This guidance tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff how to deal with requests from a customer who urgently need a passport for urgent government business or compassionate reasons

About: Urgent government business or compassionate reasons: how to deal with requests

This guidance tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff about how we deal with customers who need a passport for urgent government business or compassionate reasons and explains:

• how customers can apply

• what are the criteria and what information they must tell us

• how we arrange an appointment at the counter

• the types of documents customers must bring to their appointment

If a customer urgently needs a passport for other reasons (for example, they have booked a last minute holiday), they may be able to:

• apply using the Premium Service or the Fast Track service (if they have not already applied for a passport)

• have a standard upgrade or a service delay upgrade using the Expedited Service (if they have already applied for a passport and we are currently offering these services)

Contacts

If you have any questions about the guidance and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the guidance has factual errors then email the Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this guidance (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the guidance then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

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

• version 2.0

• published for Home Office staff on 3 February 2025

Changes from last version of this guidance

This guidance has been updated to confirm:

• if a passport is stolen, we will consider it if they are the victim of a crime that resulted in the theft of their current and valid (unexpired) passport which fulfils the entry requirements of the country they are travelling to and they had pre-booked travel within 7 days of the theft

• what a national queue examiner does if a customer tells them they need a passport urgently

• a counter examiner must arrange an interview (if needed) before phoning the customer to come in for their appointment

Passports for urgent government business or compassionate reasons

This section tells HM Passport Office staff about the service we offer customers who urgently need a passport for urgent government business or compassionate reasons and what are the criteria and fees for urgent government business or compassionate travel. It also tell staff about consent evidence needed for child applications.

Some customers urgently need a passport for urgent government business or compassionate reasons. Providing they meet the urgent government business or compassionate reasons criteria, we will prioritise their application.

If a customer needs a passport for urgent government business or compassionate reasons, they can:

• visit the ‘Get a pa­ssport urgently’ page on GOV.UK

• phone our Contact Centres

• fill in an online enquiry form and send it to our Contact Centres

• tell an examiner during the application process

Although we will try to quickly process the customer’s application, we cannot guarantee we will be able to issue them with a passport in time for when they need it. This is because:

• applications for children usually need to be on the system for 5 working days (unless there’s exceptional circumstances)

• we need evidence from the customer to show they have urgent government business or compassionate reasons

• we will only issue a fully valid passport when:

  • we have confirmed the customer’s nationality, identity and entitlement

  • we are satisfied there are no safeguarding concerns

If we cannot do all our standard identity checks (for example, we cannot interview the customer), we may consider:

• doing alternative identity checks (for example, we may complete additional checks on a referee)

• issuing a restricted validity passport (only if the customer’s claim to British nationality is not in doubt and there are no concerns with their identity after we’ve completed extra checks)

Urgent government business or compassionate reasons: child applications

We will process a child’s application, if they need it for urgent government business or compassionate reasons, as quickly as possible but cannot offer a service guarantee, as we must:

• not relax any rules or checks in place for child applications

• take extra care when dealing with urgent requests for children

Before HM Passport Office agree to process a child application due to urgent government business or compassionate travel, we must: * have evidence to show the customer has urgent government business or compassionate reasons

• have consent evidence from someone with parental responsibility of the child

• have approval from a higher executive office (HEO) when the application has been with us for less than 5 working days

• not relax any rules or checks in place for child applications and make sure any additional checks are completed on the application

• be satisfied there is no safeguarding or vulnerability concerns

U&C child applications: consent evidence

In addition to the evidence showing the customer has urgent government business or compassionate (U&C) reasons, when an application is for a child and the application has not been on the system for at least 5 working days, we must have the person (with parental responsibility) who is applying for the passport complete an Application for a Premium or U&C Exception Service form.

To help HM Passport Office staff assess the risk of vulnerability and safeguarding issues for child applications (for example, child abduction), we ask on the Application for a Premium or U&C Exception Service form whether everyone with parental responsibility is aware the application is being made.

HM Passport Office staff must not request the consent from everyone with parental responsibility unless it is specified in guidance, additional consent is required, for example, there is a change of name or gender for a child.

Any evidence confirming why a passport is to be issued for U&C reasons and the urgent and compassionate exception form must be scanned and uploaded to DAP (Digital Application Processing) and associated to the child’s application.

