Guidance

Observations in passports

How HM Passport Office staff add observations to passports.

From:: HM Passport Office
Published: 7 February 2012
Last updated: 6 October 2022 — See all updates

Documents

Observations in passports (accessible)

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Observations in passports

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Details

Guidance for staff of HM Passport Office about passport observations, including:

what they are
when they are used
how to add them to a passport

Published 7 February 2012
Last updated 6 October 2022 + show all updates

6 October 2022
Accessible version added.
9 February 2021
Guidance updated with formatting changes throughout.
7 February 2012
First published.

Update history

2025-05-21 12:58
Updates detailed in ‘changes from last version of this guidance’.

2024-08-01 11:12
Guidance updated to remove the instruction to add the APC (Application Processing Centre) office in the restricted validity observation (OBTU).

2022-12-01 16:23
This version of the guidance has been updated to reflect the change in our sovereign from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to His Majesty King Charles III. Also the observations needed for standard passports issued to diplomatic staff and their families have changed and Kings Messenger service passports have changed and a new one has been added.

2022-10-06 11:01
Accessible version added.