Guidance

Restricted validity passports: caseworker guidance

Tells HM Passport Office staff about the process for issuing restricted validity passports.

• From: HM Passport Office
• Published: 7 February 2012
• Last updated: 10 June 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 10 June 2026

     Updated the guidance throughout; a full list of the changes can be found in the 'Changes from last version of this guidance' section.

  2. 27 August 2025

     Changes to the guidance can be found within the 'Changes from last version of this guidance' within the document.

  3. 24 March 2025

     This guidance has been updated to tell DAP (Digital Application Processing) examiners issuing a restricted validity (RV) passport to add an OBTU observation to the passport and to send the customer a letter 101 using Comms Builder.

  4. 14 November 2022

     Updated to show when the Counter Fraud team will ask Enhanced Application Checking to issue a restricted validity passport (in the Restricted validity passports section).

  5. 3 October 2022

     Accessible version added.

  6. 18 March 2021

     Updated guidance.

  7. 7 February 2012

     First published.

Documents

Restricted validity passports (accessible)

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Details

This guidance tells HM Passport Office staff about passport validity, when we will issue a passport with restricted validity, and how to process an application when the customer sends us a restricted validity passport.