However, there are scenarios where a person with parental responsibility is not applying for the passport, attending the appointment or cannot sign a statement. For example, the U&C reason for travel is because:

• the child’s parent who has applied for the passport cannot attend the appointment as they have travelled ahead of the child

• the parent with parental responsibility has had an accident overseas

• both parents of the child are involved in an accident overseas and the child attends a boarding school in the UK

If a person with parental responsibility is unable to provide a consent or attend the appointment, you must look at:

• the evidence to see why the child must travel urgently (for example, that person with parental responsibility has been in an accident)

• any current or previous applications to check who has parental responsibility and if there are any court orders or information. See Parental responsibility: birth parents, adoption and surrogacy guidance

• if there is a risk of harm trying to contact the other parent, see Vulnerability: parental disputes

We must not take sides when dealing with parental disputes and will always recommend all parties should seek an informal agreement or resolution through the family law courts.

If the person who applied for the passport is unable to attend the appointment, for example, the child’s mother has completed the application but cannot attend the appointment, we must ask for a signed and dated statement from the person who has applied for the passport, confirming they give consent to the issuing of a passport, and it is being processed for U&C reasons, if there is a third party attending the appointment or collecting the passport.

If a person with parental responsibility cannot provide consent to issue a passport and they have not applied for the passport or attend the appointment (and sign the urgent and compassionate exception form), you must:

• follow the Parental responsibility: loco parentis and Confirming consent from third parties guidance

• obtain from the person acting in loco parentis, the relevant loco parentis evidence and a signed and dated statement confirming they give consent to the issuing of a passport, and it is being processed for U&C reasons

• obtain a signed and dated statement from someone with parental responsibility, confirming they give consent to the issuing of a passport, and it is being processed for U&C reasons, if there is a third party applying for the passport and attending the appointment (if possible)

Urgent government business or compassionate reasons: child turning 16

There may be cases where a customer meets the criteria for urgent government business or compassionate (U&C) service and applies for a passport urgently, however they are turning 16 years old within the next 3 weeks.

In this scenario, you must see if they need the passport:

• before they turn 16, the application must be treated as a child application

• after they turn 16, the customer must apply on their 16th birthday for an adult passport using the magic link, they must apply when they turn 16 otherwise, we cannot issue an adult passport

If they have an application already submitted and turn 16 during the U&C application process, they must withdraw any child application submitted and reapply as an adult.

Criteria for urgent government business or compassionate service

We will only consider applications for customers who urgently need a passport for urgent government business or compassionate reasons if they meet all the following criteria:

• they live in the UK (or they usually live overseas but are currently in the UK and can provide a UK address)

• they need a passport in the next:

  • 7 days (where they have evidence of pre-booked travel and a crime reference showing they have been the victim of a crime that has resulted in the theft of their passport)

  • 4 weeks (only if they are member of the Armed Forces)

  • 2 weeks

• they meet the criteria for urgent government business or compassionate reasons and can provide evidence to show it

  • if the application is for a child, we must have consent from someone with parental responsibility, see U&C child applications: consent evidence

The customer may be entitled to apply for an expedited service or upgrade (if the upgrade service is currently being offered) if they have already applied and do not meet the urgent government business or compassionate travel criteria.

Overseas customers who have not already applied but urgently need a passport for travel, must contact the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office to discuss their circumstances and options available (for example, an Emergency Travel Document).

Fees for urgent government business or compassionate reasons

The customer must pay the standard application fee, online or paper, if they urgently need a passport for urgent government business or compassionate reasons.

If they have already paid a Premium or Digital Fast Track fee, the customer must attend their appointment and request their application is treated as urgent government business or compassionate reasons. If they request a refund you must follow the How to do refunds guidance.

What we accept as urgent government business

This section tells HM Passport Office staff what urgent government business is, what we accept as urgent government business and how to deal with evidence of urgent government business.

