Guidance

Cancelling British passports

Information for HM Passport Office operational staff about how to physically and electronically cancel a British passport.

From:: HM Passport Office
Published: 13 January 2012
Last updated: 26 September 2022 — See all updates

Documents

Cancelling British passports (accessible)

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Cancelling British passports

PDF, 208 KB, 11 pages

Details

This guidance tells HM Passport Office staff how to:

physically cancel all types of British passports
electronically cancel a passport record on Main Index

We are aware this PDF publication may have accessibility issues. We are reviewing this so that we can fix it.

Read more about our accessible documents policy.

Published 13 January 2012
Last updated 26 September 2022 + show all updates

26 September 2022
Accessible version added.
7 May 2021
This guidance has been updated to tell you when you need to manually cancel passports on Main Index.
13 January 2012
First published.

Update history

2026-01-16 16:16
This guidance has been updated: to remove references to Application Management System (AMS); in the Cancelling a British passport in error section; in the Cancelling UK series C and series D e-passports (blue e-passport) section to explain how to cancel the new series D e-passport; in the How to securely destroy a passport section to explain how to destroy the new series D e-passport.

2025-08-27 15:37
This guidance has been updated to remove instructions to transfer application to AMS (Application Management System); change terminology from ‘overseas’ to ‘international’ when referring to local services; reflect changes in passport operational systems; and remove references to Application Management System (AMS).

2024-10-15 12:06
This guidance has been updated. A full list of the changes is available in the document.

2022-11-09 12:44
Updated guidance.

2022-09-26 15:22
Accessible version added.