Guidance

Lost, stolen and recovered passports: LSR team (accessible)

Updated 19 August 2024

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Version 5.0

This guidance tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff working in the lost, stolen and recovered (LSR) team about duties they must complete as part of the LSR process

About: Lost, stolen and recovered passports: LSR team

This guidance tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff in the Lost, stolen and recovered (LSR) team about the lost and stolen passport reporting process, including how to deal with lost and stolen reports and recovered passports and how to create lost and stolen records.

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 Guidance & Quality, Operating Standards.

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 Guidance & Quality, Operating Standards.

Publication

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

  • version 5.0
  • published for Home Office staff on 28 September 2022

Changes from last version of this guidance

This guidance has been updated to reflect the change in our sovereign from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to His Majesty King Charles III.

When a customer reports a passport lost or stolen

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff in the Lost, Stolen and Recovered team how customers report their passports lost or stolen.

If a customer reports a passport lost or stolen, HM Passport Office must cancel it in our records to stop it being used fraudulently.

Customers can report their passport lost or stolen by:

  • using a section of the GOV.UK website, known as the Digital lost stolen reporting (DLSR)
  • using the Teleperformance Assisted digital service
  • completing a paper report form (known as an LS01)
  • applying to replace the passport using a paper application form, and giving details of the loss or theft in section 3
  • reporting it to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) at a British consulate or embassy post overseas
  • giving details of the loss or theft when applying for an Emergency Travel document (ETD)
  • reporting it to Crown Dependency and British overseas territory posts using a paper LS01 form
  • completing an online form in Gibraltar for lost or stolen passports

A person reporting the loss or theft of a child’s passport must have parental responsibility for the child and be eligible to report the loss or theft of the child’s passport.

If you, a Lost, Stolen and Recovered (LSR) officer, are concerned that a customer (adult or child) is vulnerable, you must refer their case to the Child Protection and Safeguarding team (CPSt).

How a passport is cancelled and recorded

HM Passport Office holds a database of all lost, stolen and recovered passports, known as the lost, stolen and recovered (LSR) database, which we access on the Application Management System (AMS). We update the LSR database when we complete lost or stolen records.

We share LSR database information daily, with some United Kingdom government departments (for example, Border Force) and Interpol to:

  • protect:
    • our records
    • customers and their passport data
  • prevent and detect crime

HM Passport Office creates a record of the loss (known as an LS record) and cancels the passport when:

  • the DLSR reporting system automatically creates and passes an LS record
  • the FCDO download automatically creates and passes an LS record
  • Teleperformance (TP) access, create, progress and pass an LS record from details entered on DLSR (adding any information not captured automatically)
  • an examiner accesses, creates or resolves an LS record
  • an LSR officer accesses, or creates and resolves an LS query from:
    • TP referrals
    • FCDO trusted sources via Casebook download exceptions
    • direct customer contact from an LS01 form or letter
    • football banning orders (LS01 by email)
    • Public Protection & Standards (PPS) email notifications on behalf of Freedom of Information (FOI) informing us of a deceased customer
    • UK delivery team (UKDT) inform us of passports lost during delivery
    • unresolved examiner LS queries

LSR checks and worklists

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff in the Lost, Stolen and Recovered team what checks they must complete for all lost and stolen reports, including how to find out if a lost or stolen record already exists, dealing with duplicate records and viewing lost, stolen and recovered worklists.

You, the Lost Stolen and Recovered team (LSR team) officer, must complete standard checks for all lost and stolen reports you deal with. You must:

  • complete duplicate lost, stolen (LS) record checks, for existing records
  • check passport history on Main Index (MI), to confirm:
    • you are dealing with the correct passport
    • there are no risk indicators
  • check passport notes on MI, for additional information for example, safeguarding issues or malicious reports
  • check LS notes, for any other information

You must find the customer’s passport record if it is not recorded on MI (for example, because it was issued overseas by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office). To find a passport record not shown on MI, you must check:

  • G-Search
  • Hong Kong database
  • X-drive

You must contact the customer by phone or email to ask for further details, if you cannot find the passport. If you still cannot find the passport, you must tell the customer that:

How to check if a lost or stolen record already exists

To prevent duplication, you must use the wild card function to check if an LS record already exists for the customer.

To check for a duplicate record, you must:

  1. Select LSR search from the Go to Menu on AMS (the Application Management System).

  2. Select LS type.

  3. Search, using the wild card function for the customers:

  • surname
  • first name(s)
  • date of birth
  1. Select Search.

The Lost Stolen screen will show any existing LS records for the customer. To view the LS records, you must select and open each one in turn.

How to deal with duplicate LS records

Duplicate records occur because customers can report passports lost or stolen in several ways. We must avoid this to maintain the accuracy of our data.

Before you manually create or process a lost and stolen (LS) record using an LS01 form, you must search the LSR database to check if the passport is already cancelled.

If the LS notification you are dealing with is a duplicate notification, you must:

  1. Add an LS note to the LS record on AMS, to confirm we have received another LS notification.

  2. Put the duplicate notification in confidential waste.

A passport must only include one LS record against it. If you find a find a duplicate LS record, and have no identity or fraud concerns you must:

1. Add an LS note to the LS record that you are dealing with and the duplicate, to confirm:

  • we have received another LS notification for the passport
  • the LS numbers to cross reference both records
  • the result of your checks

2. Examine the records to decide which one you must fail by:

  • failing the new LS record if the passport has already been cancelled by the existing record
  • viewing the actions taken on the duplicate LS record if the passport is not cancelled, to see which LS record you need to progress by checking why it was not cancelled

3. Fail the duplicate record, if it is clear the original LS record had not been cancelled because it had not been completed correctly.

If you are concerned the original or duplicate LS record is not from the genuine holder, you must refer it to the Intelligence (Intel) hub as it may indicate fraud.

You may decide, following the checks you completed on a LS record, that it must be associated (linked) to a live application to replace a missing passport.

When this happens, you must add an alert to the live application, to tell the examiner the LS record must be associated.

How to view LS worklists

LSR worklists show existing LS, R (recovered) or LUN (lost or stolen unresolved notifications) records on AMS that the LSR team must deal with.

Displaying up to 20 records per page, you can view the LS worklists using the scroll arrow, or by selecting the page number at the bottom of the screen.

To view LSR worklists you must:

1. Select the LSR search button from the Go To menu on AMS.

2. Select the Type field from the drop down list, which will be:

  • LS
  • R
  • LUN

3. Select, Status field from the drop down list, for the type you are dealing with:

  • trusted submission, verified, examination or LSR team query for LS types
  • created or trusted submission for R types
  • awaiting examination or LSR query raised, for LUN types

4. Click on the Search button and the LSR worklist will display the fields you have chosen.

5. Select a record from the results displayed.

LS records: how to create, pass and fail

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff in the Lost, Stolen and Recovered team how to create, pass and fail lost and stolen records.