Urgent government business is for members of the UK national or local government who need a passport for urgent government business travel, such as:

• responding to an international crisis

• taking up (or attending) a posting abroad

• transporting a prisoner

Members of the UK national government include:

• Members of Parliament (MPs)

• members of His Majesty’s armed forces who meet both of the following criteria:

  • they did not apply using the forces application route

  • they are due to deploy in the next 4 weeks (they must apply using the usual Armed Forces application process if they are due to deploy in more than 4 weeks’ time)

• members of the Diplomatic Service

• members of other departments of state, for example, the:

  • Home Office

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

  • Ministry of Defence

• athletes representing:

  • the UK

  • Jersey

  • Guernsey

  • Isle of Man

  • a British Overseas Territory

Members of local government include:

• police officers

• local councillors

• social services staff (for example, with children in care)

Evidence for urgent government business travel

Customers must provide evidence to show they urgently need a passport for urgent government business. It must:

• be from an official government department

• be signed and dated on official letter headed paper

• confirm the customer’s

  • name and occupation

  • need for a passport for urgent government business

You must be aware, depending on the reason for travel, a customer may not be able to provide evidence to show why they urgently need a passport (for example, if they are travelling on a peace keeping mission). In these cases, the customer must still provide evidence from an official government department or office that confirms they urgently need a passport, even if it does not give the reason why.

How to deal with evidence for urgent government business

You must consider the evidence a customer provides to show they urgently need a passport for urgent government business on a case by case basis and be satisfied that it’s genuine. For example, you may accept a signed letter by post or by email, (including a PDF) is genuine if:

• it’s on official letter headed paper and is from an official government:

  • email address (as we expect emails from other government departments to come from a GOV.UK email address)

  • verifiable business postal address

• you spoke with an official at the department and they confirm the letter is genuine (if you had concerns with the evidence)

If the customer has not provided evidence, the evidence is not signed or it’s not on official letter headed paper, they must provide new evidence.

If you have any concerns the evidence is not genuine, you must discuss it with your higher executive office (HEO). The HEO will:

• try to verify the person

• try to speak to the person who signed a letter to confirm it was them who signed it

• decide if the evidence is genuine

If the HEO thinks the letter is not genuine and you cannot accept it, you must refer the application to the Counter Fraud team.

What we accept as compassionate reasons

This section tells HM Passport Office staff what compassionate reasons are, what we accept as compassionate reasons and how to deal with evidence of compassionate reasons.

We consider the following as compassionate reasons why a customer may urgently need a passport:

• they need to travel because they (or a relative or a friend) has a serious illness or had an accident

• they need to travel because a relative or friend has died (this may include repatriation of a body)

• they need to travel abroad for urgent medical treatment which is time critical

• they have travel arranged by a charitable or religious organisation

• they are the victim of a crime that resulted in the theft of their current and valid (unexpired) passport which fulfils the entry requirements of the country they are travelling to and they had pre-booked travel within 7 days of the theft

• they work, or are about to start work, in an industry that requires them to have a passport (this includes, but is not limited to, those working offshore or in the haulage or aviation industry)

• they need a passport for identity reasons (for example, to apply for a mortgage or, open a bank account or apply for a job) and do not have any other identity documents they can use

• they already submitted an overseas application, and they:

  • are currently in the UK, with a UK address; and,

  • need a passport to access health or social care or because their visa is about to expire

If the customer:

• has an exceptional need for an overlap passport for a compassionate reason, you may consider issuing them an overlap passport

• is overseas, you must follow the overseas expedited service guidance if the customer has already submitted an overseas application and they need a passport to:

  • prove their identity, residence or for visa reasons, to meet the local laws in their country (as they may otherwise be at risk, for example, fines or imprisonment)

  • register for health care, social care or school

  • register a birth, death or marriage

We do not consider the following as compassionate reasons why a customer may urgently need a passport:

• medical treatment that is cosmetic surgery, for example, rhinoplasty

• last minute holidays

• business travel (except customers who work, or are about to start work, in an industry that requires them to have a passport)

• weddings or honeymoons

• lost or expired passports

We cannot provide a complete list of every compassionate reason why a customer may urgently need a passport. If you have any doubts, you must send a guidance query to the Quality, Examination Support team (QuESt).

Evidence for compassionate reasons

Customers must provide evidence to show they urgently need a passport for compassionate reasons but must not send photos of their deceased relatives or photos of injuries their relatives may have received.

