Guidance

Guidance for paper passport applications (accessible)

Updated 19 May 2022

Before you apply for a passport

Ways to apply for a passport

Please don’t book travel until you’ve received your new passport, as we can’t accept responsibility for any travel that you book. To avoid delays, we’ll need a fully completed form, 2 suitable photos, the right documents and fee.

Online

Visit www.gov.uk/apply-renew-passport. It’s cheaper and easier to apply online. We’ll tell you what details you need to complete and what documents you need to send us. You don’t need to read these guidance notes.

Post Office Digital Check & Send Service

Visit: www.gov.uk/how-the-post-office-check-and-send-service-works (selected branches only and additional fee applies, see passport fee section). They will take your photo, fill in the application online and submit it for you. They’ll send your old passport (if you have one) or documents to HM Passport Office by Royal Mail Special Delivery (this is included in the additional fee, which is charged by the Post Office). For more information visit: www.postoffice.co.uk

Post Office Paper Check & Send Service

Visit www.gov.uk/how-the-post-office-check-and-send-service-works (additional fee applies, see passport fee section). The Post Office will check your application form, your supporting documents, 2 photos, and your fee. The Post Office will then send us your application by Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed (this is included in the additional fee, which is charged by the Post Office). For more information visit: www.postoffice.co.uk

Post

Use the envelope that came with your pack to send us your fully completed application form, supporting documents, 2 photos, and your fee. You must attach the correct postage to your envelope.

By appointment to get a passport quickly

Visit www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently. You may be able to get a passport using the 1-day Premium service (usually within 4 hours, although this could be the next day if the office is due to close) or 1-week Fast Track service. You will need to book and pay for an appointment online and go to a passport office with a fully completed application form, 2 photos and the right supporting documents. Alternatively you might be able to renew your passport urgently online.

If you live outside the UK, you apply in a different way.

Visiting the UK and want to apply when you’re there?

Additional support is available for anyone who has a disability. Find out more about the services we offer and how to access them at www.gov.uk/passport-services-disabled

How to fill in each section of the paper application form

• Complete your paper form in CAPITAL LETTERS and BLACK BIRO only.
• Don’t write outside the white boxes or outside the signature borders.

If you make a mistake, cross it out. Don’t use correction fluid. If you make more than 3 mistakes on any line or don’t provide a clear signature in sections 6 or 9, you will need to fill out a new form. If your form needs countersigning, your countersignatory must also write in the white boxes and sign within the signature box at section 10.

Section 1: Which type of passport do you need and sections to complete

Read the information in this section to find out which type of passport you need to apply for and what sections you need to fill in. There are 5 different types of application.

• The Child box is for under 16s
• The Adult box is for those 16 or over and those turning 16 within the next 3 weeks
• Adult passports are normally valid for 10 years and child passports are normally valid for 5 years

Renewal

This applies if:

• your existing British passport isn’t damaged and
• your name, date of birth, place of birth, gender, appearance and nationality hasn’t changed and
• you aren’t renewing a passport that is handwritten. If you are renewing a handwritten passport, see First British Passport

Section 10 must be completed for:

• all children aged 11 or under
• everyone who is not recognisable from their previous passport photo.

The countersignatory must complete section 10 and correctly certify one of your photos. See countersignatory section.

Sections to complete

Adult, 16 or above (or about to turn 16 in the next 3 weeks)	1	2	3			9
Child, under 16	1	2	3	4	6 (if aged 12-15 or about to turn 12 in the next 3 weeks)	9

First British passport

This applies if you:

• have never had a British passport before
• were included as a child on someone else’s passport
• are renewing a passport that is handwritten
• have become a British national by naturalisation or registration

Section 10 must be completed for: all adult and child applications.

The countersignatory must complete section 10 and correctly certify one of your photos. See countersignatory section.

Sections to complete

Adult, 16 or above (or about to turn 16 in the next 3 weeks)	1	2	3	4	5		9
Child, under 16	1	2	3	4	5	6 (if aged 12-15 or about to turn 12 in the next 3 weeks)	9

Replacement

This applies if:

• you want to replace a British passport that has been lost, stolen or damaged

Section 10 must be completed for: all adult and child applications

The countersignatory must complete section 10 and correctly certify one of your photos. See countersignatory section.

Sections to complete

Adult, 16 or above (or about to turn 16 in the next 3 weeks)	1	2	3	4		8 (if passport damaged)	9
Child, under 16	1	2	3	4	6 (if aged 12-15 or about to turn 12 in the next 3 weeks)	8 (if passport damaged)	9

Changes

This applies if you want to change your current British passport. You’re changing:

• your name, date of birth, place of birth, gender or nationality
• your photo (including where you cannot be recognised from your current passport photo)

Section 10 must be completed for:

• all children aged 11 or under
• everyone who is not recognisable from their previous passport photo.

The countersignatory must complete section 10 and correctly certify one of your photos. See countersignatory section.

Sections to complete

Adult, 16 or above (or about to turn 16 in the next 3 weeks)	1	2	3	4	5		9
Child, under 16	1	2	3	4	5	6 (if aged 12-15 or about to turn 12 in the next 3 weeks)	9

Extension

This applies if your last passport was issued for one year or less.

Section 10 must be completed for:

• all children aged 11 or under
• everyone who is not recognisable from their previous passport photo.

The countersignatory must complete section 10 and correctly certify one of your photos. See countersignatory section.

Sections to complete

Adult, 16 or above (or about to turn 16 in the next 3 weeks)	1	2	3	4		9
Child, under 16	1	2	3	4	6 (if aged 12-15 or about to turn 12 in the next 3 weeks)	9

Need secure delivery to return your supporting documents?

