Names: customer鈥檚 signature on paper form does not match their name

Question 1

About: Names: customer鈥檚 signature on paper form does not match their name

Accepted Answer

This guidance tells His Majesty鈥檚 Passport Office operational staff how to deal with paper passport applications when the customer鈥檚 signature in section 9 does not match their name.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the guidance and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the guidance has factual errors then email HM Passport Office鈥檚 Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this guidance (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the guidance then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the guidance was published:

version 9.0
published for Home Office staff on 22 November 2024

Changes from last version of this guidance

This guidance has been updated:

with minor formatting changes
to tell examiners processing on DAP (Digital Application Processing) which communications template to use
to update the transfer to AMS (Application Management System) instruction
to show the correct reason to transfer the application to the Exceptions Handling team

Question 2

Customer鈥檚 signature on paper form does not match their name

Accepted Answer

This section tells His Majesty鈥檚 Passport Office operational staff how to deal with applications when a customer鈥檚 signature in section 9 does not match the name on their paper application form.

When you (the examiner), deal with a customer鈥檚 application, you must be aware:

some customers may not be able to sign their application for a passport because of a mental or physical disability (see unable to sign guidance)
customers applying for a post-dated passport must sign their application in their future name
someone with parental responsibility may sign the application form (as we need the correct consent to issue a child鈥檚 passport)
customers who are also known by a religious, stage or professional name, may sign their application form using that name or their real name
customers using Digital Customer 天美影院 to apply for their passport online, do not provide a signature

The signature a customer uses may mean it is difficult to check if it matches their name. However, you must ask the customer for the signature they use for all official purposes, when:

you have reason to believe it is not their signature
it is clear the customer signed the application using a name you are not aware of (for example, they do not sign the application in their real, religious, stage, professional or 鈥榓lso known as by鈥� name)

Signature does not match name: paper counter application

If it is a paper counter application, you, the counter examiner, must ask the customer if the signature is the one they use for all official purposes. If it is:

you must not take any additional action
not, you must:
- tell the customer to complete a new application form, using the signature they use for all official purposes
- add a case note (see Names: name related case notes, system checks and warnings for what must be included in the case note)

Signature does not match name: paper postal application

If it is a paper postal application, you, the examiner, must:

Use the 鈥楴eed a signature鈥� Comms Builder template (or letter 291 if you are processing on AMS (Application Management System)) to contact the customer to ask them to confirm in writing, if it is the signature they use for all official purposes.
Add a case note to show all the actions and decisions you have taken along with your reasons (see Names: name related case notes, system checks and warnings for what must be included in the case note).
Accept the signature, if the customer confirms the signature is the one they use for all official purposes.

You must tell the customer to complete another declaration if they want to use a different signature, so it matches the name on their passport application form. If you are processing on DAP (Digital Application Processing) you must select I cannot do this application then Unable to print and post letter. DAP will transfer the application to the Exceptions Handling team, who can follow their process to request a new declaration and signature from the customer.

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