Before you, the Lost, Stolen and Recovered (LSR) team officer can create a lost, stolen (LS) record, you must complete the standard checks needed for all lost, stolen reports. When you have completed the checks and confirmed there are no existing or duplicate reports, you must create an LS record for the missing passport.

To create an LS record you must:

1. Select Create LS record from the drop down menu on the Application Management System (AMS).

2. Record the following information in the relevant fields on the LS Passport details tab:

  • the customer’s full name as it appears on the passport
  • the customer’s date of birth
  • the customer’s town of birth
  • the customer’s country of birth
  • if the passport was issued in the UK (select No if issued overseas)
  • if passport was lost, stolen or destroyed
  • the reason for loss
  • the date of loss
  • country of loss
  • circumstances of loss
  • Source authority or Submission post (if received from TP)

3. Remove any passport numbers included in the passport number field, to prevent an incorrect cancellation.

4. Record the following details if provided, on the Supplementary info tab:

  • customer contact details
  • any third party details
  • police report details

How to pass an LS record

When you have created or found the LS record for the missing passport, you are ready to pass the record and cancel the passport if you have:

  • completed all the checks
  • checked and confirmed all details match
  • confirmed the correct passport to cancel
  • added LS notes to confirm your actions
  • no concerns or reason to refer to Public Protection & Standards (PPS):
    • CFT (Counter Fraud team)
    • Intelligence (Intel) hub
    • Child Protection & Safeguarding team (CPSt)

When you are in the LS record and ready to pass it, you must:

1. Select Find Passport.

2. Search again using the wildcard (%) function, if the:

  • only passport record displayed on AMS is incorrect
  • correct passport does not appear in the list displayed on AMS

3. Select Record Authentication against the correct passport if the:

  • only passport record displayed on AMS is correct
  • correct passport appears on the list displayed on AMS

4. Add an LS note to confirm your actions.

5. Select Pass Authentication and the screen will show Are you sure you want to pass the record?

6. Select one of the options:

  • Yes: cancel no letter if you have told the customer by phone or email
  • Yes: cancel with letter (and create your letter)

A message will appear on screen to tell you the:

  • LS record [LS reference number] has been passed
  • passport [passport number] has been cancelled

How to fail an LS record

You may need to fail a lost or stolen (LS) record because:

  • you do not have enough information
  • you do not have the authority to cancel
  • you have lost contact with the customer
  • the Main Index (MI) does not need to be updated for example, an Old Blue (hardback style) passport

Once you are in the correct LS record, and are ready to fail it, you must:

1. Add an LS note to confirm your actions.

2. Select the Fail LS record button.

3. Select:

  • No to return to the LS record, if you do not want to fail the record
  • Yes, when the pop up box shows Please confirm you want to fail the record, and a message will appear confirming the LS record has failed

4. Select OK to return to the home page screen.

Passports reported lost or stolen by paper

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff in the Lost, Stolen and Recovered team about paper lost and stolen reports, why they are used and who we receive them from.

Customers unable to report their passport lost or stolen digitally, or using assisted digital, can exceptionally report it using a paper form (an LS01 form) or in writing.

A paper LS01 form received without an application, is known as an orphan LS01 form. Orphan LS01’s received in other Application Processing Centres (APC’s) or departments, must be scanned and emailed to the Lost, Stolen and Recovered (LSR) team.

The LSR team receive LS01 forms or scanned information by post, fax or email:

  • from British overseas territories (BOTs) (by email)
  • from Crown Dependencies and Channel Islands (by email)
  • about football banning orders
  • to report a deceased customer
  • from UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), Border Force (by email and fax)

We also receive other types of lost and stolen notifications in the form of:

  • requests to cancel a passport, sent through the Freedom of Information route (by email from Public Protection & Standards (PPS))
  • a digital LS notification, received by email from the passport office in Gibraltar (civil status and registration office)
  • Deceased notification form (D1) containing a lost or stolen declaration

Not enough information or signature on an LS01 form or letter

If an LS01 form or written declaration is unsigned or does not include enough information to create an LS record, you must:

  • create a provisional LS record
  • ask the customer to send you a signed LS01 form if there is no signature
  • contact the customer, who can provide more information:
    • over the phone
    • by sending us a completed LS01 form
    • by email, if you need information, not a signature
  • update the correct details on the LS record on receipt of the information

When you, the LSR officer, receive the information needed, you must process the LS record as you would with an LS01 form.

You can accept an LS01 form that does not include both the declaration date and date of loss, if:

  • the form includes all other mandatory information
  • you have no concerns on the details provided, and it includes either the date of loss or declaration date

If an LS01 form does not include the date of loss, you must:

  • enter the declaration date as the date of loss on the LS record
  • add an LS note to confirm your actions

What to do if Teleperformance cannot process a report

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff in the lost, stolen and recovered team what to do, when they receive a lost or stolen report that Teleperformance cannot process.

When Teleperformance (TP) do not have the authority or enough information to process a digital lost, stolen or recovered (DLSR) report, they must email it to the LSR team exception inbox including the referral type in the subject line of the email.

The types of adult cases TP refer to the LSR team, are:

The types of child cases TP refer to the LSR team, are:

  • all overseas cases
  • consent and authorisation cases where documents are needed from customer

How to deal with TP referrals

When you, the lost, stolen and recovered (LSR) officer, receive an TP referral you must:

1. Find the record on the Application Management System (AMS) using the wild card function.

2. Complete all the LS checks.

3. Enter the referral type in the next available Official use only field on the LS screen.

4. Check passport records to find the most recent passport on the relevant system:

  • Main Index (MI)
  • G-Search
  • Hong Kong historic application database
  • X-drive

5. Contact the customer by phone or email to see if they can give you any further details.

6. Tell the customer, if you still cannot find the passport that:

7. Check the LS notes and LS record for information provided by the customer or TP, as it may help you decide how to deal with the case.

8. Move the email referral to the relevant mailbox folder.

See lost and stolen reports for child passports for further details.

TP referral: no contact with overseas reporter after 48 hours

When dealing with a Teleperformance (TP) referral because there has been no contact with an overseas reporter after 48 hours, you, the LSR officer, must:

1. Hold the case for up to a further 48 hours (awaiting customer contact).

2. Check the LS record to see if the customer is born in Hong Kong and ask them, by phone or email for their Hong Kong Personal Identity Card (PIC) details.

3. Call the customer if they were not born in Hong Kong and:

4. Hold the case for another 48 hours, awaiting contact from the customer.

5. Complete a TEB application search if there is no contact from the customer.

6. Add an alert, asking the examiner to link the LS case to the application if you find a live application.

7. Add an LS note to confirm your actions.

8. Send the customer a final email 8 days later (14 days after the customer originally reported the loss), if you do not find a live application and:

  • add an LS note to confirm your actions
  • select fail the record in the Next Action field on AMS

TP referral: BN(O) not on Main Index

If TP refer the LS report because a customer holds a British national (overseas) (BN(O) passport but it is not on Main Index, you must:

1. Ask the customer to confirm if they have told us their Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card (PIC) details.