Unless you pay for secure delivery, the documents you send us will be sent back to you by Royal Mail second class post.

Put a ‘X’ in the ‘secure delivery’ box if you would like us to send your supporting documents back to you by secure delivery. You will need to pay the secure delivery fee (see passport fee section). If you cross the box and do not pay the additional fee, this will delay your application.

If you pay for secure delivery you can track your package, or find full delivery information at: www.tnt.com/campaign/en_gb/hmpo.html

We cannot:

• take responsibility or provide compensation for any loss, or delayed return of your supporting documents when we return them by second
• class post and you have not asked for secure delivery
• replace any documents that you report as missing 6 months after we have issued the passport
• accept responsibility for passports and supporting documents that are not delivered, if you give an incorrect address or do not tell us if you move house while we are processing your application

Need a 50-page frequent traveller passport?

A standard passport is 34 pages. If you are a frequent traveller and need extra space for visas, select ‘50-page passport’ on the application form. 50-page frequent traveller passports cost more than a 34-page passport.

Need a Braille sticker on your new passport?

If you or the applicant has eyesight difficulties and need a Braille sticker put on the new passport, put a ‘X’ in the ‘Braille’ box.

Section 2: Who is the passport for?

• The name you enter on the form should fully match your previous British passport or the documents you send us. For example your birth or adoption certificate, marriage certificate, nationality certificate.
• If there isn’t enough space in the boxes provided please use section 8 of the application form to give us your full name.

Names to be shown on your passport

• We can add a limited number of titles to your British passport if you ask. See GOV.UK for details.
• Please give the name of the person who the passport is for under ‘surname’ and ‘first and middle names’
• The name that is shown on the passport should be the name that you use for all purposes – that is, the name on your new passport should match the name that appears on your supporting documents (such as your birth certificate or previous passport). If you’re a dual national and hold a non-British passport in a different name, you must change it to match the name you want on your British passport. You must do this before you make your application.
• We can only show up to 30 characters (including spaces) on your passport for first and middle names and a further 30 characters for surnames. If your names don’t fit in the boxes provided, shorten them in a way you would want them to be shown on your passport. You should then write your full name in section 8 of the form. We will add your full name on the observation page in your passport.
• If you have changed your name, enter your name as it is now.

Change of name in passport

• If you are changing your name, put your new name in the ‘surname’ and ‘first and middle names’ boxes and put your previous names in the ‘maiden or all previous names’ boxes.
• If you no longer want your middle name to be included in your new passport when it has been on previous passports, tell us in section 8 of the application form and provide evidence of the change. See the change of name table for details. If you don’t, we will add your name to match what is in your previous passport.
• If you spell your name differently, change the order of your names or add a new name compared to what is in your previous passport, then you will need to provide evidence of the name change. See the change of name table for more details.
• Provide proof of your change of name if this is different from your supporting documents. Send proof to support every name change. This applies if you are getting married or forming a civil partnership and you want your passport to be in your new name. See the change of name table for more details.
• List all of your maiden or previous names that you have been known by (surname first then first and middle names). Leave a space between each name. If they won’t fit in the boxes, you should write them in full in section 8.
• You cannot change a child’s name unless you have the permission of everyone who has parental responsibility for the child. Please see section 9 on parental responsibility for more information.

Current UK address

• Give your full residential address (where you live) including any street number and your full postcode. This must be an address in the UK and is usually where we deliver your passport to. If your house has a name, where possible please provide the street number to ensure we deliver the passport to the correct address. You can check your address details on the Royal Mail website.
• We may check you live at the address you give. If you don’t, it may delay your application unless you explain the circumstances in section 8 of the application form.
• We won’t normally return your passport to an address that is different from your current address. If you want it delivered to a different address, please explain why and give the other address in section 8. We may ask you for evidence of your link to that address.

Gender

• Put a cross in the relevant box to say whether the person the passport is for is male or female.
• If you are transgender (live as a different gender to that shown on your birth certificate) or if you have changed or are in the process of changing your gender, you can get more guidance at www.gov.uk/changing-passport-information

Date of birth

• Give your date of birth as shown on your birth, registration or naturalisation certificate or previous British passport

Place of birth

• Give the names of the town and country you were born in as shown on your birth, registration or naturalisation certificate or previous British passport.

Contact details

We recommend you give us a mobile phone number, so we can send you a text message when we receive your form and when your passport is being printed. Our courier may also use it to help deliver your passport faster. Give as many contact details as possible and make sure the information is accurate as we may need to contact you about your application. If you have a Text Relay number, write this in the space in section 8 if it won’t fit in the boxes.

Section 3: Details of previous and current passports held

Everyone must fill in section 3A.

Uncancelled passports

In part B, enter details of all uncancelled passports that you are sending us. A British cancelled passport has the top right-hand corner of the cover cut off. An uncancelled passport has not been cancelled by its issuing authority (British or another country). This may include:

• an expired passport (one that has run out)
• passports you are or were included on (for example, as a child), and
• passports issued to you by other countries

Lost or stolen

We strongly recommend you report your passport as lost or stolen as soon as possible to prevent someone misusing your passport and your identity. Do this online at www.gov.uk/report-a-lost-or-stolen-passport. You can ask a trusted friend or relative to help you. The sooner you report it, the sooner you will be protected against the passport being misused.

If your passport has been lost or stolen, but you haven’t reported it yet, fill in part C. Give us as many details as you can and tell us how the passport was lost or stolen. Please use section 8 if there is not enough space in the boxes provided. If your passport was stolen, report the theft to the local police and include the crime reference number at section 8. We will cancel your lost or stolen passport when we receive your application.

