Please note that we only deal with second passports for business clients. Unfortunately
we cannot assist with renewals, lost/stolen passports, change of details, existing cases
you may have already with the passport office or same day/emergency passports. We
would advise you to contact the HMPO directly by calling 0300 222 0000.
Application Form
Overview
The Passport Application Form is the first requirement for any kind of British passport
application. The form is an A3-sized brown document with 10 sections that is issued by
His Majesty's Passport Office. The same form is used for all types of passport
applications, however the way it is completed differs. You will find guidance below on
how to successfully complete it.
Where to obtain it
The passport application form can be obtained from:
- Rapid British Passports UK: We can send the British passport application form to our
clients by post. Please click
here to request the passport application form.
- Some post offices; to locate a post office that has the form go to: http://www.postoffice.co.uk/branch-finder and select
"passport Check & Send" in the service drop down menu.
How to complete the application form
General requirements
- The form must be completed in black ink.
- Writing must be in block capital letters.
- All written answers need to be within the white boxes on the form.
- Minor mistakes can be crossed out in black ink. Correction fluid is not permitted.
- If you make more than three mistakes on any line or do not provide a clear signature in
Section 9, complete a new application form.
Guidance per section
Section 1:
- You need to put a cross next to the 'Replacement' box.
- You will automatically receive a 32-page passport. If you would rather have a
48-page passport then make sure you cross the right box.
Section 2:
- The name you provide should match one of the following certificates: birth, marriage
or nationality.
- Leave one box blank between your first name and your surname if you have a middle
name.
- You are only permitted to include 30 characters (including spaces) for your first
and middles names, and 30 for your surname in the personal details section of the
passport. If your name is too long to fit in these boxes, please write them in such
a way that you want them to appear on your passport. In Section 8 you should then
write your full name. This will later be added to the observation page in your
passport.
- You are required to provide a full residential United Kingdom address, as the
Passport Office are likely to check that you do indeed live at the address you have
provided. If for any reason they find out that that is not your permanent residence,
your application could be delayed. To avoid this please provide an explanation of
your circumstances in Section 8.
- Your passport will be returned by the Passport Office to the address given. In the
instance that you would like your passport delivered to a different address, you
must give a reason and an address in Section 8 of the form.
- Mark whether you are male or female in the box.
- You are required to give the names of the town and country in which you were born.
These details must should be the same as those stated on your birth, registration,
or naturalisation certificate, or the details given on your previous British
passport.
- A UK telephone number only is required in this section as international contact
information will not be allowed. In Section 8 you may provide a text relay number,
if you have one and it does not already fit into one of the boxes given.
- Please use Section 8 of the application form if you do not have enough room for any
of your personal details.
Section 3:
- In this section you are required to provide all the details of the passport that was
lost, stolen or damaged.
- Leave any sections blank if you are unsure of that information.
- An LS01 form must also be provided and this can be obtained from most UK post
offices.
- You need to report your lost or stolen passport to your local police in order to
receive your crime reference number. You will then put this number on your LS01
form.
- As the LS01 form is received the passport office will cancel that passport.
Section 4:
- Enter your parent's details as requested.
- In the instance that both of your parents were born after 31 December 1982 or were
both born outside of the United Kingdom, you are required to provide your
grandparent's details in Section 8 (or on a separate piece of paper).
- For nationality purposes parents are defined as ‘mother' and ‘father'. It is not
guaranteed that nationality by birth can be achieved through either of the parent's
national status. This rule also applies to parents of the same sex. Because of this
rule, it is crucial that the ‘mother' and ‘father' are entered in the correct boxes
on the form. Step-parents and any others who have taken on a parental role but who
are not defined by ‘mother' or ‘father' should not fill in their personal details in
Section 4.
- If for any reason there is information that you are not able to provide, please
refer to Section 8 or instead put together a letter that is addressed to the
passport office which states all of the reasons why you unable to provide it.
Section 5:
- If the applicant has been of British nationality since birth then please cross the
'no' box. There are no other details that you need to fill in in Section 5.
- If it is applicable to you, complete the section and make a copy of your certificate
of registration or naturalisation to provide alongside your passport application.
Section 6:
Section 7:
Section 8:
Section 8 is provided so you can:
- Fill out a section which you were not able to complete fully or properly because of
a shortage of space
- Provide a note which explains why you do not have sufficient information for one
part of the application form.
- Give a reason as to why a signature was not inserted in Sections 6 or 9. It is also
possible for you to attach a letter of explanation from an appropriate person such
as a career, doctor, parent or social worker.
- Include any extra information to support your application that you were unable to
provide elsewhere on the form.
- In the instance that your passport has been stolen or you have lost it and you have
already sent a completed LS01 form, it is important that you write here that the
form has already been sent.
- In the instance that your passport has become damanged, explain in this section
briefly how it was damaged.
Section 9:
- Please ensure your signature does not touch the borders of the box.
Section 10:
- Section 10 needs to be filled out by the counter signatory.
Who is the person who provides the countersignature? A counter signatory is a person who
is able to confirm your identity and confirm to the best of their knowledge that all of
the information provided is accurate, correct and true. They will also verify that that
the photograph provided is of you. The person providing the countersignature must be a
valid United Kingdom passport holder, have a residence in the UK and have been
acquainted with the applicant for at least 2 years. They should hold a role in a
professional capacity and be in no way related to you (by birth or marriage), be in a
romantic or personal relationship with you or have employment with the HM Passport
Office. For more details on who exactly qualifies to be your counter signatory, please
click on the link here.
- The counter signatory is required to provide their full address and full contact
details of where they can be reached whether this could be at home or work.
- The counter signatory must be able and willing to certify one of the applicant's
passport photographs, and confirm that they certify it is a true likeness of
‘applicant's name' before signing and dating it.
- The counter signatory needs to write their initials next to any errors they have
made in Section 10.
- The counter signatory will be checked by the Passport Office that they are genuine.
If however they are not satisfied with the counter signatory that you have provided
then they may require a new application form to be submitted.
- The signature of the counter signatory should not touch the edges of the box.
Please click here for more
information on the countersignature