Acceptable evidence for compassionate travel would include, for example:

• a letter to show they need to travel because a relative or friend has died, including:

  • evidence of the relationship to the deceased

  • the death certificate (or a photocopy of it)

  • other evidence that a higher executive officer (HEO) agrees you can accept (if the customer does not have, or cannot provide, a death certificate)

• a signed and dated letter from a doctor, a hospital, a Foreign, Commonwealth & Development official, a minister of religion, the police or a person acting in an official role that confirms they need to travel for compassionate reasons. The letter must be on letter headed paper (if possible) and include:

  • the customer’s name (first forename and surname)

  • the name of the person who is ill or has died

  • the relationship between the customer and the person who is ill or has died

• a signed and dated letter from an employer (or prospective employer) that:

  • includes the company’s name, address, email address and phone number

  • confirms an offer of employment (if the customer is about to start work)

  • confirms what the customer’s job role is (or will be)

  • confirms the customer needs a passport for their job role

• a signed statement from them that confirms they need a passport for identity reasons and a letter, agreement or contract from an organisation that shows they are doing something to suggest they need a passport to prove their identity, for example, from a:

  • bank or building society that shows they are trying to open a bank account

  • mortgage application that shows they are trying to buy a property

  • rental agreement that shows they are trying to rent a property

• evidence to show their passport is stolen, such as a police report or crime reference number and evidence of pre-booked travel (in cases when a customer is the victim of a crime and had pre-booked travel within 7 days)

We can accept emails if:

• there’s no time to provide an original letter (for example, if the customer arrives in person because they need the passport the same day and they did not know they had to provide an original letter)

• you can verify the email address online as it comes from GOV.UK, an employer or other reputable source

If a customer sends a document in a language other than English or Welsh, they must also supply an official translation. This is to make sure we have the correct information and can assess an application correctly. The translation must be attached to the letter, provided by an official translator, signed, and dated by the translator.

If, however, an examiner has the language skills to confidently interpret the documents without translation, then it is not always necessary to insist on a translation. A case note must be added giving full details. You must refer the case to a HEO who can review the information provided and check if there are no safeguarding or fraud concerns with the application.

How to deal with evidence for compassionate reasons

When you get the evidence to show a customer urgently needs a passport for compassionate reasons, you must:

• consider it on a case by case basis and be satisfied it’s genuine, for example, you can accept an email from a hospital to confirm a patient is ill overseas, if you:

  • have done external checks (for example, to verify a person or hospital exists)

  • are satisfied the email is genuine

  • are satisfied with the link between the customer and patient

• check any travel bookings were made after the change in circumstances (for example, if a customer’s relative is in hospital, you must check they made the travel booking after the relative’s hospital admission date)

• check with a child’s school if they are aware the child is being taken out of school, see Urgent government business or compassionate reasons: child applications

If you have any concerns the evidence is not genuine, you must discuss it with your higher executive officer (HEO). The HEO will check the evidence and:

• try to verify the person who provided it, using external sources

• try to speak to the person who provided it

• decide if the evidence is genuine

If the HEO thinks the letter is not genuine and you cannot accept it, you must ask the customer for new evidence.

Contact Centres: dealing with urgent government business or compassionate requests

This section tells HM Passport Office how the contact centres deal with customers who tell us they urgently need a passport for urgent government business or compassionate reasons.

When Contact Centres speak with a customer who urgently needs a passport for urgent government business or compassionate (U&C) reasons, they will:

• deal with the call in line with their own guidance

• discuss the customers circumstances and check if they meet the urgent government business or compassionate reasons criteria

If the customer does not meet the criteria, Contact Centres will discuss other alternatives that may be available to them, for example:

• making an application using a guaranteed service (the Premium service or the Digital Fast Track service) or the standard service

• checking if a standard upgrade or service delay upgrade is applicable (if the customer has already made an application) and the upgrade service is currently being offered

• telling the customer to contact the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office to discuss their circumstance and options available (if they are overseas)

If the customer meets the criteria, Contact Centres will email the Customer Service Management team (CSMT) with the referral.

Examiners: dealing with urgent government business or compassionate requests

This section tells HM Passport Office how an examiner processing an application in the national queue deals with customers who tell us they urgently need a passport for urgent government business or compassionate reasons.

When a customer tells an examiner dealing with their application in the national queue they urgently need a passport for urgent government business or compassionate (U&C) reasons, they must tell the customer to call the Passport Adviceline to process the referral.