2. Send the customer a ‘no trace’ email if you cannot find the passport on the Hong Kong database or G-search (or it is an Old Blue (hardback style) passport) and:

  • add an LS note to confirm your actions
  • fail the record on AMS

3. Follow the process to add records to MI if you can confirm the passport details on the Hong Kong database or G-search and:

  • send the customer a confirmation of cancellation email
  • add the LS reference to an alert (to chase if no response)

TP referral: British passports not on Main Index

If TP refer the LS report to the LSR team because the British passport reported missing is not on MI, you must:

1. Check the LS notes to see what information the customer has given.

2. Check for passport records on:

  • G-search
  • X drive

3. Contact the customer by phone or email for further information, if you cannot find the passport.

4. Tell the customer by phone, or send them a ‘no trace’ email if you still cannot find the passport on G-search or X drive (or it is an Old Blue (hardback style) passport) and:

  • add an LS note to confirm your actions
  • fail the record on AMS

5. Follow the adding a record to Main Index process if you find the passport and tell the customer by phone or email, their:

  • passport is cancelled
  • LS reference number

TP referral: overseas third party report

If TP refer the LS report to the LSR team because it was reported by an overseas third party and customer contact is needed, you (the LSR officer) must:

1. Call the customer to make the first contact.

2. Send the customer a contact email if they do not answer the call.

3. Hold the case for 48 hours.

4. Call the customer again if they have not made contact.

5. Send the customer a final email if you are not able to contact them by phone.

6. Add an LS note to confirm your actions.

7. Fail the record on AMS.

TP referral: UK or overseas third party report: documents needed

When dealing with an overseas or UK third party report, documents needed referral you must:

1. Send the customer a letter by post or email to request the documents.

2. Use a diary system to add the LS reference to a 14 day reminder in order to take the next action and contact the customer if you do not get a response.

3. Add an LS note to confirm your actions.

Contacting the customer

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff in the Lost, Stolen and Recovered team what to do if you need to contact the customer, including following data protection policy and how to find their passport record.

We must comply with Data Protection regulations and not disclose a passport or application exists to an unauthorised third party. You, the Lost, Stolen and Recovered (LSR) team officer, must not discuss a passport record until you are confident the person you are speaking to is entitled to the information.

You must ask the person you are speaking to, to confirm:

  • the correct answers to the Data Protection questions
  • their name
  • their date and place of birth
  • their own details and, where the passport is for a child under 16 years old:
    • the child’s name, date and place of birth
    • they have the authority to cancel the passport

When calling a customer, you must tell them that we record calls for training and monitoring.

If the customer does not want to continue with the call, you must:

1. Tell the customer we will not be able to complete their request.

2. Give the customer the option to:

  • contact us using GOV.UK
  • provide their address, so you can send them an LS01 form

3. End the call.

4. Add an LS (lost stolen) note to confirm your actions.

5. Move the email to the final email subfolder in the mailbox.

6. Fail the LS record if the customer does not contact us within 48 hours.

Asking questions to find the passport record

If you have not found the correct passport record, you must ask the customer further questions, such as:

  • what colour is the passport
  • what year was it issued
  • where was it issued (for example, in the UK or overseas)
  • was it their own passport, or were they included on someone else’s passport
  • have they been known by any other name

You must tell the customer (by phone or email), they must send us their supporting documents when they apply for their new passport, if the passport they are reporting lost or stolen:

  • was issued before computerisation (for example it was an Old Blue (hardback style) passport
  • cannot be found in our records

If a customer’s first language is not English and you cannot find their passport, you can ask them to send you a completed lost and stolen (LS01) form, which may help confirm their details.

Checking authorisation and consent documents

When you receive authority or consent documents from a customer or third party, for example, a court order or full birth certificate, you must:

  • check the document is genuine, using Knowledge base if you are unsure
  • email the LSR Managers if you have any concerns about the authenticity of a document
  • scan and email court orders (unless they just confirm parental responsibility) to Child Protection and Safeguarding team (CPSt)

When you, the LSR manager, receive a document from an LSR officer due to concerns about its authenticity, you must:

  • assess the document
  • refer any concerns you have to:
    • CPSt
    • Intelligence (Intel) hub

When you find the correct passport record

If you find the correct passport record and can confirm the customer’s identity, you must pass the LS record to cancel the passport.

When you pass an LS record you must tell the customer by phone or email:

  • the passport is cancelled and must not be used
  • their LS reference number
  • if they find their passport, they must return it to:
    • any HM Passport Office in the UK
    • their nearest British embassy or consulate overseas
    • directly to the LSR team

If you find more than one valid passport

If you find more than one valid passport with the same details, you must check the customer’s passport history on Main Index (MI).

If your checks find that a passport has previously been declared lost or stolen but was not cancelled by an LS record, you must:

  • create and pass an LS record for the passport that should have previously been cancelled
  • not send confirmation of cancellation to the customer

When the missing passport is already cancelled and replaced

Where the customer appears to not remember a further passport has been issued, you must ask more questions to confirm the correct passport to cancel, for example:

  • when did they last travel
  • have they changed their name, and if so when

You must refer a passport being reported as lost or stolen to the Intelligence (Intel) hub if all the following apply:

  • you have concerns about the customer’s identity
  • the status on MI shows the missing passport is already cancelled and replaced
  • another passport appears to have been issued, but you are unable to locate it on MI for example, because of an undeclared change of name

If the passport is revoked, you have any other concerns or suspect fraud, you must:

  • email the case to the Intel hub and confirm:
    • the reason for the referral
    • if the LS record is still live
    • any actions you have taken

If passport details are compromised by an untrusted party

You can accept a lost and stolen report if a customer believes their passport details have been compromised or seen by an untrusted party. You must tell the customer they can:

  • return the passport to the LSR team to cancel and destroy
  • pay for a replacement passport if they need one

You must email Intel hub to make them aware of potential fraud or safeguarding concerns, if you receive notification that the details of a passport have been compromised.

Lost and stolen: additional action required

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff in the Lost, Stolen and Recovered team about lost and stolen cases that you need additional information for, including how to deal with authorisation and consent documents and deceased customer notifications.

