ask that the customer applies for a new passport.

CSMT: passport is faulty and has been replaced by a new passport

If the passport is faulty but the system shows the customer has already applied to replace it, paid the fee and has received a new passport, you, the CSMT officer must:

1. Physically cancel the passport.

2. Check the passport has been cancelled electronically.

3. Place the passport in confidential waste.

4. Send letter 116 to the customer to confirm the passport was faulty and has been replaced.

5. Check the application to see if the customer requires a refund. If the examiner has issued a passport with:

• the same expiry date as the faulty passport, check the examiner has refunded the fee paid. If not, you must arrange a refund
• full validity, the customer does not get a refund

CSMT: a faulty passport is returned by the supplier

If a faulty passport is returned to CSMT by the supplier and passport records show a replacement passport has already been issued, you must:

1. Add a passport note, explaining the response from the supplier.

2. Check the passport is cancelled on passport records.

3. Physically cancel the passport.

4. See if we can return the passport to the customer using the Returning a faulty passport to the customer section.

Examine an application with a faulty passport

This section tells HM Passport Office examiners how to deal with applications with a faulty passport.

You, the examiner, can receive an application to replace a faulty passport, directly from a customer (by applying) or from the Customer Service Management team (CSMT) through the Customer Service Liaison team (CSLT).

If a customer applies directly and sends in an application, photos, and fee, they may tell us the passport is faulty by sending in a letter with their passport or in the additional information section of the application.

When dealing with an application, you, the examiner, must check to see if the customer has asked for:

• us to return the passport to them
• a copy of a valid or expired visa in the passport

If the application has come from CSMT, there will be no passport with the application as they send the passport to our suppliers for investigation. There will be a note on the passport record to confirm this. 

Returning a faulty passport to the customer

We will not return a faulty passport to the customer, if it:

• appears to have been fraudulent tampering
• is newly issued and the customer received it already faulty

If you intend to destroy the customer’s faulty passport you must add a passport note, explaining why you are not returning it.

If you are dealing with an application on Application Management System (AMS) before you authorise the new passport, you must refer the application to your operational team leader (OTL) with a recommendation to destroy the faulty passport.

Your OTL must check your decision to securely destroy the customer’s passport and add a case note to the application to confirm they agree with your decision.

If you are dealing with the application on Digital Application Processing (DAP), you must send the faulty passport to confidential waste using Application Receive Domain (ARD).

We return passports to the customer in most cases, this follows an Ombudsman review in 2006 which found:

• the customer expected to receive their old passport and raised a complaint when they did not receive it
• there were no benefits in securely destroying the document on site

If the customer has asked for us to return the faulty passport to them, you must tell them we can ask for the company who supply the passports to return the passport after investigation, but they may not be able to return the passport depending on the fault.

Faulty passport has a visa

If the customer has requested a copy of valid or expired visas in the faulty passport, you must:

• send a photocopy of the visas to them
• tell them if they need to replace a visa, they must contact the relevant embassy or consulate to replace it themselves, we cannot do it on their behalf
  • if the customer tells us they will have to pay to replace the visa, they must contact CSMT

CSLT: deal with an application with a faulty passport

When you, the Customer Service Liaison team (CSLT), receive a form, photo and an  Application Processing Centre (APC) referral form from CSMT to replace a faulty passport, you must send the new application form and photos to Sopra Steria Ltd (SSL) to be scanned onto AMS.

When you receive the application back from SSL, you must:

1. Add a case note to explain the customer is to have a new passport issued: - free of charge - with the same expiry date as the faulty passport - CSMT have confirmed the customer’s current passport is faulty

2. Allocate the application to the next team on the list to process the new application.

AMS: deal with an application with a passport (not confirmed as faulty)

If a customer applies and pays the fee, to replace their passport because it is faulty but there is no passport note on the customer’s passport to confirm it is faulty (from CSMT or counter staff). You, the AMS examiner, must:

1. Check the details in the passport match the passport record.

2. Look at the passport and check for signs of damage (if available).

If there is no sign of damage to the passport, you must:

1. Clear any warnings relating to the passport.

2. Electronically cancel the passport on the system.

3. Not physically cancel the passport.

4. Issue a full validity passport.

5. Complete a Faulty Chip Return / Request to Investigate Faulty Chip form and send the faulty passport to the CSMT by internal post.