CSMT staff: dealing with urgent government business or compassionate referrals

This section tells HM Passport Office how the Customer Service Management team (CSMT) deal with customers who tell us they urgently need a passport for urgent government business or compassionate reasons, how they approve the evidence a customer provides to confirm they meet the criteria and how to help a customer who meets the criteria but has not applied.

The Customer Services Management team (CSMT) receives referrals from the Contact Centres, for customers who urgently need a passport for urgent government business or compassionate (U&C) reasons.

You, the CSMT member of staff, will ask the customer for evidence to support their need for a passport urgently and make sure the customer meets the urgent government business or compassionate criteria. The evidence is sent to the CSMT U&C email address, it is your responsibility to make sure this inbox is monitored on a regular basis.

Whether the customer has a live application or has not yet applied, within 4 hours of receiving a referral for a U&C reason, you, the CSMT member of staff, must:

1. Add the request to the urgent government business or compassionate (U&C) SharePoint tracker, even if they do not meet the U&C criteria.

2. Look on the system to see if the customer’s current application, is in investigation.

3. Assess whether the customer meets the urgent government business or compassionate (U&C) criteria.

4. Check we have consent evidence if the person with parental responsibility of the child is unable to attend the appointment or apply for the passport.

5. Phone the customer and tell them they must send, within 48 hours, to the CSMT U&C email address, evidence to meet the criteria for:

   • urgent government business travel

   • compassionate reasons

6. Confirm the customer’s contact details including their email address and request the evidence.

7. Confirm with the customer they have reported the passport lost or stolen, if it is a replacement application.

8. Update the request to the urgent government business or compassionate (U&C) SharePoint tracker.

Within 48 hours of contacting the customer, you must check to see if evidence has been received from the customer. If you:

• have received evidence from the customer, you must send the evidence and customer details application number by email to a CSMT higher executive officer (HEO) who must decide if the evidence is acceptable

• have not received any evidence or the CSMT HEO confirms the evidence provided is not acceptable, you must:

  • phone the customer and explain they have a further 48 hours to provide the evidence or their application will not be dealt with as urgent

  • update the U&C SharePoint tracker

By day 5 of the initial phone call to the customer and the evidence is not acceptable or has not been received, you must:

1. Contact the customer by phone and tell them their urgent government business and compassionate request will not be progressed. (If you cannot phone the customer, send them an email confirming this information).

2. Select on DAP the option discussed with customer – this is not urgent and compassionate.

3. Update the U&C SharePoint tracker to close their request.

When the evidence provided by the customer is confirmed to be acceptable, you must:

1. Select on the customer’s application on DAP the option, needs passport urgently – changed application to urgent and compassionate

   • if the customer has more than one application, it must be selected on all of the customer’s applications and a case note added to all applications with the other application numbers

   • if there is more than one application for a customer, you must be careful to make sure only one passport is issued

2. Send them a magic link to their nominated email address using the Urgent and Compassionate_ Magic link_ No application email template, if the customer does not have an application already submitted.

3. Tell the customer they must take their documents to the appointment, including consent evidence if the person with parental responsibility of the child is unable to attend the appointment or apply for the passport (because we need to see a wet signature).

4. Update the U&C SharePoint tracker to confirm the status Evidence approved and awaiting examination.

5. Add the approved evidence onto the U&C SharePoint tracker.

U&C requests: Applications in investigation

If an urgent government business or compassionate request is received and the application is in investigation, you must:

1. Not contact the customer.

2. Select on DAP the option progress on application and add a case note the request has been sent to the relevant team for consideration.

3. Update the U&C SharePoint tracker to close their request.

You must then notify the investigator about the U&C request, so they can take any action that is needed. You must:

1. Create an email, with the application number and customer’s surname in the subject header.

2. Copy the URL from the DAP progress screen address bar and paste into the body of the email.

3. Add in the details of the customer’s U&C request into the body of the email.

4. Send the email to the Counter Fraud team.

CSMT HEO: dealing with urgent government business and or compassionate referrals

The Customer Services Management team (CSMT) higher executive officer (HEO) must respond within one working day:

1. Check the customer’s evidence for urgent government business or compassionate reasons, is complete and acceptable.

2. Reply to the email confirming if the evidence is acceptable. If it is acceptable:

   • the U&C SharePoint tracker must be updated to confirm Evidence approved and awaiting examination for the U&C team who will process the application

   • a magic link can be sent to the customer

Magic link: what is a magic link

A magic link is a link issued by a secure server that allows a customer to make an online application which HM Passport can easily identify.