When you, the Lost, Stolen and Recovered (LSR) officer, receive authority or consent documents from a customer or third party, you must:

  • check the document is genuine and acceptable for our purposes, using Knowledge Base if you are unsure
  • add a lost, stolen (LS) note to confirm:
    • the type of document received, for example, power of attorney, court order, LS01 form
    • the document issue date
  • pass the LS record if you have:
    • the authorisation and consent to cancel the passport
    • any required authorisation by Intelligence (Intel) hub or Counter Fraud team (CFT), following referral

Cancelling a passport when the customer is deceased

Before cancelling a lost or stolen passport for a deceased customer, the LSR team must have confirmation they are deceased. You can receive notification the customer is deceased from:

  • a reporter, using the digital LSR (DLSR) system or an LS01 form
  • the Customer Service Management team (CSMt) who will email the customer’s death certificate and a completed LS01 or death notification (D1 form)
  • Public Protection & Standards (PPS) as a Freedom of Information request
  • a trusted source LS submission

Deceased customer: direct report to DLSR or LSR

When dealing with a deceased customer notification by DLSR or direct from a reporter, you must complete the standard lost and stolen checks and:

1. Create an LS record if one does not already exist.

2. Check the documents received confirm the customer is deceased and they are acceptable for our purposes (for example, an original or official copy of a death certificate). If the documents are not acceptable, or have not been sent you must contact the reporter and ask for:

  • a completed LS01 or D1 form
  • the original death certificate or an official copy

3. Select Other and Deceased from the LS record drop down list (to update the Main Index (MI) record to deceased when the LS record is passed).

4. Add an LS note to confirm your actions and documents received.

5. Pass the LS record.

6. Send the reporter a letter to:

  • confirm the passport is cancelled
  • return any supporting documents

Deceased customer: Customer Service Management team referrals

Customer Service Management team (CSMt) deal with lost or stolen passports for deceased customers as stated in Cancelling British passports and will email the LSR team:

  • a D1 form reporting a lost or stolen passport
  • a copy of the death certificate
  • any other documents they receive
  • scanned additional declaration of loss, if not confirmed on the D1 form

You, the LSR officer, must:

Deceased customer: Freedom of Information

When you, the LSR manager, receive a Public Protection & Standards (PPS) email notification on behalf of Freedom of Information (FOI), you must refer it to an LSR officer.

You, the LSR officer, must:

1. Complete your checks.

2. Create the lost or stolen record using the information provided.

3. Deal with it as a trusted source report.

4. Update Source Authority to show:

  • FOI – LS deceased / lost passport

5. Update the Circumstances of loss field to show:

  • Dummy LS record requested by PPS, customer deceased

6. Add an LS note to confirm your actions.

7. Pass the record.

8. Email the LSR managers to confirm you have completed the notification.

Deceased customer: Trusted source LS submissions

When the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) create a lost or stolen record on their system (known as Casebook) it is electronically transferred and downloaded onto the Application Management System (AMS) by the Data Governance Assurance team (DGAT).

When FCDO are told about a deceased customer, but do not receive the passport, they must add a Casebook LS (lost, stolen) record. (See deceased R (recovered) submissions for when the passport is submitted to FCDO).

When FCDO update the Circumstances of loss field to confirm the customer is deceased, we accept it as a trusted source of information.

The Casebook record is electronically transferred and downloaded to AMS creating an LS record, and is accessed using the LSR worklist. You must:

1. Complete your checks.

2. Access the LS record from the worklist.

3. Process the LS record without further documents where the Circumstances of loss field shows customer deceased.

4. Make sure Other is selected from the lost/stolen drop down list on the LS passport details tab.

5. Select Deceased from the passport cancellation drop down list on the LS passport details tab (which will update the MI record to deceased once the LS record is passed).

6. Add an LS note to confirm your actions.

7. Pass the record.

UK Delivery team Authorisation to cancel

UK delivery team (UKDT) investigate non receipt of passports with the delivery supplier. When an investigation concludes that a passport is lost, UKDT will complete and send LSR an Authorisation to cancel form.

When you receive an Authorisation to cancel form from the UK delivery team (UKDT) you must:

1. Create an LS record.

2. Update Source Authority to LSR Authorisation to cancel form.

3. Update the Circumstances of loss field to Authorisation to cancel form received from UKDT.

4. Add an LS note to confirm your actions.

5. Pass the record.

6. Email UKDT to confirm the passport is cancelled.

Lost and stolen: British national (overseas) passports

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff in the Lost, Stolen and Recovered team how to deal with lost or stolen reports for British national (overseas) passports.

Customers born before 1 July 1997 with a connection to Hong Kong could register as a British national (overseas) BNO)). These records are held on the Hong Kong historic application database.

As some BN(O) customers are also entitled to hold a British citizen passport, you, the Lost, Stolen and Recovered (LSR) team officer, must check that you cancel the correct passport being declared lost or stolen.

The Main Index (MI) has been updated to hold the majority of BN(O) records previously held on the Hong Kong historic application database and G-search. If you cannot find the most recent record on MI you must check the Hong Kong historic application database and G-search.

If you are unable to find the passport from the details provided, you can contact the customer to request their Hong Kong personal identity card (PIC) details, in order to complete further checks.

BN(O) passport not on Main Index

Where you can identify the passport on the G-Search or Hong Kong historic database, and it should be added to the MI, you must:

  • follow missing MI process
  • tell the customer their LS reference by email or phone

If you cannot find the passport record, or it is an Old Blue (hardback style) passport you must:

If you cannot confirm the details on MI, you must contact the customer to request further information. You must:

1. Ask the customer to confirm (by phone or email) the information you need for example, their:

  • passport number
  • date of issue
  • nationality status
  • Hong Kong PIC number

2. Check the details on G-search and the Hong Kong historic database, when you receive the information from the customer.

3. Confirm the correct passport being declared lost or stolen, and:

  • follow the Adding records to Main Index process
  • send the BN(O) passport cancelled email to the customer

Passports not on Main Index

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff in the Lost, Stolen and Recovered team, how to deal with lost and stolen reports for a passport that is not on Main Index.

If you, the Lost, Stolen and Recovered (LSR) team officer are dealing with a lost or stolen report for a passport that is not on Main Index (MI) you must follow adding a record to Main Index.

Correcting data on Main Index

When the Data Governance and Assurance team (DGAT) confirm the passport has been added to MI, you must compare to check that data is correct on the MI and source data.

If the information is correct, you must continue with the LS or R (recovered) record.

If the information is incorrect, you must:

  • complete a data cleanse form
  • email the completed data cleanse form to the LSR Managers for authorisation
  • attach evidence to show the correct information, for example:
    • copy of the passport pages
    • extract from the Hong Kong database
    • extract from G-Search
    • issue file

You the LSR Manager, must:

  • check and confirm the data needs correcting
  • authorise the form and refer it, and the evidence by email to DGAT to correct the record
  • email it back to the LSR team officer if the referral is incorrect

Trusted source lost stolen submissions

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff in the Lost, Stolen and Recovered team how to deal with lost and stolen submissions from trusted sources.

When the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) create a lost or stolen record on their system (known as Casebook) it is electronically transferred and downloaded onto the Application Management System (AMS) by the Data Governance Assurance team (DGAT).

If the auto cancellation criteria is not met, the records must be resolved by the Lost, Stolen and Recovered (LSR) team.

