Your personal letter of authorisation entitles you to have someone else lodge your application documents with Her Majesty's Passport Office as well as pick your travel passport so you don't have to.

When applying with Rapid British Passports, your authorisation letter and all supporting documents for your application need to be sent together. To help you through this sometimes complicated process, we have created a simple template for you that you will have access to as soon as you fill out your order form.

Your Rapid British Passports' agent will provide photographic proof of identity at the passport office so that everything can be properly verified.

Please note that applicants can only hold a maximum 2 passports at a time, regardless of whether they have expired or not. If you have any undeclared second passports, then you must state these with our team members upon contact and application.

Your authorisation letter of authorisation should be addressed to Her Majesty's Passport Office and contain within the document the following information:

• Your unique, personal and verifiable information (your first name and surname, the address where you live, your unique handwritten signature, and the date of the application).
• British Passport's agency information, which shall include the name of the agent who will apply on your behalf and pick up your passport personally.
• A statement of certification, as follows:

“This is to certify that I _____________________________________ (applicant's name) authorise my agent, whose signature is verified below, to lodge my application for a _______________________ passport and to collect my new passport on my behalf.”

The Letter Contains

The authorisation letter will need to be addressed to Her Majesty's Passport Office and contain:

1. Information concerning your person :

• All of your names (first, middle and surname)
• You're handwritten, unique signature and the date you provide your signature.

Your agent at Rapid British Passports is required to demonstrate original photographic proof of their identity in order for this document to be verified.

2. The statement:

“This is to certify that I _____________________________________ (applicant's name) authorise my agent, whose signature is verified below, to lodge my application for a _______________________ passport and to collect my new passport on my behalf.”

Please ensure you use the template below when putting together your Authorisation Letter, as this will enable us to lodge your application for you. Complete the parts which are underlined and your agent at Rapid British Passports will fill out the rest.

To:
Her Majesty's Passport Office
London
SW1V 1PN

Date: ______________________________

“This is to certify that I _____________________________________ (applicant's name) authorise my agent, whose signature is verified below, to lodge my application for a _______________________ passport and to collect my new passport on my behalf.”


___________________________________________________________ (Applicant's signature)

To countersign a document means to sign a paper that has already been signed by someone else. In the case of a UK passport application, the countersignature can only be executed by a specific person and is required to vouch for the authenticity of the application.

The countersignature is mandatory under Section 10 of the passport application form and on the back of one of the passport photos.

• First Adult Passport
• Second Passport
• Passport Renewal for a child who is not yet 11 years old or when the way the person looks has changed so significantly that they can no longer be recognised from his/her most recent passport.
• When a lost, damaged or stolen passport needs replacing.
• When a passport's expiry date needs to be extended.

The individual who applies their signature to the application form and the photograph must:

• have known or had contact with the applicant for at least the last two years.
• can easily identify the applicant.
• has a residence in the UK.
• Is in possession of a valid, current British or Irish passport. When applying for a passport from another country, an EU, US or Commonwealth passport will suffice but the person providing the second signature will need to hand in a colour photocopy of their main passport page, this is the page which contains their photo, personal details amd passport number. It is important that this photocopy is provided together with the countersigned application. It is likely that your application will be processed more quickly if your counter signatory has a British or Irish passport
• Have an occupation in or be in retirement from a recognised professional industry such as the banking industry, the local police force, local government, the church, education, accountancy, engineering or law.
• Be absolutely obliging and willing to be contacted if necessary, and be happy to provide his or her own passport number on your application form.

For applications on behalf of a child, the counter signatory must also:

• Acknowledge and confirm that they have been a regular acquaintance of the person or parent who has signed Section 9 of the application form for at least the last 2 years. The provider of the countersignature must also state firmly that this person has parental responsibility for the child and confirm that the child's photo is an accurate representation of the child.

It is forbidden for the counter signatory to be:

• a relation of the applicant/li>
• married to the applicant, living with them or in a relationship with them
• Someone who works for Her Majesty's Passport Office.

• Be aware that the passport office will run checks that the counter signatory is genuine by checking some of the information provided including, identity, profession or qualifications.
• It is important that the counter signatory is informed that the passport office may contact them if necessary in order to perform these checks.
• If the passport office is not satisfied with your choice of person for the second signature, or for any reason cannot reach the counter signatory, they are likely to ask you to complete a new application form with a different person providing the countersignature.

Her Majesty's Passport Office requires a letter from your employer to support your application for a Second Passport stating the reasons for it. An Employer Support Letter must be provided for the following passport applications:

• a first time Second British passport
• a renewal of a Second British passport

Please note that applicants can only hold a maximum 2 passports at a time, regardless of whether they have expired or not. If you have any undeclared second passports, then you must state these with our team members upon contact and application.

• In the original hard copy format.
• Printed on letter headed paper.
• No older than one month (as shown by the date).

The Employer Support Letter should be addressed to Her Majesty's Passport Office and must contain:

Your information:

• Full name of the applicant.
• The title/position of the applicant within the company.
• How long they have been employed by the company for (state month and year of joining).

The information of the employer

• Name of the person signing the letter. This person must hold a higher position in the company than the applicant or be a financial controller/accountant.
• Signature of this person.
• Telephone number of this person in case Her Majesty's Passport Office has any queries relating to the application.
• Newly-formed companies must be VAT registered.
• You cannot sign the Employer Support Letter on your own behalf if you are self-employed.

A statement explaining the reason for requiring a second passport

For example, that the applicant is required to travel to various countries whilst applying for a visa and thus needs a second passport to travel during it's processing. You must then list at least 6 countries where a visa will be required. Countries might include India, China, Russia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia etc. It must also state that you will be travelling to these countries in the next few years and confirm that the applicant will return to the United Kingdom after the business trip.

If you have doubts on your eligibility to apply for a Second British Passport, contact Rapid British Passports.

Example:

(Company name) ___________________
(Company address) _________________
(Company address) _________________


Her Majesty's Passport Office
London
SW1V 1PN


Date__________________(No longer than one month before application)


Dear Sir/Madam,

This is to confirm that ___________________________ (applicant's first and last name) has been employed by this company as a _____________________ (job title) for ______________(length of employment). He has been in our employment since _____________________(employment start date).

_______________________(applicant's full name) is a frequent traveller and therefore is in need of a second passport as we anticipate several trips over the coming years. Several countries that he will be travelling to will require visas and therefore we would request a second passport so he may obtain these visas while he travels.

_____________________(applicant's name) will be expected to travel to ________________________________________________________________________________(list 6 countries that require visas) over the next few years.

We can confirm that he will be returning to the United Kingdom to resume employment with this company after these trips. Please assist him in obtaining a second passport allowing him to travel.

If you require any further information with regards to _______________________(applicant's name) employment with this company, please do not hesitate to contact me on the number below.

Yours sincerely,
___________________ (Employer Signature)
___________________ (Employer's printed name)
___________________ (Employer's title)
___________________ (Employer's phone number)

Please note that applicants can only hold a maximum 2 passports at a time, regardless of whether they have expired or not. If you have any undeclared second passports, then you must state these with our team members upon contact and application.

• The form must be completed in black ink.
• Writing must be in block capital letters.
• All written answers need to be within the white boxes on the form.
• Minor mistakes can be crossed out in black ink. Correction fluid is not permitted.
• If you make more than three mistakes on any line or do not provide a clear signature in Section 9, you should complete a new application form.