A magic link is sent to the customer by CSMT when it is confirmed the customer has not yet applied but needs their new passport urgently and meets the urgent government business or compassionate reasons criteria.

When a customer applies online (using the magic link), their application will be directed to the office closest to them or another suitable office (depending on what office the customer chooses when discussing the request with CSMT.

Each office’s U&C team is responsible for checking the Digital Customer services (DCS) magic link report. Once the application appears on the magic link report they must:

1. Check the urgent and compassionate service tracker for evidence.

2. Change the status to tracked on the DCS magic link report.

3. Contact the customer to arrange an appointment for the customer to attend and complete the application.

When a magic link does not work

If the customer contacts the U&C team, CSMT or the Contact Centre because their magic link does not work, they will email the customer another magic link.

When a customer cannot apply online using a magic link

If a customer cannot apply online, CSMT will ask the customer if they can request assistance from a third party, for example, a friend, family member or carer. See, Customers who are unable to use our online priority services.

Urgent government business or compassionate office email addresses

The email addresses for each office are:

• Belfast

• Durham

• Glasgow

• Liverpool

• London

• Newport

• Peterborough

Counter staff: dealing with U&C referrals and arranging appointments

This section tells HM Passport Office counter staff what to do when they get notification from the Customer Service Management team (CSMT) about a customer who urgently needs a passport for urgent government business or compassionate (U&C) reasons or when a customer turns up at a Customer Service Centre (CSC).

You, the counter member of staff, may receive details about a request for a customer who urgently needs a passport for urgent government business or compassionate (U&C) reasons, as the:

• Customer Service Management team (CSMT) will add a request to the urgent government business or compassionate (U&C) SharePoint tracker

• customer has told you they need their new passport urgently during their appointment for a Premium or Digital Fast Track service

  • if this happens, you must add it as a case note on the customer’s application

• customer has turned up at a Customer Service Centre (CSC) with no appointment

How counters arrange an appointment for a U&C referral

When a referral comes from CSMT, they will have reviewed the customer’s evidence and confirmed they meet the U&C criteria. The evidence will be added to the urgent government business or compassionate (U&C) SharePoint tracker.

You, the counter member of staff, must check with the counter manager there is capacity to arrange an appointment for a customer to attend the counter for U&C reasons within 1 working day of the evidence being approved by CSMT.

To ask a HEO to approve the request, you must:

1. Verbally ask them or email them (if the passport is for an adult or it is for a child whose application has been on the system for at least 5 working days).

2. Fill in an Application for a Premium or U&C Exception Service form and email it to the HEO, if the passport is for a child and their application been on the system for less than 5 working days.

After a request is approved, you, the counter examiner must:

1. Review the customer’s application to check which documents are required to support the application, for example, full birth certificates, change of name documents or evidence of name in use.

2. Look to see if the customer must attend an interview and how to arrange an interview.

3. Phone the customer and confirm the documents needed to support the application. If it is:

   • a replacement application, you must check with the customer they have reported the passport lost or stolen

   • an application that needs more complex actions, for example, a treaty rights application that requires more action than a standard application, assess whether we can complete the application within 4 hours or if the application must be sent to the national queue

4. Arrange an appointment for the customer to attend.

5. Add a case note to the customer’s application confirming the appointment details when the customer has applied.

6. Add a comment to the U&C SharePoint tracker confirming the appointment details.

Arranging a U&C appointment: customer sent documents to DHUs

If a customer tells you, the counter member of staff, they have sent their documents to a DHU, you must check Application Receive Domain (ARD) for the customer’s documents.

Until the documents are scanned and associated to the customer’s application, we cannot book an appointment.

If ARD shows the documents and they are associated to the correct application, you can arrange an appointment.

