Guidance

Guidance notes for social services departments when applying for passports on behalf of 'looked after children'

Updated 24 September 2026

Introduction

This guidance is to help local authorities Children’s Services departments make passport applications for children in their care.

The following information applies to passport applications made on behalf of children in local authority care:

• in England and Wales:
  • under section 31 of the Children Act 1989,
  • under interim care orders under section 38 of the Children Act 1989
  • and accommodated under section 20 of the Children Act 1989 or Section 76 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014
• in Scotland:
  • using parental responsibility orders under section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995
  • using Permanence Orders issued under the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007
  • compulsory supervision requirements issued under section 83 of the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011
  • and accommodated under section 25 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995
• in Northern Ireland under:
  • under article 50 of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995
  • under article 57 of the Children (Northern Ireland) Act 1995
  • and accommodated under article 21 of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995

Traveling outside the UK

Where a care order is in place, the child cannot be removed from the UK for a period of more than one month without the consent of every other person who has parental responsibility for the child. Some court orders may prohibit travel for children in care but not prevent the issue of a passport.

Where HM Passport Office is satisfied that all nationality, identity, entitlement and vulnerability requirements have been met, a passport will be issued. HM Passport Office does not check why someone obtains a passport. It is the responsibility of the Children’s Services department to make sure any care order is upheld in respect of travel.

Completing an application

Information on how to apply for a passport can be found at Apply online for a UK passport. It is cheaper and easier to apply online, see Passport fees. We will tell you what details you need to complete and what documents you need to send us.

The following notes do not cover all aspects of the application process so must be used alongside customer guidance published online at: Get a passport for your child and Applying for a passport.

Application service levels

Applications for a child’s passport are not eligible for the same day premium service. If the application is urgent, details of services available for children can be found online at: Get a passport urgently.

Children’s Services should apply as soon as the need for a passport is identified. If any information or relevant documentation is missing, the application will be delayed while we contact the Children’s Services department.

We advise you not to book any travel until you receive the child’s passport.

Child’s residential address

For safeguarding purposes, the passport and supporting documents will always be sent to the local authority’s Children’s Services department. You must enter this address when asked for the child’s residential address when applying.

We return all passports by secure delivery; the passport will be addressed to the Children’s Services department and a member of staff will need to sign for receipt of the passport.

Contact email addresses

You must provide a Children’s Services email address as a contact email as all our correspondence with Children’s Services will be sent to that address.

Documents needed to confirm British nationality and identity

Birth in the United Kingdom after 31 December 1982 does not automatically make the child a British citizen and we will need information and documentary evidence to show the claim to British citizenship.

It is important to provide as much detail about the natural parents as possible. Where the parent was born after 31 December 1982 their parents’ details (the grandparents) are also needed. You must provide these in writing if they are not supplied within the application, your letter must be signed (with a wet signature) and dated by the person who gives consent to the application.  

You can check online if someone has an automatic claim to citizenship. If there is not an automatic claim to British citizenship, it may be possible for the child to be registered as British. Information can be found online: Check if you can become a British citizen.

For child cases, documents must be provided that confirm:

• the child’s birth (for example, the birth certificate which includes their parents’ details),
• the parent was a British citizen or was settled in the UK at the time of the child’s birth in the UK (this may include grandparents birth certificates or proof of settlement if the parent was born before 1 January 1983); and,
• any change of name the child or parent may have had (to link their documents together)

If these cannot be provided, a registration certificate should be provided showing the child has acquired British citizenship.

Applying for a passport gives more details about which documents may be needed. We recommend you obtain as many of the required documents as possible before submitting an application. If you need to obtain copies of UK birth, death or marriage or civil registration certificates see: Order a birth, death, marriage or civil partnership certificate. If you complete the application online you will be given a list of documents needed and the address to send them to at the end of the application.

If you are having issues obtaining documents and have already submitted the application, write to us immediately, telling us what document you are trying to obtain and why it is unavailable. If you do not send documents or a letter explaining why they are unavailable the application may be withdrawn.

