Guidance

Paper application: how a customer applies

Published 4 August 2025

Version 12.0

About: Paper application: how a customer applies

This guidance tells His Majesty’s Passport Office operational staff about paper applications, it explains:

• how customers apply
• who can apply
• what services are available to customers and what information they must tell us about

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 12.0
• published for Home Office staff on 23 June 2025

Changes from last version of this guidance

This guidance has been updated to remove references to Application Management System (AMS).

Paper applications

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff about paper applications, who can use one and how customers must apply. All customers, regardless of whether they live in the UK or overseas, can apply for a passport using a paper form (except customers applying for a collective passport).

We encourage customers in the UK to apply online if that’s what they prefer.

International customers should follow the country-by-country instructions about how to apply on GOV.UK. They can use the paper form and send this directly to HM Passport Office, even if they are instructed to apply:

• online, or
• in person at a full local service

We will accept the paper form, but we must follow the correct return method for passports and supporting documents.

How a UK customer can apply

Customers living in the UK can apply with a pre-printed paper form called an SE04. Customers can get an SE04 form by either:

• collecting a passport application pack from the Post Office
• calling the passport advice line to ask for a passport application pack

For Welsh language applications, see Welsh language guidance.

How an international customer can apply

Customers living abroad can apply by post by downloading and printing an international application form (called an OS form) from GOV.UK.
## How the application (service) type is chosen

The customer must select the correct application (service) type in section 1 of the application form.  You, the examiner, must:

• change the application (service) type if the passport issuing system or the customer choses the wrong one
• case note your actions (for example, if the customer’s passport is lost or stolen and they have selected renewal, you must change the service type to replacement)

DAP will create a data validation task if the customer has not selected an application (service) type on the application form.

How the application reference number is created

UK (SE04) forms are printed with a reference number and barcode included on page 1. This reference number is recorded on the system when the paper form is received and scanned in the Document Handling Unit (DHU) and is the reference number for the customer’s application when it is processed on DAP.

International (OS) forms do not include a reference number or barcode when the customer downloads the form from GOV.UK. When the international form is received and scanned in the DHU, the system automatically creates a unique reference number for the application, and this is the reference number for the customer’s application when it is processed on DAP.

Paper applications: how a customer applies

This section tells HM Passport Office staff how a customer completes their paper application form. Customer guidance is available to help them complete their application and a guidance booklet is enclosed in UK application packs. International customers can use the international guidance booklet on GOV.UK.

Customers must give us their personal details by filling in section 2 of the paper form and provide, their:

• full name
• maiden or previous name (if they have one)
• date of birth
• place of birth
• country of birth
• gender (the sex marker shown on their passport)

How the customer gives us their photo

The customer must give us 2 paper photos, including 1 countersigned (if needed).

Customer’s contact details

The customer must complete their address in section 2 of the application form. If the customer’s address is too long they can write their full address, either on:

• section 8 of the paper form
• a separate piece of paper (which must be signed and dated)

The customer may also provide us with a telephone number and email address on section 2 of the form but this is optional.

Customer provides an alternative address

Customers must give an alternative address (if they have one) by either writing it on:

• section 8 of the paper form
• a separate piece of paper (which must be signed and dated)

The customer must provide evidence of their alternative address. 

If the customer has multiple British passports

Customer must tell us about any other British passports they hold. They will do this by filling in section 3 of the paper application form. All customers holding additional British passports must fill in section 3A, 3B and 3C (if needed).

If the customer wants to renew an additional passport, they must provide us with evidence to show why they need one (for example, a letter from their employer).

If the customer holds a foreign passport

Customers must tell us about any other passports they hold. They will do this by filling in section 3 of the paper application form. All customers must fill in section 3A, 3B and 3C (if needed).

If the customer’s passport is lost or stolen

Customers must tell us about any British passports that are lost or stolen by completing section 3C. They must include as much information as possible and provide:

• the lost or stolen passport number
• where the passport was issued
• customer’s surname (at the time it was issued)
• first and middle names
• how the passport was lost or why it is not available
• date of loss
• place of loss

If the customer’s passport is damaged

If the passport has any damage, the customer must:

• select ‘replacement’ on section 1 of the application form
• write a reason for the damage on the application form or on a separate piece of paper and sign and date the letter

Customers may not realise there is any damage to their passport so they may not report it. You must check all British passports (as part of the application for damage) and follow current guidance.

If you need the customers parents’ or grandparents’ details

How customers give us their parents’ details

Customers must provide their parents’ details by filling in section 4 of the paper application form, when the intended passport holder, is either:

• under 16
• applying for their first adult passport
• applying to replace a passport that has been lost, stolen or damaged

How customers give us their grandparents’ details

Customers must provide their grandparents’ details by adding them to section 8 or on a separate piece of paper (which they must sign and date) when both their parents were born, either:

• on or after 1 January 1983
• outside the UK

If the customer has a naturalisation or registration certificate

If customers are applying for their first British passport and have become British citizens through naturalisation or registration, they must include their naturalisation or registration certificate details (on section 5) and include the documents.

How the customer completes the declaration confirming the information is correct

Customers must sign and date the declaration (section 9 of the application) to confirm they agree to the passport application terms. The signature on receipt must be dated within the last 6 months.

If you are working on the counter and the form has not been signed or dated you must follow Paper counter applications: processing at the counter window.

If the form is a postal or partner submission you must reject the declaration and send the customer a new form to complete where the application:

• is not signed, dated or both
• was signed and dated more than 6 months ago

Capturing a child’s signature (aged 12-15 years)

If the child (the intended passport holder) is 12-15 years old, or will turn 12 within the next 3 weeks, they sign at section 6 on the paper application form. (If the form is signed but not dated at section 6, or the date is over 6 months we can still accept it if the parent’s signature and date at section 9 has been dated within the last 6 months).

The customer (the person consenting to the application, for example, the child’s mother) must sign and date section 9 and fill in their relationship to the child.

Referees

For paper applications customers can only provide a paper referee (countersignatory). It is not possible to provide a digital referee or a paper referee (1 page form) on a paper application.

How and when to provide a paper referee (countersignatory)

A paper referee (countersignatory) is needed if the customer is applying:

• for their first British passport
• to replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport
• to renew a child passport (if the child is 11 or under)
• to renew a passport (adult, or child aged 12 to 15 years) if you cannot recognise them from the photo in their current passport

How the customer and paper referee (countersignatory) gives us additional information

Additional information from the customer

Customers must tell us any additional information (if they have any) on section 8 of the paper form or on a separate piece of paper.

If the customer provides information on a separate piece of paper, they must sign and date the paper.

Additional information from the paper referee (countersignatory)

The paper form does not ask for a paper referee (countersignatory) to provide additional information. The paper referee (countersignatory) may provide information on a separate piece of paper. If they do they must sign and date the paper.

What documents customers need to send us and where to send them

Customers must send in documents to support their application.

Customers who live in the UK must read the guidance booklet (included in their application pack) and send the documents relating to the type of passport they are applying for.

If a customer is applying from outside the UK, they must follow the instructions on GOV.UK. The instructions will give them a link to the supporting document lists, which tells the customer what documents they need to send us.

How customers must send in their application

UK customers must use the envelope the paper form and guidance booklet were in, which tells them where to send their documents. 

If a customer is living outside of the UK, GOV.UK tells the customer where to send their application and documents.

How we return the customer’s documents

We will return the customer’s documents when we have completed all checks on the application.

See Posting passports and documents for how we return customer documents.