Privacy policy

This privacy policy relates to the online passport application service run by HM Passport Office.

By agreeing to the declaration, you understand that:

  • the details you’ve given will be checked against information held by other organisations to decide whether to issue or withdraw a passport
  • we retain your data electronically and may use it to check our systems work securely and effectively
  • we may pass information about your passport or related records to organisations in the UK and abroad when you use your passport, obtain a service, or when it’s in the public interest to do so
  • we may ask for feedback through links and post-application surveys

Read the HM Passport Office privacy policy to find out how we store and protect your information.

Information we ask for

When you apply for a UK passport you’ll be asked for a range of information, including your name, date of birth, contact details and a photo.

You may be contacted for additional information, for example if your information doesn’t match that held by HM Passport Office, or you need to ask someone to confirm your identity.

Information you enter online will be held temporarily and securely in line with the HM Passport Office privacy policy. We store cookies on your computer and you can find more information about this in our cookie policy. We do this so you can progress through and complete your application. Your information and uploaded photos won’t be stored permanently until you submit your application.

We will store all photos, gender and date of birth details temporarily for up to 6 months. These photos aren’t stored with any other personal information. This will include photos, gender and date of birth data for applications which are not fully completed and submitted, or discontinued. We do this to test the tools we use and improve our service.

If you don’t complete and submit your passport application, all other personal information you supply in your application will be deleted within 24 hours.

Payment details

The payment part of this service is provided by Worldpay in line with our terms and conditions. HM Passport Office doesn’t collect or store any of your financial information.

Applying with Post Office Digital Check & Send

The payment part of the Post Office Digital Check & Send service is provided by the Post Office in line with our terms and conditions.

Additional feedback

We welcome your views on this service. We invite feedback through links in the website and post-application surveys. We’ll use what you tell us to improve this and related services.

Site usage

Apart from the data you enter, we also collect anonymous site-usage information. This helps us to see how the service is used and how we can make it better. HM Passport Office shares this data with the Government Digital Service and complies with the Data Protection Act.

Read the Home Office information charter to find out how to ask to see your information or complain about how it’s used.