Where the documents are unavailable HM Passport Office will consider alternative documents that provide evidence of citizenship. The acceptance of documents is not prescriptive, and each application will be considered on its own merits and a passport will only be issued when the claim is proven.

We understand obtaining the necessary documents can be a lengthy or difficult process, especially where the child’s parents are not co-operative or cannot be contacted. In exceptional circumstances where there are issues in getting supporting documents, HM Passport Office will work with local authorities to assess child in care cases on a balance of probabilities.

Photograph needed

You must supply a recent photograph of the child which conforms to HM Passport Office photo standards. See advice about passport photographs.

Consenting to the passport application

Children’s Services departments are normally only entitled to apply for passports for a looked after child when they have parental responsibility. However, you may be able to apply if the child is accommodated or supervised by Children’s Services.

Where a local authority’s Children’s Services does not hold parental responsibility, the application cannot be processed without the consent of at least one person who has parental responsibility (PR) or parental rights and responsibilities (PRR) in Scotland for the child. This could be anyone who has been granted parental responsibility by the Court.  Foster parents cannot provide parental consent for passport applications. Find out more about parental responsibility.

Emergency Protection Orders

HM Passport Office will not accept a passport application for a child who is under

a local authority’s Children’s Services departments care through an Emergency Protection Order (for example, under section 44 of the Children Act 1989). This is due to the short-term duration of these orders and the uncertainty of future arrangements.

Children who are accommodated or supervised by Children’s Services

Children’s Services will not have parental responsibility where the child is subject to ‘the provision of accommodation’ in England or Wales or to a supervision requirement in Scotland. In these cases, someone with parental responsibility must consent to the passport application (this can be done in writing and sent with the supporting documents).

If the whereabouts of a person with parental responsibility is unknown consideration will be given to issuing a passport, dependent upon the individual circumstances.

Children’s Services must explain in their letter of consent (see How to give consent when Children’s Services have parental responsibility):

• why they have given consent in the absence of a person with parental responsibility
• how long those with parental responsibility have been missing; and,
• what steps have been made to find them

When a child is accommodated and the whereabouts of a person with parental responsibility is known, but consent to passport facilities is withheld, HM Passport Office will be unable to issue a passport.

Where Children’s Services hold parental responsibility

In any of the following cases, local authorities Children’s Services can apply for a passport on behalf of the child without the consent of the child’s parents, or anyone else who has parental responsibility.

Parental responsibility is held by Children’s Services in:

• England and Wales under:
  • a care order under section 31 of the Children Act 1989
  • an interim care order under section 38 of the Children Act 1989
• Scotland under:
  • a parental responsibility order under section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995
  • a Permanence Order made under the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007
  • compulsory supervision requirements section 83 of the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011
• Northern Ireland under:
  • a care order under article 50 of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995
  • an interim care order under article 57 of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995

How to give consent when Children’s Services have parental responsibility

When a local authority has parental responsibility for a child, the Director of Children’s Services (or equivalent title, for example their deputy, area manager, or Principal Manager of Community Care) for that area must consent to the application.

They must give their consent by completing the declaration on the application or by providing additional consent in a covering letter if they did not complete the declaration. For example, if a young adult, a parent, a social worker in the department or foster parent completes the application, they must provide a letter of consent which has been signed by the Director (or equivalent title).

The Director (or equivalent title) must also confirm in writing:

• the child’s full name and the application reference number
• which act and section of the act the child is subject to
• that there are no other causes for concern with the application
• that no-one will remove the child from the UK for a period of more than one month, without the consent of every other person who has parental responsibility for the child
• the Children’s Services office address where they want us to send all mail, the passport and supporting documents (we cannot send passports and documents to any other address)
• the Children’s Services email address given on the application where all email correspondence will be sent to
• names and contact details for any other person who may be dealing with this application on behalf of Children’s Services (for example, a person who HM Passport Office can speak to about the application)
• a copy of any court orders (apart from a full care order) relating to the child
• if they are unable to provide all the documents we need, together with the reason(s) for this (where applicable)

If the Children’s Services department has previously applied for a passport on the child’s behalf and is applying for a renewal, they must provide a letter as outlined above, along with confirmation there have been no changes to the terms of the court order or the child’s details. Where there are changes, a copy of the relevant court order must be provided.

