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This guidance tells His Majesty鈥檚 Passport Office staff about name related case notes. It tells staff how to case note when the customer has more than 1 previous name, a change of name or a different spelling of their name. It tells examiners how to case note name differences and changes and what to case note when a customer must attend an interview.

About: Names: name related case notes

This guidance tells His Majesty鈥檚 Passport Office staff about name related case notes and name related automatic case notes that the system adds automatically.

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 you can email 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 Guidance team.

Publication

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

• Version 3.0
• published for Home Office staff on 20 August 2024

Changes from last version of this guidance

This guidance has been updated to make minor terminology changes.

Name related case notes

This section tells His Majesty鈥檚 Passport Office operational staff what they must include in their case notes about the customer鈥檚 name.

You, the examiner, must add case notes when you are processing an application in line with the how to record decisions, case notes and passport notes guidance.

Case notes: customers who have more than 1 previous name

If you are processing on DAP (Digital Application Processing) and a customer has more than one previous name, you must complete checks on passport records or watchlists in line with guidance. DAP will automatically record in the timeline the searches you complete.

If you are processing on AMS (Application Management System) and a customer has more than one previous name, you must complete passport records or watchlist checks in line with guidance. You must add a case note on AMS that:

• correctly show the actions you took and decisions you made (as it鈥檚 your responsibility to confirm you carried out watchlist checks)
• clearly show what names you used to carry out the check
• include any wildcards you used
• include the outcome of the check

Case notes: change of name

When you accept a change of name, you must add a case note to include:

• the customer鈥檚 old and new name in full, to show a link between the names (you must include details of every change of name if there is more than 1)
• a summary of what type of evidence the customer gave for each change of name (and if you scanned it on the system, if you are processing on AMS)
• the date of marriage or civil partnership, if the customer鈥檚 name changed because they married or entered into a civil partnership
• the names of anyone with parental responsibility who gave consent to the change of name (if the change of name is for a child)
• the deed poll has been signed and dated and shows the customer鈥檚 old and new name and the name of the witness, if the change of name was by deed poll
• the court name, location and reference number, the name of the act used, and anyone named in a court order with parental responsibility for the child (if the customer provided a court order)

If you are processing on DAP and a customer has a change of name, you must check passport records or watchlists in line with guidance. DAP will automatically record in the timeline the searches you complete. You must record in a case note the actions you take and the decisions you make.

If you are processing on AMS and a customer has a change of name you must case note all passport record or watchlist checks you have carried out 鈥� when you do, you must:

• make sure your notes correctly show the actions you took and decisions you made (as it鈥檚 your responsibility to confirm you carried out watchlist checks)
• clearly show what names you used to carry out the check (you do not need to list all of the different name combinations)
• include any wildcards you used
• include the outcome of the check

Case notes: name differences

When you issue a passport using the name on an application (even though it is different to the name on the supporting documents) you must add a case note to show:

• what the difference is and what document this is shown on (for example, a foreign passport)
• why you accepted the name (for example, because it met 1 of our exceptions or there is a naming convention)
• what evidence the customer gave that explains the discrepancy
• any references to Knowledge Base that supports your decision to accept the name
• the customers full name in your case note, if you shortened it because it was too long to fit on the passport

Case notes: for customers who need an interview

We add case notes to a passport application for customers who need to attend an interview. This is to help the interviewer:

• prepare
• ask the customer relevant questions

You must add case notes, to:

• explain the differences between a name on the supporting documents and a name on a passport application
• show any differences with a name you identified during the examination
• explain the different spellings of a customer鈥檚 name (for example, their name is 鈥楯ackie鈥� but they are also known as 鈥楯aqui鈥�)
• show all name changes and when they changed, in date order (for example, 鈥榖orn Mary Elizabeth Smith, c/n 1975, from Mary Elizabeth Smith to Mary Elizabeth Jones, reverted to birth name 1979, Mary Elizabeth Jones to Mary Elizabeth Smith)

Name related automatic notes

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff how to make sure the processing system adds the correct case notes and passport notes.

The passport processing system adds automatic notes for renewal and replacement applications if the customer puts their old passport number on their application. The system will automatically:

• cancel their old passport on passport records
• add a passport note to their old passport record
• add a case note to their current application record on application records

The automatic case note will say 鈥楾his application replaces passport number [passport number], in the name of [name]鈥�.

You must make sure the customer has included all previous names and their old passport number to the correct section of the application, so the system creates the correct automatic note.

If they do not, you must edit the details on the system (for example, by correcting the old passport number).