You the LSR officer, must:

1. Select LSR Search from the drop down menu.

2. Select LS in the Type field.

3. Select Trusted Submission in the Status field.

4. Create a worklist.

5. Use the worklist to complete standard and watchlist checks.

6. Use Search to find the lost, stolen (LS) record.

If you can find the passport reported lost or stolen, you must:

1. Complete your checks.

2. Add an LS note to confirm your actions.

3. Raise any watchlist matches or safeguarding concerns with Counter Fraud team (CFT) or Intelligence (Intel) hub as appropriate.

4. Follow the deceased trusted source, if the record shows customer deceased.

5. Continue with the record to cancel the passport if the customer is not deceased and you have raised no issues to CFT or Intel hub.

If you cannot find the correct passport in our records or need further information from FCDO, you must:

1. Email the FCDO and ask them for the missing information.

2. Add an LS note to confirm your actions.

3. Use a diary system to add the LS reference to a 7 day reminder to take the next action, and chase if no response.

4. Add an LS note to confirm the FCDO response and request further information if you need it.

5. Continue with the record if you have received enough information or authorisation.

If you have not received an FCDO response after 7 days, you must email FCDO casebook enquiries and add another 7 day diary reminder. If you have not received a response after 7 days, you must:

  • not fail the record
  • send the email chain to the LSR managers, to forward on for further action

You, the LSR manager, must send the email chain to International, and copy in all involved.

Lost and stolen reports for child passports

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff in the Lost, Stolen and Recovered team how to deal with child lost or stolen reports, including authorisation and consent, the checks you must complete and protection and safeguarding considerations.

To protect adults and children HM Passport Office only issues one passport per person unless there are special circumstances (see Additional passports and Diplomatic and Official passports and observations). We will not cancel or issue a passport for a child until we receive consent from someone who holds parental responsibility and is authorised to hold the passport.

If the child’s passport is still valid, and the person reporting it lost or stolen is not the person who originally applied for it, you, the Lost, Stolen and Recovered (LSR) officer, must also receive consent from the person who originally applied for the passport.

You, the LSR officer, must be satisfied you have received the correct authorisation and consent to cancel a child passport reported lost or stolen.

It can damage our reputation and cause problems for the person who legitimately holds the passport if you cancel a passport that:

  • HM Passport Office has agreed not to
  • is legitimately held by a parent or guardian, as you may not be able to tell them it is no longer valid

If a passport is being held by another parent or guardian with parental responsibility, you must follow the parents in disagreement section.

Recording the answers to the declaration questions

When someone reports the loss or theft of a passport for a child under 16 years old, they must answer yes or no to the declaration questions:

  • do you have parental responsibility for the customer?
  • is there anyone else with parental responsibility who has the passport that you are reporting lost or stolen?
  • is everyone with parental responsibility aware that you are reporting the passport lost or stolen?

Teleperformance (TP) and you, the LSR officer, must add a note to the LS (lost and stolen) record, to record the customer’s replies to the declaration questions.

Child safeguarding concerns

If a lost or stolen report is for a child passport (valid or expired) which contains:

  • a passport note including safeguarding concerns from Child Protection Safeguarding team (CPSt) you must:
    • email CPSt for advice
  • incorrect or false information or been declared malicious, you must:
    • email Intelligence (Intel) hub for advice

Cancelling a child passport

Before you cancel a lost or stolen child passport, you must check if the person who declared it missing has the authority to do so.

Only a person who has parental responsibility or legal guardianship of the child can report the child’s passport lost or stolen. You may need to ask for more information or documents to confirm this, for example, you may need a birth certificate to check they have parental responsibility for the child.

Where the passport is still valid, and you have established the person completing the notification is not the same person who applied for the passport, you must also have consent to cancel from the person who originally applied for it.

Where consent to cancel is not available from the original person who applied, you must see additional documentation.

How to check who applied for a child’s missing passport

To check who originally applied for the child’s missing passport and to confirm if the reporter holds parental responsibility you must:

  • check the original application file image on Main Index (MI)
  • use the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act (CPIA) image (this is the only option for Digital Customer Service (DCS) applications)
  • request the overseas passport application file (PAF)

You must ask the reporter for additional consent to cancel the missing passport from the person who originally consented to it, if the reporter:

  • does not have parental responsibility
  • has parental responsibility but the passport is still valid, and they did not originally apply for it

If the passport is valid, and not reported missing by the person who applied for it, you must request their consent to cancel:

  • over the phone:
    • the person who applied for it has given you a contact number for the other parent
    • you can establish you are speaking to the correct parents, using the Data Protection questions
  • in writing using:
    • a completed LS01 form
    • a signed and dated letter confirming the passport is lost or stolen

If the reporter cannot obtain consent from the person who applied for the lost or stolen passport, they must provide additional evidence, for example:

  • documents:
    • death certificate
    • court order
  • other evidence (as detailed in safeguarding)

You can cancel a child’s valid passport if the person reporting it missing has parental responsibility and they originally applied for the passport or gave consent for it.

When the passport is expired or recovered

Provided the person reporting the passport missing has parental responsibility or legal guardianship of the child they can report it lost or stolen if the passport is:

  • expired
  • recovered

You must check passport notes to make sure the passport has expired, and we have not extended its validity for any reason.

When social services report a child passport lost or stolen

Social services can report a child’s passport lost or stolen if the child is subject to a full care order. If the passport is still valid and was signed by a parent, you must receive consent from that person, unless social services send you a court order that states otherwise.

Social services must confirm this in writing (on headed paper) and if the location of the passport is unknown.

On receipt of social services written confirmation, if the child is subject to a full care order, you must:

  • refer the case to CPSt for advice, if the passport is with the parents or a third party
  • cancel the passport if the location of the passport is unknown

CPSt may advise social services to retrieve the passport from the parents or get a court order allowing us to cancel the passport.

See the ‘Consent for children who are in care’ section of the Authorisation and Consent guidance for further information about other court orders.

Parents in disagreement

If the parents disagree about who holds their child’s passport, you must refer the case to CPSt for advice. If one parent has been refused access to the child passport by the other parent, they must resolve this, through the Family courts if necessary.

You must only send dispute letter (156) to the parent who is reporting the passport lost or stolen if instructed to by CPSt.

Lost and stolen unresolved reports (LUNs)

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff in the Lost, Stolen and Recovered team what a lost and stolen unresolved report is and how to deal with them.

A lost and stolen unresolved report (LUN) is generated to notify HM Passport Office of passports issued on Gypsy2 which need an LS (lost stolen) record associating (linking) to an application. The LUN is completed by linking an LS record to the LUN.

GYPSY2 has no facility to create or link a lost, stolen (LS) record for replacement applications.

The Data Governance and Assurance team (DGAT) electronically download records processed on Gypsy2 fortnightly onto Application Management System (AMS) from:

  • Gibraltar
  • Guernsey
  • Isle of Man
  • Jersey

An electronic LUN is created by the system. The Lost, Stolen and Recovered (LSR) team deal with LUNs as a trusted source notification and complete them by associating it to an LS record.