If you later find the passport which you reported lost or stolen, you must return it to us. You will no longer be able to use the passport. You may be held by the immigration authorities or the police if you try to do so.

For security reasons, any passport which is found should be returned to us or to a third party such as the Police so it can be returned to us for cancellation.

Section 4: Parent’s details

You need to fill in this section if:

• the passport is for someone under 16
• you are applying for your first adult passport
• you are applying to replace a passport that has been lost, stolen or damaged
• you are applying to extend your passport

Give all the details for both parents of the person named at section 2 of the application form.

For nationality purposes parents are defined in law as ‘mother’ and ‘father’. Nationality by birth cannot always be gained through either parent’s national status. This includes parents who are of the same sex. Because of this, it is important that the ‘mother’ and ‘father’ are entered in the correct boxes.

If either parent was born on or after 1 January 1983, or were born outside the UK, please give the following details in section 8 of the application form. Either:

• the full name, town, country of birth and date of marriage of your mother’s or parent 1’s parents and your father’s or parent 2’s parents, or
• details of your parents’ claim to British nationality.

If your ‘mother’ is married to someone else (not your biological father) at the time of your birth your ‘biological father’ is not your ‘father’ for nationality purposes. Please see gov.uk for more information.

Step-parents and others taking a parental role that are not defined as either a ‘mother’ or a ‘father’ for nationality purposes must not fill in their details in section 4.

Adoption

When a child is adopted in the UK, British nationality can be gained through either parent. If adoptive parents are of the same sex, the parent who appears first on the adoption certificate should enter their details in the box ‘mother or parent 1’ and the parent named second on the adoption certificate should enter their details in the box ‘father or parent 2’ regardless of sex

Children conceived through sperm donation

If your child was conceived through sperm donation and born in the UK, you should complete the form in the normal way. You do not need to tell us your child was conceived through sperm donation.

If the parents are of the same sex, the mother who gave birth should enter their details in the box ‘mother or parent 1’ and the parent named second on the child’s birth certificate should enter their details in the box ‘father or parent 2’.

If your child was conceived through sperm donation and born outside the UK see GOV.UK for information on what documents you’ll need to send.

Surrogacy

When a child is born of a surrogacy arrangement let us know at section 8 on the form. If a parental order has been granted in the UK on or after 6 April 2010, nationality can be taken through either parent named on the order. Where these parents are of the same sex, the parent who appears first on the parental order should enter their details in the box ‘mother or parent 1’ and the parent named second on the parental order should enter their details in the box ‘father or parent 2’.

It may be possible to apply for a passport before a parental order has been granted. Passport applications involving surrogacy can be complex and we may need to contact you for further information.

No mention of parent’s details or ‘mother or parent 1’ and ‘father or parent 2’ will appear on the passport. This information is used simply to gather the information we need to issue a passport.

Child with one parent

If you are the only parent of your child, fill in either the ‘Mother or Parent 1’ or ‘Father or Parent 2’ sections of the form, whichever applies to you and leave the spaces for an additional parent blank.

Add a note in section 8 to show that you are the only parent and why (whether you do not know the other parent of the child, are an individual adopter, or an individual parent whose child was conceived through sperm donation and so on).

For more information on the circumstances in which nationality is decided please visit GOV.UK

For more nationality information please visit GOV.UK

Section 5: Certificate of registration or naturalisation

• You must put a cross in the ‘No’ or ‘Yes’ box if you are applying for your first British passport
• You must put a cross in the ‘No’ or ‘Yes’ box if you are changing your national status to British citizen
• Don’t include birth/adoption certificate or passport details in this section

The ‘No’ box applies if the person named in section 2 has not applied to the Home Office to become a British Citizen through registration or naturalisation. A registration or naturalisation certificate is only issued by the Home Office when the applicant has satisfied all legislation requirements. Put a ‘X’ in the ‘No’ box.

The Yes box applies if the person named in section 2 applied to the Home Office to become a British Citizen through registration or naturalisation. If the Home Office granted British citizenship the Home Office will have issued a certificate of registration or naturalisation. Put a ‘X’ in the ‘Yes’ box and give certificate details.

Section 6: Children aged 12 to 15

A child aged 12 to 15, or a child who will turn 12 within the next 3 weeks, needs to sign this declaration.

A date must be put in the date section. A person with parental responsibility must sign the declaration at section 9 of the form.

If your child is not able to sign the form, you should:

• leave this section blank, and
• use section 8 or send a covering letter confirming why the child cannot sign. This can be written by the parent or the child’s carer or doctor.

Section 7

Don’t write in this section. This area is intentionally blank.

Section 8: More information

Most people don’t need to fill in this section. The sections below show when you should give us extra information using this section.

Names

• Names that you were not able to fit in the boxes in section 2.
• If you have changed your name as a result of getting married, but you want to continue to use your maiden name for professional purposes, you should make a statement in section 8 of the application form and we will add a note on the observation page of your passport showing your maiden name.
• to keep an observation in your new passport.

Addresses

• Tell us why you need to have your passport sent to another address and give us the other address

Damaged passport

• If your passport is damaged, explain briefly how it was damaged.

Parental responsibility

• You must disclose and give us any court orders relating to the child, which might impact the passport application.

If you have a disability

• If you have a disability that means you can’t meet the passport photo requirements. Please include a letter from your doctor, and tell us if it’s a permanent or temporary disability.
• If you have a mental or physical condition that would prevent you from taking part in an identity interview. Please include a letter from your doctor, and tell us if it’s a permanent or temporary condition.
• If a signature could not be provided in section 6 or 9, tell us in section 8 and include a letter of explanation from an appropriate person such as a parent (for section 6) or a doctor, carer or social worker. They will need to sign the application on your behalf.
• Your Typetalk phone number or your preferred method of communication if you are blind or partially sighted (for example, by phone or in large print).

