Guidance

Welsh language: Digital Fast Track and Premium service applications

Published 25 February 2026

Version 1.0

This guidance is for His Majesty’s Passport Office staff based in Newport, who deal with Welsh Language Digital Fast Track and Premium service passport applications.

1. About, Welsh language: Digital Fast Track and Premium service applications

This guidance tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff in Newport how to deal with Welsh language passport applications when a Welsh speaking customer needs to apply for a Digital Fast Track or Premium application.

When a customer applies in the Welsh language, HM Passport Office must:

• try to deal with their application in Welsh as much as possible
• always speak to the customer in Welsh (if a Welsh speaker is available; this service is only available between Monday to Friday)

We do not provide Welsh interpreters for counter appointments. This means if a Welsh speaker is not available for a counter appointment, the counter staff must:

1. Ask the customer if they are willing to continue in English because there is no Welsh speaker available (for example, the customer needs a Saturday counter appointment).
2. Ask them to return when a Welsh speaker is available (if they want to continue their counter appointment in Welsh).
3. Rebook their appointment for a date and time between Monday and Friday when a Welsh speaker is available).

1.1 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.

1.2 Publication

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

• version 1.0
• published for Home Office staff on 16 June 2025

1.3 Changes from last version of this guidance

This is new guidance

1.4 Related content

Welsh Language Scheme

2. How to deal with Welsh language applications

This section tells HM Passport Office Newport teams how to deal with Welsh language applications made using Digital Fast Track or Premium service.

If a Welsh speaking customer needs their passport using Digital Fast Track or Premium service, they can:

• call our contact centres and press 0 to speak directly to a Welsh speaker (if one is available); and,
• tell the contact centre staff they need to apply for a Digital Fast Track or Premium service application

If a customer calls the contact centre and a Welsh speaker is not available, the customer can either:

• complete the call in English; or,
• request a call back when a Welsh speaker is available.

When a Welsh speaking customer tells us they need to apply using Digital Fast Track or Premium service, the contact centre staff will:

• tell them:
  • about the options available to them, timescales and the cost
  • they will be contacted during office hours (outside of these hours the callback will be on the next working day unless the customer is happy to continue the call in English)
• transfer the request to Newport Counter Managers by email

2.1 Dealing with Welsh Digital Fast Track or Premium service applications

When the customer tells us they need a Welsh language Digital Fast Track or Premium service application, HM Passport Office must deal with the request immediately. You, the person receiving the request, must:

1. Send an email to the Newport counter managers mailbox.
2. Include in your email, the customer’s:
   • full forename(s) and surname
   • contact telephone number and email address
   • service type they want to apply for

2.2 Dealing with Welsh customer call back requests

When you, the counter manager, receive a call back request from a Welsh speaking customer, you must:

1. Ask a Welsh speaker to make the call with you and translate it for you from English to Welsh and Welsh to English (if you do not speak Welsh and a Welsh speaker is available); or,
2. Ask if they are willing to continue the conversation in English (if a Welsh speaker is not available); and,
3. Contact the customer within 1 working day using the phone number (or email address if there is no answer by phone) provided in the email from the contact centre.
4. Add the customer details to the SharePoint tracker.

If a Welsh speaker is available or the customer is happy to continue the call in English, you must:

1. Complete the security questions.
2. Ask which service the customer wants to apply for:
   • Digital Fast Track
   • Premium service

If a Welsh speaker is not available, and the customer would like to continue the call in Welsh, you must tell the customer you will need to arrange for a call back when a Welsh speaker is available.

You, the counter manager, must:

1. Send the customer a magic link to apply for a Digital Fast Track  or Premium service.
2. Tell the customer:
   • the payment will be taken in 2 stages (the standard fee when they apply online and the additional fee once they have submitted their application)
   • they will only get their counter appointment date once they have paid the additional fee (if they are applying for Digital Fast Track or Premium service)
3. Give the customer any additional information they may need, for example:
   • advise the customer child applications are held for 5 days once they have submitted their application for safeguarding reasons, before an appointment can be given; or,
   • tell the customer to quote the application number when they call the passport advice line to pay the additional fee.
4. Update the SharePoint tracker once you have completed the call and check the payment has been updated in line with current guidance. Continue to monitor the tracker until payment has been made.

When the additional fee has cleared, you must call the customer back (using a Welsh speaker, if available) and arrange a convenient counter appointment date. You must make sure any safeguarding period has lapsed and follow the correct guidance for the service type, for example:

• Digital Fast Track guidance (counter examiners must hand child application documents back to the customer at the time of the appointment)
• Premium service guidance

2.3 Fees for Welsh Digital Fast Track or Premium service applications

The customer must pay the standard fee for their application type at the time of submission.

If additional fees apply (for example, a Digital Fast Track or Premium service fee), the customer must be told to contact customer services to pay the additional fee before their appointment can be booked.

Counter managers must check the SharePoint tracker every day. When the customer has made the additional payment and it has cleared, the contact centre will record the details on Digital Application Processing (DAP) in line with current guidance.

If the customer has not paid the additional fee within 5 working days, the counter manager (using a Welsh speaker, if needed) will:

• call the customer to check they still want to proceed with the application
• remind them they need to pay the additional fee and how to pay
• tell them their application will be downgraded if no fee is received by day 5 from submission

You must tell the customer to make their additional payment by calling the customer advice line and pressing 0 for a Welsh speaker.

If, on day 5 no additional fee has been received the application must be referred to the national queue.

2.4 Greeting the customer in Welsh for a counter appointment

When the customer arrives for their counter appointment you, the Welsh speaking staff member, must be available to greet them and check them in where possible.

The Welsh speaking staff member must tell the customer to:

1. Take a seat.
2. Listen for their name to be called by the counter staff member.
3. Attend the relevant booth or counter when their name is called (where the Welsh speaker will meet them to translate if applicable).

2.5 If you need to return the application to the national queue

If you need to return the application to the national queue you, the counter examiner, must:

1. Add a case note to the application to explain what you have done and what actions need doing.
2. Follow Applications sent to the DAP national queue to return the application to the national queue.

The application will return to the DAP national queue.

2.6 Printing Welsh Digital Fast Track and Premium passports

When the application process for Digital Fast Track or Premium has been completed and you are ready to send the passport to print you must use local print service.

To do this you must change the print location from central to local print following How to change the print location in guidance.