Counter HEO: authorising a U&C appointment

When a counter member of staff asks for approval to arrange an appointment for a customer to attend the counter for U&C reasons, you, the counter team’s HEO), must:

1. Look at the evidence, on the U&C SharePoint tracker, showing the customer meets the urgent government business or compassionate reasons criteria

   • making sure it has come from the correct source before it can be accepted, for example, an official GOV.UK email address

2. Check there is a signed and dated statement from the person with parental responsibility of the child if they are unable to attend the appointment or apply for the passport, see U&C child applications: consent evidence.

3. Consider if there are any safeguarding, child protection or vulnerability concerns, see U&C child applications: consent evidence.

4. Decide to approve or decline the request. You must only approve the request if:

   • the customer meets the U&C reasons criteria and provided the correct evidence to show they do; and,

   • if the application is for a child, we must have consent from someone with parental responsibility, see U&C child applications: consent evidence; and,

   • there’s are no safeguarding (child protection) or vulnerability concerns, if there are you must refer the application and any information for investigation

5. Email the examiner dealing with the referral and tell them:

   • if you have approved or declined the request

   • to update the urgent and compassionate applications tracker with your name to show the request is approved or rejected and what evidence you received

Unable to complete application as U&C: refer to national queue

Before booking an appointment for a customer to attend, you must look to see if the application can be completed within the 4 hour timescale set. In some cases, the application may need more complex actions to be completed before the passport can be issued.

If this happens, you must tell the customer we are unable to complete the passport as an urgent government business or compassionate application because it requires additional work.

You must send an email CSLT to remove the U&C flag to refer the application to the national queue, where an examiner with the appropriate skill will deal with the application.

Counter staff: dealing with customers with no appointment

There may be times a customer with an urgent government business or compassionate (U&C) need, supported by evidence, turns up at a Customer Service Centre (CSC) without contacting the passport advice line or an appointment.

The customer must be directed to a Counter Manager.

The counter manager must:

1. Check the customer’s evidence for urgent government business or compassionate reasons, is complete and acceptable.

2. Send a magic link to the customer, so they can complete the application online.

3. If they have an application, send an email to your CSLT to put a U&C flag on the customer’s application.

If the customer does not have sufficient U&C evidence, they will not be seen at the counter and are directed to the passport advice line.

U&C counter appointment: Documents required

The customer’s evidence for urgent government business or compassionate (U&C) reasons can be viewed on the U&C SharePoint tracker and must be uploaded and associated to the application. They do not need to take it to their counter appointment. If the evidence is not on the U&C SharePoint tracker, you must email the Customer Service Management team (CSMT).

However, a customer must bring in the consent letter from a person with parental responsibility, see U&C child applications: consent evidence.

If a customer has applied using a magic link, they are told by the system and CSMT what documents to bring to their appointment for us to progress their U&C application.

A customer must still attend the appointment, arranged by the counter, for their U&C application to be processed when they cannot provide any documents (for example, they are replacing a lost or stolen passport, or they have sent their documents to the Document Handling Unit (DHU)).

If the documents are scanned and associated with the customer’s application, you can:

• use the images of the documents to deal with the application

• continue with the counter appointment in line with this guidance

CSLT staff: dealing with urgent government business or compassionate requests

This section tells HM Passport Office how the Customer Service Liaison team (CSLT) deal with requests from the counters staff who tell us they need an application to be made into an urgent government business or compassionate application.

The Customer Services Liaison team (CSLT) can receive requests from the counter staff, to add or remove the urgent government business or compassionate (U&C) flag on applications for customers who urgently needs a passport for U&C reasons.

The counter staff must send an email to CSLT confirming the action they want CSLT to apply to the customer’s application.

Before adding or removing a U&C flag, you, the CSLT member of staff, must check:

• who is authorising the U&C request (if the application is for a child, it must be a HEO)

• if the U&C flag must be added or removed from the application

You must record a query on DAP to add a U&C flag onto a customer’s application, you must select the option:

• discussed with customer – this is not urgent and compassionate to remove the U&C flag on the application

• needs passport urgently – changed application to urgent and compassionate to add the U&C flag on the application. When you select this option, you must:

  • in the HMPO staff or contractors section, use the HEOs name and team who has checked if the customer meets the urgent government business or compassionate criteria

  • select on all of the customer’s applications and a case note added to all applications with the other application numbers, if the customer has more than one application