Grandparents and surrogacy details

• Grandparents’ details if both parents named in section 4 were born after 1 January 1983 or were born abroad.
• If the applicant was born of a surrogacy arrangement.

Note: Please give full name(s), date of birth, and place of birth in addition to any British passport details; for example a British passport number and its place of issue. If grandparents were ever married, we will also need to know their date of marriage for nationality purposes

EU Settlement Scheme

If you were granted Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) under the EU Settlement Scheme and you are applying for your child’s first British passport, you will need to:

• give us your Unique Application Number (UAN). This is a 16 digit number in the format of xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx. You will find your UAN on the email you got from the Home Office to confirm that you had been granted ILR under the EU Settlement Scheme. The UAN will be found at the top right-hand side of your Home Office email; located beside ‘Our Ref’

Not enough space in Section 8

• If there is not enough space in section 8, please include any extra information on a blank sheet of paper. You should sign this and include it with your application form.

Section 9: Declaration

• Before you fill in and sign the declaration, read the form again to make sure that the information you have given is correct.
• Fill in this section if you are 16 or over and are applying for:
  • your own passport
  • a passport for the child named in section 2
  • someone who cannot sign, and you are signing on their behalf.
• Read points 1 to 9 in the declaration section of the form before you sign and date the form
• If you are applying for a child, give your full name and relationship to the child

People applying aged 16 and over

If you are 16 and over, or you will turn 16 within 3 weeks, sign the declaration yourself. You don’t need permission from a person with parental responsibility. Your ‘adult’ passport can’t be issued before you turn 16.

For applicants with a learning disability who cannot understand the consequences of signing the declaration in section 9, someone with parental responsibility should give their permission. Please use section 8 of the form to explain why the applicant cannot sign the declaration.

Parental responsibility

A child under 16 must have permission from a person with parental responsibility.

The mother automatically has parental responsibility for her child from birth, and can give permission, providing the court has not taken parental responsibility away.

The father can give permission if he:

• was married to the mother at the time of the child’s birth (or, for those living in Scotland, when the mother became pregnant)
• was married to the mother at any time after the child’s birth
• has a parental responsibility order or agreement (which must be sent with the application)
• has a child arrangements order which grants parental responsibility (this must be sent with the application), or
• is named on the birth certificate (this must be sent with the application) and the birth was jointly registered on or after:
  • 15 April 2002 in Northern Ireland
  • 1 December 2003 in England and Wales, or
  • 4 May 2006 in Scotland

For children born to female same-sex partners who conceived through sperm donation, the second female parent can give permission if she:

• was married or in a civil partnership at the time of the child’s conception and consented to the conception
• has a parental responsibility order or agreement (which must be sent with the application)
• has a child arrangements order which grants parental responsibility (this must be sent with the application), or
• is named on the birth certificate (this must be sent with the application) and the birth was jointly registered on or after:
  • 15 April 2002 in Northern Ireland
  • 1 December 2003 in England and Wales, or
  • 4 May 2006 in Scotland

If the child’s parent is under 16, they can sign the declaration on behalf of the child.

If a child has been adopted, either adoptive parent can give permission.

If parents are divorced, a child arrangements order or maintenance order will not automatically take away the parent’s parental responsibility.

If a child has been born of a surrogacy arrangement, either parent named on the parental order or birth certificate can give permission. If the application is made before the parental order is granted, the rules are more complex. Please contact us for guidance if this applies to you.

Step-parents (adults who enter into a marriage or civil partnership with someone who is already defined as a parent as explained above) can give permission, only if they have parental responsibility by a parental responsibility order, a child arrangements order giving parental responsibility or parental responsibility agreement.

If the child is in care or is living with foster parents, we will need permission from the local authority before we can issue a passport to the child. For separate guidance notes for social services, please visit www.gov.uk/ government/publications.

If the court has made an order about who the child should live with, or about the child having a passport, this must be sent in with the application. If someone has made an objection to the child having the passport, we may refuse to issue the passport.

If an adult is acting as a parent in a situation other than one described in this section, please explain the circumstances in a letter with your application. We will also need documentary proof of your responsibility for the child.

If we have already issued a passport to a child after an application has been made by one parent, the other parent or anyone else with parental responsibility cannot apply for a separate passport for that child.

If you cannot sign the application form:

• get someone else to sign on your behalf, and
• tell us in section 8 and include a covering letter to explain why you cannot sign. This is normally done by the person filling in the application form on your behalf. Your passport will note that the holder does not have to sign.
• For more advice or if the person with parental responsibility is not able to give permission please see ways to contact us.

Section 10: Countersignature

Countersignatories

A ‘countersignatory’ will need to fill in this section if you are applying:

• for a first British passport
• to replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport
• renew a child passport (if the child is aged 11 or under)
• to renew a passport (adult, or child aged 12 to 15 years) if you cannot be recognised from the photograph in your current passport
• to extend a passport

A countersignatory is someone who can confirm your identity. They need to confirm that, to the best of their knowledge, the details you have given in your application are correct, and they must also confirm that the photo is of you.

For child applications (aged under 16) it is also to confirm that they have known, for at least 2 years, the adult who signed the declaration in section 9 of the application form. They must also confirm that the person has parental responsibility for the child and confirm the child’s photo is a true likeness.

The countersignatory must:

• have known you personally for at least 2 years (for example, a friend, neighbour or colleague, and not someone who is related to you or only knows you professionally)
• be a professional person (please see occupations for countersignatories
• live in the UK, and
• hold a British or Irish passport which has not run out.