How to find and complete LUNs

To access the LUNs you, the LSR officer, must:

1. Select the LSR Search.

2. Select LUN from the Type box in the drop down menu.

3. Select Awaiting Examination from the Status box.

4. Select Search.

5. Print off the displayed results or create an electronic worklist using Admin IT.

6. Select the record in the Results field to see the details of the LUN.

LUN records have 3 tabs. On your worklist, you must note the customers:

  • current LUN application number
  • name and date of birth
  • most recent passport number

Using these details, you must search for an LS record associated to the LUN by:

1. Completing a Main Index (MI) passport search.

2. Opening the most recent passport and checking it matches the application number.

3. Checking MI notes for details of the previous passport, or if the customer has changed their name (and make a note of the number).

4. Checking if the previous passport has an LS record (which is either passed or awaiting action).

5. Checking the LS record matches the previously recorded LS reference.

6. Returning to the LUN screen and selecting the LUN record.

If you find an LS record for the LUN

If you find an existing LS record for the LUN you must link it to the LUN to complete it. If there is:

  • only 1 LS record, you must select Associate LS record to complete the LUN
  • more than 1 LS record, you must select the:
    • correct LS record (and dissociate and fail
    • Associate LS record button to complete the LUN

What to do if there is no LS record for the LUN

If there is no existing LS record for the LUN, you can create an LS record without an LS01 form if:

  • there are passport notes, including the passport number, for the application that created the LUN
  • you have enough information to complete the mandatory fields on the LS record

If there is not enough information to complete the mandatory fields of the LS record, you must:

  • email the issuing office to request the LS01 form and include the customers:
    • application number
    • full name and date of birth
    • passport number

If the passport is not on MI and was issued on the GYPSY2’s system in either of the above cases, you must:

  • email the issuing authority to request the passport details
  • add the record to Main Index to complete the LS process

Creation of an LS record for the LUN

If an LS record does not exist, there are 2 ways to create an LS record for a LUN:

  • without using the LUN
  • from the LUN screen

Creating the LS record without using the LUN

To create an LS record without using the LUN, you must:

1. Complete the mandatory fields and enter in the Circumstances of loss:

  • dummy record created, awaiting LS01 form
  • add the lost and stolen details if confirmed

2. Make a note of the LS reference number and:

  • close the record (but do not pass the record) if the details are not confirmed
  • pass the record if the details are complete

3. Add an LS note to confirm your actions.

4. Find and select the LUN using the LSR Search screen.

5. Select Associate LS Record to complete the LUN.

6. Keep a note of the LS reference for further action, if the LS record has not been passed.

Creating an LS record from the LUN screen

When creating the LS record from the LUN, you must remove the customer’s most recent passport number from the passport number field, when you have created the LS record.

To create an LS record from the LUN screen, you must:

1. Go to the LUN screen and select the LUN record.

2. Select Create LS Record.

3. Select Yes to create an LS record.

4. Remove the customer’s most recent passport number, as this will not be the passport to cancel.

5. Complete the mandatory fields and enter in the Circumstances of loss:

  • dummy record created, awaiting LS01 form or
  • add the lost and stolen details if confirmed

6. Make a note of the LS reference number and:

  • close the record (but do not pass the record) if the details are not confirmed
  • pass the record if the details are complete

7. Add an LS note to confirm your actions.

8. Keep a note of the LS reference for further action if the LS record has not been passed.

Receiving information from the issuing office

When you receive the information from the issuing office, you must:

If you do not receive information you need from the issuing office, you must:

  • keep a manual record of outstanding LS records
  • email the issuing office again after 2 weeks
  • not fail the record
  • raise with LSR Managers, if you have not received a response after 2 email attempts

You, the LSR manager, must chase the Crown Dependencies or Gibraltar for a response.

Withdrawing lost and stolen reports

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff in the Lost, Stolen and Recovered team what to do if a customer asks us to withdraw their lost stolen report.

There are limited circumstances when you, the Lost, Stolen and Recovered (LSR) officer, can withdraw a digital or paper lost or stolen report at the customer’s request.

If the customer asks you to cancel their report and it has not been actioned, you can fail it if the customer confirms they have:

  • found their passport at home, or it has not been out of their possession and no longer want to report it lost
  • not reported the passport loss or theft to a third party, for example, the police or Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)

If you are satisfied the above conditions apply, you must:

1. Tell the customer they may be at risk of identity theft if they do not cancel a passport that has been out of their possession.

2. Confirm they want to cancel the report.

3. Add a lost and stolen (LS) note to confirm your actions.

4. Fail the record.

Maliciously reported lost or stolen passports

GOV.UK states that we will refer any false declarations to the police.

We will take action (and not ask the customer to) to protect the customer and prevent any potential safeguarding issues where a lost or stolen passport report:

  • contains inaccurate information
  • was made using a false declaration
  • was maliciously reported

If a customer claims they did not report the passport lost or stolen or did not give their permission, you, the LSR officer must:

  • email the:
    • Passport Service Management team (PSMt)
    • LSR Managers
  • add an LS note to confirm your actions
  • fail the LS record if it is still a live case

Lost and stolen extract errors

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff in the Lost, Stolen and Recovered team what an LS extract error is, how to correct LS extract errors made by examiners, Teleperformance or the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and how to deal with disputed Teleperformance errors

Lost, stolen (LS) extract errors occur when an LS record is associated (linked) to a passport record that has already been recorded as replaced. When you, the Lost, Stolen and Recovered (LSR) team manager, receive the LS extract email from Data Assurance and Governance team (DGAt) you must move it to a shared folder.

How to deal with LS extract errors

To correct LS extract errors you, the LSR officer, must:

  • use the information in the email to add the LS extract errors to the log (found in the LSR team’s file structure)
  • use the log to investigate how the error occurred
  • check if the latest passport record has an LS record attached

If an LS extract error has already been corrected, you must update the LS extract error log to confirm how it was corrected.

Digital Premium Service extract errors

Digital Premium Service (DPS) extract errors are system generated and occur when a customer declares their passport lost or stolen during their DPS appointment.

When dealing with DPS extract errors, you must:

1. Log the error on the LS extract errors log.

2. Check the correct passport has been cancelled.

3. Follow the examiner error LS extract process if you identify a passport that must be cancelled.

LS extract errors created by examiners

When dealing with an LS extract error created by an examiner, you must email Quality Examination Support team (QuESt) in the examiner’s Application Processing Centre (APC), a completed:

  • action form if the error has not been corrected
  • no action form if the error has been corrected

To resolve the error, you must:

1. Complete an LS extract error form.

2. Email it to QuESt in the examiners APC, who will tell the examiner to correct the error within 24 hours of your email.

