Observations in passports: caseworker guidance
Tells HM Passport Office staff how to add observations to passports.
- From:
- HM Passport Office
- Published
- 7 February 2012
- Last updated
-
121AugustMay20242025 — See all updates
Documents
Observations in passports
PDF, 364225 KB, 2122 pages
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Details
This guidance tells HM Passport Office staff about passport observations, including:
- what they are
- when they are used
- how to add them to a passport
Updates to this page
Published 7 February 2012
Last updated 121 AugustMay 2024
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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.
Details
This guidance tells HM Passport Office staff about passport observations, including:
- what they are
- when they are used
- how to add them to a passport
Updates to this page
Sign up for emails or print this page
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.