The countersignatory needs to:

• read through the completed application form to make sure the information is accurate
• fill in section 10 of the form, giving their passport number, and then sign the box
• give their full address and contact details. This can be a business address or home address, but should be one that we can contact them at. The countersignatory can give an email address on a separate piece of paper if this is more convenient.
• for an adult application, ‘certify’ one (not both) of your photos by writing on the reverse “I certify that this is a true likeness of ——————, [signature], [Date]”
• for a child application (under 16), confirm that they have known the adult who signed the declaration in section 9 of the form for at least 2 years, and certify one photo (giving the child’s full name) by writing on the reverse “I certify that this is a true likeness of ——————, [signature], [Date]”
• put their initials next to any mistakes they may make in section 10.

The countersignatory must not:

• be related to you by birth or marriage (including in-laws or partners of family members)
• be in a personal relationship with you
• live at your address, or
• work for us at HM Passport Office.

What we do with the details of the countersignatory

As part of our work we will check that the countersignatory is genuine. This may include checking their passport and other records to confirm their identity and their profession or professional qualification.

Please make sure that your countersignatory knows that we may contact them and carry out these checks.

We may ask you to provide another application form with a different countersignatory if we are not satisfied with your choice of countersignatory or if we cannot contact them.

Accepted occupations for countersignatories

Your countersignatory must either:

• work in (or be retired from) a recognised profession
• be ‘a person of good standing in their community’

Recognised professions

Examples of recognised professions include:

• accountant
• articled clerk of a limited company
• assurance agent of recognised company
• bank/building society official
• barrister
• chairman/director of limited company
• chiropodist
• councillor, eg local or county
• civil servant (permanent)
• dentist
• director/manager/personnel officer of a VAT
• registered company
• engineer – with professional qualifications
• financial services intermediary, eg a stockbroker or insurance broker
• fire service official
• funeral director
• insurance agent (full time) of a recognised company
• journalist
• legal secretary – fellow or associate member of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and Pas
• holder of a valid premises or personal licence under the Licensing Act
• local government officer
• manager/personnel officer of a limited company
• member, associate or fellow of a professional body
• Member of Parliament
• Merchant Navy officer
• minister of a recognised religion – including Christian Science
• nurse – RGN or RMN
• officer of the armed services
• optician
• paralegal – certified paralegal, qualified paralegal or associate member of the Institute of Paralegals
• person with honours, eg an OBE or MBE
• pharmacist
• photographer – professional
• police officer
• Post Office official
• president/secretary of a recognised organisation
• Salvation Army officer
• social worker
• solicitor
• surveyor
• teacher, lecturer
• trade union officer
• travel agent – qualified
• valuer or auctioneer – fellows and associate members of the incorporated society
• Warrant Officers and Chief Petty Officers

People who aren’t accepted

Your countersignatory can’t:

• be related to you by birth or marriage (including in-laws or partners of family members)
• be in a personal relationship with you
• work for HM Passport Office
• be a doctor or General Practitioner (GP), unless they state that they know you well (eg good friend) and that they recognise you easily from your photo

You can find more information at www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications

Documents you need to send us, including photos

All applications need:

2 recent identical photos (which meet photo guidelines – see photo guidance)

Your last British passport or any valid passports that were issued in another country.

There are different documents required for different applicants:

Documents for applications for a first British passport

Documents for applications for a renewal, replacement, changes and extensions

Documents for applicants born or adopted overseas

Documents for applicants whose name has changed

• Send us original or replacement documents. Unless stated, we do not accept photocopies or documents that have been laminated. If you were born in the UK, documents must have been issued by the General Register Office for England and Wales or Scotland or Northern Ireland, or the local registration service.
• If you need to send a UK birth certificate and were born on or after 01/01/1983: it must be a full birth certificate. (This is the one that contains the details of both you and your parents.)
• If any document you are providing is in a language other than English or Welsh, also provide an official translation. This must be signed and stamped by a translator who is a member of a recognised professional organisation to prove it is genuine.
• We can’t accept damaged documents. You’ll need to send us a replacement document.

Replacement certificates

• To get copies of birth, marriage or death certificates issued in England or Wales, go to www.gov.uk/bmdcertificates
• To replace documents issued in Northern Ireland, go to www.nidirect.gov.uk and for Scotland go to www.nrscotland.gov.uk
• To replace documents issued abroad, get advice from the relevant embassy or consulate of that country.

We may contact you for more information if you don’t provide original documents.

Once we have considered your application, we may still need to ask you for more information.

Additional documents required for a first British passport application

Is this application for the applicant’s first British passport?

If ‘yes’, send:

• Born before 01/01/83 – your birth/adoption certificate
• Born on or after 01/01/83 – Your ‘full’ birth certificate or adoption certificate that shows your parent’s details (the ‘short’ version which is issued for free by the registrar is not acceptable).
• If you have naturalised or registered as a British citizen – your certificate of naturalisation or registration and the passport that you used to come into the UK and any foreign passport you hold or are included on. A ‘full’ birth/adoption certificate that shows parents details for applicants under 16 or a court order granting parental responsibility (if any are in place). Applicants 16 and over don’t normally need to give us their birth/adoption certificate.

Was the applicant born or adopted in the UK?

If ‘yes’, send:

Evidence of applicant’s parents’ claim to British nationality at the time of applicant’s birth This could be:

• Parents’ British passport number (provided at section 4 of the application form). Or
• Full birth certificate of parent(s)*. Or
• Certificate of registration or naturalisation

*If the applicant was born before 01/01/83 parent’s details are not required on the birth certificate. If making a claim through the father you will also need to provide a marriage certificate to the mother.