6. Add a passport note to the passport being replaced confirming all actions and decisions made. For example, the passport was received as part of an application and has not been confirmed as faulty.

7. Contact the customer to confirm their old passport is being sent to be tested and they will be contacted after this is completed.

AMS: deal with an application with a passport (confirmed to be faulty)

If you, the AMS examiner, receive an application to replace a faulty passport and CSMT or counter staff have put a passport note on the customer’s passport to confirm it is faulty. If the passport has:

• more than 12 months validity left, the application must be dealt with free of charge. This is because the replacement passport’s expiry date must match that of the faulty passport
• the customer may get a refund if they have paid the fee
• less than 12 months validity left, you must contact the customer and ask for the relevant fee to be able to issue a full validity passport

To replace the faulty passport on AMS, you (the examiner) must:

1. Clear any warnings relating to the passport.

2. Electronically cancel the passport on the system.

3. Set the replacement passport’s expiry date to match that of the faulty passport.

4.Add the validity observation OBTZ.

5. Add a passport note to the faulty passport confirming all actions and decisions made, for example, if the passport was not seen (because CSMT have retained the faulty passport).

6. Complete a Faulty Chip Return / Request to Investigate Faulty Chip form and send the faulty passport (if it is with the application) to CSMT by internal post.

DAP: deal with an application with a potential faulty passport

If you, the examiner, receive an application on DAP to replace a faulty passport and there is no passport note or case note to confirm it is faulty (from CSMT or counter staff), you, the DAP examiner, must check the details in the passport match the passport record.

You must ask the Embedded Civil Servant (ECS) in the DHU (Document Handling Unit) to check the passport.

You must:

1. Access Application Receive Domain (ARD).

2. Request revalidation of the passport and tell the ECS in the request they must check if the passport is faulty.

ARD will send the revalidation request to an ECS in the DHU.

The ECS will:

1. Check if the passport is faulty using a passport scanner in the DHU.

2. Update the validation outcome on ARD.

When, you receive the result of the revalidation check, you must follow either:

• DAP: deal with an application with a passport (confirmed to be faulty) – if the passport is confirmed as faulty

• DAP: deal with an application with a passport (not faulty) – if the passport is confirmed to not be faulty

DAP: deal with an application with a passport (confirmed to be faulty)

You, the DAP examiner, can continue to process the application on DAP if you receive an application to replace a faulty passport and:

• the passport is confirmed to be faulty by:
  • CSMT or counter staff putting a passport note on the customer’s passport
  • the DHU through the revalidation check

You must:

1. Process the application to issue a new passport.
2. Add a passport note to the passport being replaced confirming all actions and decisions made. For example, the passport was received as part of an application and has been confirmed as faulty.
3. Issue either a fully valid replacement passport (if the faulty passport has less than 12 months validity), or a replacement passport with an expiry date that matches that of the faulty passport (if the faulty passport has more than 12 months validity).
4. Add the validity observation OBTZ, if issuing a replacement passport with less than the full 10 year validity.
5. Issue a refund to the customer (if the customer paid the fee and the system shows the application is not free of charge (gratis)), if you are issuing a passport with an expiry date that matches that of the faulty passport.
6. Update the ARD handling instructions if the passport is in the DHU, to tell them to:
   • not cancel the passport
   • send the faulty passport to the CSMT
7. Contact the customer to confirm their old passport is being sent to be tested and they will be contacted after this is completed. We must send the passport to CSMT to find out if the fault is a manufacturing issue.

DAP: deal with an application with a passport (not faulty)

If the passport is confirmed to not be faulty, you must:

1. Process the application to issue a new passport.

2. Add a passport note to the passport confirming all actions and decisions made, for example, the passport was tested by DHU and confirmed to not be faulty.