3. Email QuESt if the examiner (or their operational team leader (OTL)) has not replied to the LSR central inbox within 24 hours.

TP or FCDO LS extract errors

If an LS extract error was created by Teleperformance (TP) or the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), you must:

1. Complete your standard checks.

2. Correct the error within 24 hours by:

  • creating a duplicate LS record to cancel the correct passport record on Main Index (MI) (unless an examiner has already corrected the error)
  • updating the LS extract error spread sheet to confirm error corrected (found in the LSR team’s file structure)

3. Add an alert if there is a live application that needs the LS record associating.

4. Add the error to the SSL log (found in the verified records folder in the LSR team’s file structure)

Reporting LS extract errors to TP

Every 4 weeks, you, the LSR manager, must share LS extract errors created by TP using LSR Sharepoint. You must:

  • filter the LS extract error log to show TP errors and copy results into a new spreadsheet
  • upload the TP new extract errors spreadsheet to the LSR SharePoint.

There is currently no process to feedback FCDO errors.

Dealing with disputes from TP

TP may dispute some of the LS errors recorded against them. You, the LSR manager, must check the details on the LS records for any records they dispute.

You must decide if the error was created because the lost and stolen report:

  • contained incorrect details for the customer, and TP did not search MI for another passport issued in a new name
  • did not include the most recent passport number, and TP did not ask the customer:
    • if they hold additional passports
    • which passport they are reporting as lost or stolen

If you and TP cannot agree whose error it is, you must email the details of the dispute to the Supplier Management team (SMT), to investigate further and decide.

Recovered passports

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff in the Lost, Stolen and Recovered team what a recovered passport is, who might return them to us and how.

The Lost, Stolen and Recovered (LSR) team create recovered records on Main Index (MI) for passports that have been returned to HM Passport Office.

Recovered passports should be sent to HM Passport Office using:

The LSR team receive recovered passports and R01 forms (used to report recovery details for recovered passports) from:

  • UK or international secure delivery providers due to damage
  • UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI)
  • the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
  • the police, including those seized or handed in by the public
  • customers who find them or no longer need them
  • third parties who find them
  • other application processing centre’s (APC’s) or departments for example, Counter Fraud teams (CFT) and archives teams

You, the LSR officer, must not return a recovered passport to the customer (unless it is a Diplomatic or Official passport submitted for cancellation, which the customer asks us to return).

When someone contacts us about a found passport, we ask them to:

  • download and complete an R01 form on GOV.UK
  • return the passport:
    • using the Freepost, HM Passport Office address or handing it into a HM Passport Office counter if in the UK
    • by post or take them to their nearest British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate if outside the UK
  • confirm in writing where they found the passport

If you receive a passport with an R01 form, you can update or create the R record using information from the form and continue with your checks.

How the LSR team deal with recovered passports

When the Lost, Stolen and Recovered (LSR) team receive recovered passports, the team support clerk (PO1) must log the details on the recovered data sheet, which populates the main recovered passport log.

If you, the LSR support officer, receive any documents including foreign passports, you must follow Storage, Destruction and Retention of documents.

Logging recovered passports

To reduce the security risks of storing recovered passports, you, the LSR support clerk, must:

1. Cut the corners of the passport.

2. Update the recovered log (found in the LSR team folder structure) using the data entry sheet, to confirm the:

  • date of receipt before storage
  • customer’s surname and initials
  • passport number
  • location passport was recovered, if known

3. Store the passports in:

  • date order
  • bundles of 20 passports, including a copy of the data entry sheet
  • secure locked storage

4. Keep a copy of the data entry sheet in a secure locked location, for 3 months.

Storing recovered passports before processing

You, the LSR team manager, must:

  • check the storage is secure and locked (except to add recovered (R) passports, or remove a batch to create recovered records or cancel)
  • complete random spot checks to ensure:
    • recovered passports are correctly recorded
    • security procedures are followed

You, the LSR officer must:

  • only remove 20 passports at any time
  • not leave the passports unattended
  • process the passports as quickly as possible once removed from storage

Processing a recovered passport

To process a recovered passport or R form, you the LSR officer must:

1. Check the LS database for:

2. Compare the passport:

  • against the Main Index (MI) record to check the bio details match
  • photo against MI (you do not need to get the issue file if there is no photo on MI or passport record)

3. Check the customer’s passport history on MI to check for:

  • any information held on a passport note
  • fraudulently obtained genuine (FOG) passports, where the identity differs on further issued passports
  • any risk indicators

4. Check the customer’s personal details on the name watchlists.

If the customer has renounced their British nationality, you must:

1. Arrange for the passport record to be added to MI if it is missing

2. Send the passport to Intel hub to revoke the passport (if it is still live)

3. Not pass the R record until Intel hub have revoked the passport

Checking if an R record already exists

An R record may already exist if you receive the passport:

  • from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) as a trusted source R submission
  • with an R01 form, from UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) or the police
  • following referral from another department for example, Intel hub
  • and an LSR officer has created an R record remotely

To check if an R record already exists, you must:

1. Select LSR search from the Go to Menu on AMS.

2. Select R in the Type box.

3. Search using the passport number or a wildcard (%) search using the customer’s:

  • surname
  • first name(s)
  • date of birth

4. Select Search.

If you received the passport and an R record already exists, you do not need to create a new R record and must continue the recovery process using the existing record.

If the passport is from Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and you cannot find an R record using the passport number, you must use the wildcard (%) search to prevent duplicate R records.

If an R record does not exist, you must create one.

How to create an R record

To create an R record you must:

1. Choose Create R record from the Go to Menu.

2. Enter the passport number.

3. Select Yes if there are existing R records and investigate the record(s) (it will take you straight into R record if an R record does not exist).

4. Enter the Recovery Details taken where available, from:

  • R01 form
  • cover letter
  • Royal Mail post mark

5. Select Returned in the Reason field.

6. Select Yes in the Passport Returned field.

7. Select Yes or No in the following fields:

  • passport included
  • with IPS
  • tampered

8. Update the Police and reporter detail tab with any information included.

9. Select Save.

10. Add an R note to confirm your actions and any supporting documents received.

Cancel and destroy a recovered passport

If the passport is not a watchlist match, and you have not identified a reason to refer it to Intel hub or CFT you must:

1. Pass the record in the Next Action field.

2. Cancel the passport.

3. Put it in confidential waste (shredded).

4. Add an R note to confirm your actions.

You, the LSR officer, must record on the recovered log:

  • if you have referred the passport to Intel hub or CFT or put in confidential waste
  • your name, signature and the date
Diplomatic or Official passport returns

When dealing with a recovered Diplomatic or Official passport, you must:

  • add a passport note to confirm:
    • Diplomatic passport physically cancelled
    • returned to FCDO or customer [delete as appropriate] at their request
    • cancelled as damaged as best cancellation option available
  • return the passport (if they have asked us to) to the customer:
    • directly
    • through the diplomatic services (Hanslope Park) if requested in writing

R01 forms received without the passport

When you receive an R01 form without a passport from:

  • Border Force or UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI), who have seized the passport due to improper use you must:
    • email the R01 form to this Intel hub mailbox
    • fail the record
  • Border Force or UKVI, who have seized the passport due to use after being reported lost or stolen you must:
  • other sources for example, police, courts, who indicate the passport might not be returned, you must:
    • email Intel hub
    • leave the record open, awaiting instruction from Intel hub

You must email Intel hub if the LSR team have not received the passport within 4 weeks.