Or

Evidence of applicants’ parent’s immigration status in the UK at the time of applicant’s birth. This could be:

• Parents’ passport at the time of applicant’s birth
• If fathers passport, the marriage certificate between applicant’s mother and father is needed.
• Unique Application Number if parents were granted Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) under the EU Settlement Scheme (see section 8)

Was the applicant born or adopted overseas?

See additional questions for applicants born or adopted overseas.

Has the applicant’s name changed since the issue of the birth/adoption or registration/naturalisation certificate?

Check Change of Name table to find out what evidence you need to send us.

If the application is for a child, are there any parental responsibility orders or court orders in place?

If ‘yes’, send:

• Court order
• Parental responsibility orders or evidence of agreement

Note: The person signing section 9 on the form must have parental responsibility.

Is the applicant or the person signing section 9 unable to sign the declaration?

If ‘yes’, then:

• A letter from the person who signs the form to explain the reasons why

Additional documents required for renewal, replacement, changes and extension applications

Has the applicant ever held a British passport?

If ‘yes’, send:

• British passport
• British Overseas Territories Citizen passport
• British National or British Subject passport
• British passport that has been handwritten (you will also need to send us your birth certificate and complete the form for a first British passport)
• Damaged British passport (and tell us why it’s damaged at section 8 on the form)

If your passport has been lost or stolen provide as much detail about the loss at section 3c on the form.

Has the applicant’s name changed since the issue of their British passport?

Check change of name table to find out what evidence you need to send us.

If the application is for a child, are there any parental responsibility orders or court orders in place?

If ‘yes’, send:

• Court orders
• Parental responsibility orders or evidence of agreement

NOTE: the person who signs the declaration on the form must have parental responsibility for the child.

Is the applicant or the person signing section 9 unable to sign the declaration?

If ‘yes’, send:

• A letter from the person who signs the form to explain the reasons why

Has the applicant’s national status changed since the issue of their British passport? e.g. has the applicant recently become a British citizen?

If ‘yes’, send:

• A certificate of registration or naturalisation or a birth or adoption certificate

Has the applicant’s national status changed from British Overseas Territories citizen to British citizen? AND Was the applicant born on or after 1 January 1983?

If ‘yes’ to both, send:

• Parents’ documents or a certificate of registration or naturalisation as either a British Overseas Territories Citizen or British citizen
• Grandparents’ documents

Has the applicant’s date of birth or place of birth changed?

If ‘yes’, send:

• A birth certificate showing your date of birth
• A birth certificate showing your place of birth

Has the applicant’s gender changed?

If ‘yes’, send:

• a Gender Recognition Certificate
• a new birth or adoption certificate showing your acquired gender
• a letter from your doctor or medical consultant confirming your change of gender is likely to be permanent

Additional documents required for applicants born or adopted overseas

This section supports your claim to British nationality, please provide the following: the passport you entered the UK with and the evidence shown below – You must send us this

Was the applicant born before 1 January 1983?

If ‘yes’, send:

• Your ‘full’ birth certificate or adoption certificate that shows your parent’s details (the ‘short’ version which is issued for free by the registrar is not acceptable).
• Your father’s birth certificate or naturalisation or registration certificate
• His marriage certificate to your mother

Was the applicant born on or after 1 January 1983?

If ‘yes’, send:

• Your ‘full’ birth certificate or adoption certificate that shows your parent’s details (the ‘short’ version which is issued for free by the registrar is not acceptable).
• One of your parents’ birth certificates or naturalisation or registration certificates
• If this is your father, his marriage certificate to your mother

Was the applicant born abroad but adopted in the UK before 1 January 1983?

If ‘yes’, send:

• The child’s full adoption certificate
• Evidence of adoptive parent’s claim to British nationality by providing their UK birth or adoption, naturalisation or registration certificate
• If the adoption is a joint adoption we need evidence of the adoptive father’s claim to British nationality.

Was the applicant adopted abroad? AND: hasn’t been issued with a naturalisation or registration certificate.

If ‘yes’, send:

• An adoption certificate which clearly states that the adoption took place under the Hague Convention under Article 17 of the Convention on Intercountry Adoption
• One adopter’s claim to British nationality by providing their birth certificate or naturalisation or registration certificate
• Evidence of an adopter’s habitual residence in the UK (or both adopters in the case of joint adoption). Habitual residence is their normal home, the place where they have the strongest personal connections.

About grandparents:

If the applicant’s parents were born on or after 1 January 1983, you will also need to provide evidence of grandparents’ claim to British nationality by providing their birth certificates and, in the case of grandfathers, their marriage certificates.

This does not apply if:

• the applicants parents’ British nationality is based on registration, naturalisation or their immigration status, or
• the applicant has provided the British passport number for parents’ in Section 4 of the application form

Additional documents required if the applicant’s name has changed

You will have either changed your name from birth or have changed your name since the issue of your British passport. To get your passport in a new name you will need to send us documents that show the name change. All documents that you send us must show your name in full.

Have you changed your name by marriage or civil partnership?

If ‘yes’, send:

• Marriage certificate, or
• Civil partnership certificate

Are you are going back to your maiden or unmarried name? Or to a previous name once used?

If ‘yes’, send:

• one document from List A
• a signed statement saying that you now use your maiden name for all purposes
• your birth certificate
• your marriage certificate showing both names
• your decree absolute (if applicable)
• evidence of all previous names from List B

Do you want to travel in your new name shortly after getting married or forming a civil partnership?

If ‘yes’, send:

• Completed PD2 form (post dated form)
• See www.gov.uk/changing-passport-information for advice and to download the PD2 form

Are you changing the name on a child passport?