Children’s Services letter of consent

To assist Children’s Services departments in providing the standard information HM Passport Office needs to process an application for a child in care we have supplied an example letter. You can amend the letter to give the specific information relevant for the child. See Children’s Services letter of consent example.

All letters of consent must be in writing and contain a ‘wet’ signature from the Director (or equivalent title). These must not be digital signatures or be signed on behalf of the Director.

Documents to confirm Children’s Services has parental responsibility

Children’s Services may need to provide a copy of the court order giving them parental responsibility. Children’s Services will:

• not need to send a full care order; the letter from the Director of Children’s Services will be sufficient
• need to send a copy of:
  • interim care orders (these must be valid on the day the passport is issued, if it is not valid a new one will be requested)
  • placement orders
  • permanence orders made in Scotland
  • any court order relating to parental responsibility from the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands

Who can act as referee for a child in care

All child applications will need a referee, the person acting as referee must meet certain criteria as set out at Confirm someone’s identity online for a passport application: Who can confirm someone’s identity. The referee must hold a current and valid (unexpired and uncancelled) British or Irish passport and be able to pass our identity checks.

If making an online application, you will be asked to provide an email address for the person who will be acting as referee. They will then be contacted and asked to confirm details about the child and the person who provided consent for the application.

The referee used to confirm the child’s identity must be able to recognise the child and certify the photo is a true likeness. They will also be asked to confirm they have known the customer, for instance the person signing or completing the declaration on behalf of the child, for 2 years. We understand this will not always be possible due to the circumstances, so will consider accepting a referee who does not meet the criteria but is able to identify the child from personal knowledge.

Any suitably qualified person who meets the criteria and who holds a current and valid (unexpired and uncancelled) British or Irish passport may countersign the form provided they have personal knowledge of the person providing consent for the passport application and the child. We do recommend the child’s social worker should act as referee as they are the person best placed to be able to identify both the child and person providing consent from personal knowledge. Please note a referee cannot be the same person who submits the application.

Lost, stolen and withheld passports

If a child’s expired passport is lost or stolen, anyone with parental responsibility, legal guardianship, or who is acting in place of a parent can:

• report the passport as lost or stolen online; or,
• apply online for a replacement passport

More information can be found at: Cancel a lost or stolen passport.

HM Passport Office cannot usually cancel a child’s unexpired passport without the consent of the person who originally applied for it. If that person is not making the new application, their consent is normally required. If consent cannot be obtained, a full care order or a court order allowing the passport to be cancelled is needed.

If the passport’s location is known but there is a disagreement about who should keep it, the passport should not be reported as lost unless there are concerns about child abduction. If the disagreement cannot be resolved and the child is not subject to a full care order, a court order is needed before the passport can be cancelled.

Where the child is subject to a full care order and the consent from the original customer cannot be obtained, the Director (or their deputy, area manager, or Principal Manager Community Care) must confirm in writing (with a wet signature):

• the child is subject to a full care order
• if the care order refers to any rules about issuing or holding a passport
• that the passport cannot be recovered or its whereabouts are unknown

You must send us a copy of the care order if there are provisions relating to the issue and holding of a passport. 

Contacting HM Passport Office

HM Passport Office asks the Director of Children’s Services (or equivalent title) to confirm in writing the names and contact details for any other person who may be dealing with this application on behalf of Children’s Services. For example, the child’s social worker or a person who HM Passport Office can speak to about the application.

For safeguarding reasons HM Passport Office will not discuss any application with a person whose details have not been specifically given to us (in writing) by the Director of Children’s Services.

The Director of Children’s Services must provide a new letter confirming the names and contact details for any other person who may be dealing with this application on behalf of Children’s Services. For example, if the child’s social worker changes, or they are no longer available.

If the child moves to a different local authority, the original Director of Children’s Services must provide a letter confirming the new contact details and the new local authority address.

All letters must be in writing and contain a ‘wet’ signature from the Director (or equivalent title). These must not be digital signatures or be signed on behalf of the Director.