COVID-19: passports recovered and destroyed by police

For safety reasons, police will destroy any passports they recover during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 R01 police forms must confirm:

  • holder deceased, sudden death: suspected or confirmed COVID-19
  • passport destroyed by police as hazardous waste

You, the LSR officer, can accept police R01 forms that state the customer is deceased, and the passport has been destroyed. To create the R record you must:

1. Add an R note to record the COVID-19 information provided by the police on the R01 form.

2. Update MI to holder deceased.

3. Add a passport note to confirm MI updated as deceased see R reference for details.

4. Continue with the recovery process, adding any other R notes needed.

Referring a recovered passport for investigation

You must refer the recovered passport for investigation by the Intel hub or Counter Fraud team if you suspect the passport has been fraudulently tampered with or this guidance tells you to.

Referring a recovered passport to the Intel hub

You must refer any recovered passport to the Intel hub that show signs of:

  • fraud, counterfeit or photo substitution, alterations or tampering
  • counterfeit visas
  • travel after reported lost or stolen

When referring a passport to Intel hub you must:

1. Add an R note to confirm:

  • your actions
  • any fraudulent details for example, customer’s name or date of birth

2. Check the original details for the passport number showing on the record.

3. Pass the record if you can confirm you have the genuine passport as we need to ensure the customer is not using the book for travel.

Referring a recovered passport to CFT

If a recovered passport is on a watchlist match, you must email the:

1. LSR Managers to ask which CFT added it to the watchlist.

2. CFT in the APC for advice and:

  • pass or fail the record as advised by CFT
  • proceed as CFT advise for example, forward the passport to CFT or destroy it

How to transfer to Intel hub and CFT

To transfer a passport to Intel hub or CFT, you, the LSR officer must:

1. Complete a case transfer form (short jacket), case transfer forms are available in the Intel Hub transfers folder within the LSR team’s file structure.

2. Place the passport and case transfer form in a clear bag, with the personal data page visible.

3. Add the details to the CFT, TP and other office transfer form.

4. Place in a blue bag for the LSR support clerk to complete the transfer.

To complete the transfer process for a passport to Intel hub or CFT, you, the LSR support clerk must:

1. Check the case transfer form against the passports to be transferred.

2. Email Intel hub or CFT to tell them about the referral.

Electronic R submissions from FCDO

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff in the Lost, Stolen and Recovered team what an electronic R submission is and how to deal with them.

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) use their Casebook system to create R (recovered) records for:

  • recovered passports
  • Emergency Travel documents (ETD’s) for cancellation of passports that are:
    • damaged
    • returned to customer
  • deceased customers passports which FCDO have returned to the:
    • Lost, Stolen and Recovered team (LSR)
    • customer’s next of kin

Data Governance & Assurance team (DGAT) electronically transfer and download

Casebook recovered records onto Application Management System (AMS).

Electronic R submission worklists are automatically created when auto cancellation criteria is not met and must be dealt with by the LSR (Lost, Stolen and Recovered) team.

Accessing electronic R submissions

To access electronic R submissions you, the LSR officer, must:

1. Select LSR search from the drop down menu.

2. Select R in the Type box.

3. Select Trusted Submissions in the Status box.

4. Select Search.

5. Create a worklist using the list of records displayed.

6. Use the worklist to complete standard and watchlist checks and confirm the:

  • details on Recovery detail tab match the Main Index (MI) passport number
  • circumstances on the Recovery Detail tab

Watchlist match on electronic R submissions

If the R submission is a watchlist match, you must:

1. Email the LSR Managers to ask which Counter Fraud team (CFT) added it to the watchlist.

2. Email the CFT who created the watchlist for advice and:

  • pass or fail the record as advised by CFT
  • proceed as CFT advise

3. Add an R note to confirm your actions and CFT advice.

Electronic R submission: tampering or alterations

If the FCDO tell us the R submission passport appears to have been tampered with, or the passport personal details do not match the R record, you must:

  • wait for FCDO to return the passport
  • deal with as recovered, if the passport does show signs of tampering

Completing R submissions

To complete an R record for an electronic R submission, you must check the Tampered tab on the Recovery detail tab, to see if yes or not has been selected.

If no on the Tampered tab is selected, you must:

1. Add an R note to confirm your checks and actions taken by FCDO, for example:

  • returned the passport to HM Passport Office for destruction
  • destroyed the passport

2. Leave the Returned buttons on the Reason field as selected by FCDO, and no on the following buttons:

  • passport included
  • with IPS
  • tampered

3. Pass the record.

If the personal details do not match the passport, or yes on the Tampered tab is selected, you must:

1. Check the Circumstances of Recovery field to confirm where the passport is.

2. Refer to the Intel hub and keep the R record open until Intel hub tell you what to do next, if the Circumstances of Recovery field shows destroyed by FCDO (see ‘How to securely destroy a passport’ section)

3. Keep the R record open until you receive the passport, if the Circumstances of Recovery field shows sent to LSR. On receipt of the passport, you must:

  • send the passport to Intel hub
  • wait for Intel hub’s advice

4. Add an R note to confirm your checks and actions taken.

ETD application R submissions

The FCDO must create a Casebook entry to tell us to cancel the current passport, if they receive an ETD application for a passport which:

  • is damaged
  • has expired
  • does not have enough validity for travel

If the Circumstances of Recovery field shows the FCDO have returned a full or damaged passport to the customer, you must:

1. Select View Associated Passport.

2. Add a passport note to include:

  • trusted source confirms ETD issued, passport returned to customer
  • R reference number

3. Update Status on MI to damaged (the only option available for LSR).

4. Close the MI to continue with the R submission.

5. Add an R note to confirm your actions.

6. Fail the R record.

Deceased customer R submissions

If the FCDO receive a passport for a deceased customer, they must create a Casebook entry to tell us the customer is deceased.

If the Circumstances of Recovery field shows customer deceased, you must:

1. Select View Associated Passport.

2. Add a passport note to confirm:

  • trusted source confirms customer deceased
  • R reference number

3. Update Status on MI to deceased.

4. Close MI to continue with the R submission.

You must pass the record if the Circumstances of Recovery field shows passport returned to LSR.

You must fail the record if the Circumstances of Recovery field:

  • shows passport returned to the next of kin, reporter or funeral director
  • does not show passport returned to LSR
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