If ‘yes’, send:

• a signed statement from everyone that has parental responsibility for the child saying they give permission to the name change, or
• a court order allowing the change of name

and both of the following:

• one piece of evidence from List A
• at least one piece of evidence from List B

Are you are changing the spelling of your name slightly? e.g. Bryan to Brian, changing the order your forenames appear in your passport or dropping a forename?

If ‘yes’, send:

Either:

• one document from List A and one document from List B, or
• two documents from List A

Are you changing your name following gender re-assignment?

If ‘yes’, send:

• Gender recognition certificate or re-registered birth certificate

Or alternatively a letter from your doctor or medical consultant together with:

• one document from List A, and
• at least one document from List B

Are you changing your name for any other reason?

If ‘yes’, send:

• one document from List A, and
• at least one document from List B

List A – please provide one document which confirms your name in current use

• Tax record eg a letter from a tax authority
• National identity card or equivalent
• Employment record eg an official letter from your employer
• Visa or residence permit
• Educational record eg a school report
• Letter sent to you from a central, regional or local government department
• Driving Licence
• Medical/health card
• Voter’s card
• Bank statement
• Baptism/Confirmation certificate

List B – please provide one document that shows each name change that has taken place

• Marriage certificate
• Civil partnership certificate
• Gender recognition certificate
• Enrolled deed poll
• Un-enrolled deed poll (change of name deed) signed in both your old and new names
• Certificate of naturalisation or registration
• Statutory declaration or affidavit signed in your new name
• Birth certificate (upon re-registration)
• Certificate from the Court of the Lord Lyon of Scotland
• Adoption order/certificate

Passport fee

The passport fee depends on the type of application you are making, how you apply and how quickly you want your passport. It reflects the costs of receiving, recording and processing your application. We cannot refund the fee if your application is unsuccessful or withdrawn. This is because we will have already carried out a lot of work in processing it

For the latest information on passport fees:

• Visit www.gov.uk/passport-fees
• Tel: 0300 222 1999
• Textphone 0300 222 0222
• Text relay: 18001 0300 222 0000

How to pay

How you apply	Debit card or credit card accepted?	Cheque or postal order accepted?	Cash accepted?
Post Office Check & Send Service	Yes	Only postal order	Yes
Post	Yes – fill in the form. Do not send us cards	Yes – payable to ‘His Majesty’s Passport Office’	No – do not send cash in the post.

Note: If you were born on or before 2 September 1929 and you are applying for a new or replacement passport or to renew an existing passport, you will be entitled to a free 34-page passport when using Check & Send, postal or online services.

Paying by cheque or postal order

Write your application barcode number on the back of your cheque or postal order. The barcode number can be found on the front of your application form, however if applying by Post Office Check & Send the post office will provide you with a new application number to use. If the cheque or postal order is for more than one application, write the barcode numbers of all the applications on the back of it.

Passport Ownership

The passport remains the property of the Crown at all times and can be cancelled at any time. If payment is unsuccessful we will cancel the passport and you will not be able to travel with it or use it for identity purposes

Identity Interviews

If you are 16 or over, or likely to become 16 before we can issue your passport, you may need to have an identity interview. However we may ask anyone to attend an identity interview. The interview will help us to confirm your identity and that the passport application we have checked actually belongs to you. This is an important part of our commitment to help to reduce identity fraud. It will help us to spot and prevent other people using your identity and committing fraud in your name. This process will increase the time it takes for us to process your application.

You should apply for your passport. We will then write to tell you if you need to have an identity interview. Our letter will explain how to make an appointment, and give important information so you know what to expect and what you need to do next.

If you have a mental or physical condition that would prevent you from taking part in an identity interview, please let us know in section 8 of the application form. You should also provide a letter from your doctor or hospital consultant explaining your condition and if this is likely to be permanent or if an improvement can be expected.

If you would like to learn more about identity interviews you can find out at www.gov.uk/apply-first-adult-passport

Delivery information

How your passport is delivered

In most cases, your passport will be delivered by courier (on behalf of HM Passport Office) between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 6pm on Saturday. In areas where there’s a low risk of deliveries being lost, your passport may be delivered by Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed. You can track your package, or find full delivery information.

How your supporting documents are delivered

The documents you give us are sent separately to your passport. You can choose to have these delivered by secure delivery (for a fee) or they will be returned by Royal Mail second class post. See secure delivery for the return of your documents.

Signing for your passport

In most cases the courier will not need you to sign for your passport. Couriers use technology that records the address, time and date of the delivery, and the courier will take a photo of the property where the passport was delivered.

Calling card left by the courier

The courier will not post your passport in an outside letterbox. They will leave a calling card for you to arrange delivery at a convenient date. The calling card will explain how to:

• have your passport delivered at a set time (the charge for this depends on where you live)
• have your passport delivered at any time during a specific day (there is no charge for this)
• collect your passport from the delivery company’s secure collection points, or
• collect your passport from a passport office If a signature is required and you are not at home when the courier tries to deliver your passport, they will leave a calling card for you to arrange delivery at a convenient date.

If the courier cannot get access to your property to deliver your passport, they will not leave a calling card and they will send you a notice of failed delivery by normal post. Our secure delivery company do not recognise any mail redirection arrangements that you may have made with Royal Mail.

Royal Mail deliveries

If your passport is being delivered by Royal Mail, you will need to sign for it. If you’re not at home, they will leave a calling card explaining how to rearrange delivery or collect from your local sorting office. You should do so quickly, as your passport will be returned to HM Passport Office after 7 days. Please see www.gov.uk for more information.

Collecting passports (Premium and Fast Track Collect services only)

You can arrange to collect your passport from a Customer Service Centre during normal opening hours from Monday to Saturday. If you want someone to collect your passport for you, even if they have made the application for you, they will need to provide:

• proof of their identity
• a signed letter from you giving them permission to collect the passport (if the passport is for a child, the person who signed section 9 of the application form must also sign the letter giving their permission)

Signing your new passport

Sign your new passport as soon as you get it. You’ll get an information leaflet with your new passport telling you to sign on the ‘holder’s signature’ line using a black ballpoint pen. For more information please visit www.gov.uk/government/publications/signing-your-new-passport/signing-your-new-passport

Contact us

If you need to contact us you will need to give us the barcode number from the front of your application form. If you used the Post Office Check & Send Service or applied at one of our customer service centres, you will also need to give the application number printed on your receipt.

Passport advice

• For advice or to get a large print, Braille or audio version of this booklet, please call the passport adviceline on 0300 222 0000. (Calls to this number will be charged at the normal rate you pay for national calls.)
• Textphone on 0300 222 0222 or Text Relay on 18001 0300 222 0000 (for customers who are deaf or hard of hearing).

Passport fees advice

• Phone the passport fees line on 0300 222 1999 (a 24-hour phone service).
• Textphone on 0300 330 1111 (for customers who are deaf or hard of hearing)

Travel advice

Travel advice is provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. For detailed, up-to-date information:

• visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

Advice includes information on when a passport is valid, visa information and requirements to enter certain countries, and information on health, insurance, and money when you travel.

Other information

Protecting your personal information

Your identity and personal information are valuable. We protect your privacy and process your personal information in line with data protection legislation including the General Data Protection Regulation. Your personal information will only be seen by those who have a legitimate reason for seeing it. We will check the information you give us with other government departments and a credit-reference agency to help us check your identity. We may also pass the information you give us to UK law enforcement agencies or government departments involved in preventing fraud to help prevent or detect identity theft, fraud or other criminal activity. You can find details about the personal information we hold, how we protect it, who we pass it to and how you can get a copy of that information and other rights in our Privacy Information Notice (PIN) on our website. You may be contacted by HM Passport Office for additional information or to ask you about our service at a later stage. For more information or to find out how to opt out please visit www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmpo-privacy-information-notice.

You can get a printed copy of the information by writing to us at:

Disclosure of Information Section
His Majesty’s Passport Office
Aragon Court
Northminster Road
Peterborough
PE1 1QG

Service standards

Providing a high level of service to all our customers is very important to us. We sometimes make mistakes, or circumstances beyond our control affect the standards of service. When this happens, we will apologise and do everything we can to put things right. We welcome your feedback on any aspect of our service, including how we can improve in the future.

We have a disability equality scheme which sets out clear and specific aims about how we will promote equal opportunities for people with disabilities. Your views are important to us, please contact us by phone, letter, or email if you have any ideas or suggestions to help us improve.

What you can expect from us:

• our staff will be polite, helpful and professional.
• the details in your passport (including the chip) will be correct and we will return your supporting documents using the delivery method you choose.
• we will give you a clear and helpful explanation if you are refused a British passport because of citizenship or other reasons.

Complaints about passports

Step one

If you have a complaint about how we handled your passport application, please contact our Customer Service Management Team by phone, in writing or by using our online enquiry form.

Phone: 0300 222 0000

Textphone: 0300 222 0222

Text Relay: 18001 0300 222 0000

Write to:

HM Passport Office
PO Box 767
SOUTHPORT
PR8 9PW

Online: complete our online enquiry form.

When you write to us, please provide:

• full details of the problem
• the name and date of birth of the person the passport was for
• the date the application form was sent to us
• which of our offices the application form was sent to
• the barcode number from the application form, if you have a note of it
• the passport number, if you have one
• information so we can contact you (name, address, postcode, day and evening phone numbers, and email address if you have these), and
• the date and time of your appointment and an appointment reference number if you visited one of our offices to get your passport.

When we receive your complaint, we will investigate and let you know what went wrong and advise you what we are doing to put things right. We will write to you within 10 working days from receiving your complaint, either with a full reply or to let you know what is happening if we have not finished our investigation.

Step two

If you have followed step one and are not satisfied with our response, you can ask us to review your complaint.

Step three

If you have followed steps one and two and are still not satisfied, you may ask your Member of Parliament (MP) to raise the matter with our Director General.

Step four

If you are still not satisfied, you can ask your MP to request an investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (the Ombudsman). You can only do this through your MP. The Ombudsman’s role is to investigate complaints by members of the public about the way government departments, and their executive agencies, have treated them

Compensation

We realise that sometimes our mistakes may cause you expense or financial loss. In these cases, you should follow the instructions in step one and write us a letter. With the letter you should send any documents that prove your claim (for example, a receipt to show a cancelled flight). We only normally offer compensation for financial loss as a result of delays in our guaranteed (Fast-track and Premium) services.

A checklist before you send in your application

If you use the Post Office Check & Send Service or apply in person at a passport office, make sure you have made a note of the application number printed on your receipt. You will need this number should you need to contact us. You must send us:

A correctly filled-in application form

All sections should be completed as detailed in ‘Which type of passport are you applying for and what sections to complete’

The form has been signed and dated at section 9, and 6 if applicant is aged 12-15.

If the application is for a child, the adult signing the declaration must have parental responsibility for the child.

If a countersignatory is needed they have fully completed section 10 and correctly certified, signed and dated one photo. See countersignatory section.

2 recent identical photos

(which meet photo guidelines)

The correct documents

Use the checklist for what documents you need to send us.

The correct fee

If you crossed the box to get your supporting documents returned by secure delivery, remember to include this in your total fee. See ‘Passport fees’.

Do not send credit or debit cards with your application. If we receive a bank card, it will be securely destroyed on receipt.

Your passport will be delivered separately. See delivery of your passport.