When you move home in the UK, you do not need to change your passport address. A UK passport does not contain your residential address anywhere on the document, and HM Passport Office (HMPO) does not need to be notified when you move. Your passport remains valid for travel until its expiry date regardless of how many times you change address. This guide covers everything you need to know about your passport and a change of address, including when you do need to act and what other address updates genuinely matter.
Key Takeaways
- Passport change of address is not required in the UK. Your passport does not contain your address and you have no legal obligation to notify HMPO when you move.
- A UK passport does not display your home address anywhere on the document, including the identity page, photo page, or electronic chip.
- Your passport remains valid for international travel until its expiry date after you move.
- You only need to update your passport if your name changes, your appearance changes significantly, or it expires.
- Moving home triggers other address updates that do carry legal consequences, including DVLA, HMRC and Council Tax, but not a passport change.
Do you need to change your passport address when you move?
No. The GOV.UK guidance is clear on this point: you do not need to notify HMPO when you change your home address, and you are not legally required to apply for a new or updated passport simply because you have moved house. This applies whether you are moving within the UK, moving from one part of the country to another, or relocating between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The reason is simple: your residential address is not recorded on your passport document at all. There is nothing to update, no record that falls out of sync, and no authority that needs notifying. Moving house is not among the circumstances that require you to contact HMPO.
This surprises many people because moving home involves a long list of address change notifications across government departments, banks, utilities and local services. It is natural to assume a passport is part of that list. It is not.
One small exception: Some older passports include a back page with space for an emergency contact and address, which holders may have filled in themselves. If you wrote an address there, you can simply cross it out and write your new address by hand. This is not a formal record and does not need to be reported to HMPO.
What address does the Passport Office actually hold for you?
When you apply for a passport, you provide a current address as part of the application. HMPO holds this address for two internal purposes: to send you administrative correspondence such as renewal reminders, and to know where to deliver your new passport once it has been issued.
This internal address record is updated automatically the next time you apply for a passport renewal. You provide your current address at the point of application, and that becomes the new record. There is no mechanism to update it mid-passport without applying for a new passport, and there is no need to do so.
The address HMPO holds is not shared with other government departments, does not affect your credit file, and does not appear on your passport document. It is purely an internal administrative record.
If you have a passport application in progress: If you have already submitted a passport application and then move house before it is processed, you should notify HMPO of your new address so your passport is delivered to the correct address. You can do this by calling the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000 or writing to HMPO with your application reference number.
Does a UK passport show your address?
No. A UK passport does not display your home address anywhere on the physical document. The identity page of a current UK passport contains the following information:
- Your surname and given names
- Your nationality
- Your date of birth
- Your sex
- Your place of birth
- Your passport number
- Your expiry date
- Your photograph
- A machine-readable zone at the bottom of the page
Your address does not appear anywhere in this list. It is also not stored in the biometric chip embedded in the cover of modern UK passports. The chip stores a digital version of your photograph and the same personal data shown on the identity page. Address information is not part of the chip's data.
This is fundamentally different from some other identity documents. A UK driving licence, for example, does show your address on the front of the card and must be updated when you move. Your passport works differently and requires no such update.
Is your passport still valid after moving house?
Yes. Moving home has absolutely no effect on the validity of your UK passport. Your passport is issued for a fixed period of ten years for adults (five years for children under sixteen) and remains valid for that entire period regardless of any changes to your address.
You can continue to use your passport for international travel, as a form of photo identification, and for any other purpose it would normally serve. Border control systems, airlines, and identity verification processes do not check your passport against a current address record.
The only circumstances that affect passport validity are expiry, damage to the document, cancellation (following a report of loss or theft), or the issue of a new passport in a new name. Moving house is not among them.
When do you actually need to update your passport?
There are three circumstances that require you to apply for a new or updated UK passport. None of them involves a change of address.
Your passport has expired
Adult UK passports are valid for ten years. Once expired, a passport is no longer accepted for travel. It is worth checking your passport's expiry date at the time of your move, since address changes and passport renewals sometimes coincide in timing. Many countries also require your passport to have at least six months of validity remaining beyond your travel dates, so a passport that is technically still valid may not be accepted for certain destinations.
Your name has changed
If your name has changed since your passport was issued, you need a passport in your new name before you can travel internationally using that name. The most common reasons for a name change are marriage, civil partnership, divorce, or a deed poll change. You can travel on a passport in your previous name if you also carry the supporting document (such as a marriage certificate) to explain the difference, but this is not always accepted. Getting a passport in your new name removes any ambiguity.
Your appearance has changed significantly
Your passport photograph must be a reasonable likeness of you as you currently appear. If your appearance has changed significantly since your passport was issued, HMPO may require you to apply for a new passport. See the section below on what counts as a significant change.
How do you change your name on your passport?
A name change requires a full new passport application rather than an amendment to the existing one. HMPO does not issue replacement pages or stickers for name changes.
You will need your current passport, a qualifying photo, and your original supporting document for the name change. For a marriage or civil partnership, this is your marriage or civil partnership certificate. For a deed poll, it is your enrolled deed poll or a statutory declaration. Divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership requires the final order or decree absolute.
Apply online at GOV.UK using the Digital Application Processing (DAP) service, or complete a paper application form available from a Post Office. The online service is generally faster. The Post Office Check and Send service adds a fee but includes a basic review of your form and photo before submission.
Pay the current application fee, which varies depending on the route chosen and booklet size. Current fees are published on GOV.UK. Post your current passport and original supporting documents using a secure tracked service such as Royal Mail Special Delivery, as you are sending originals that cannot be replaced.
Standard processing times are published on GOV.UK and vary throughout the year. Do not book international travel until your new passport is in your hands. Your old passport is returned separately, cancelled. If you have recently moved and have a passport application in progress, call HMPO on 0300 222 0000 to make sure your new address is on file for delivery.
Do not send original supporting documents by standard post. Marriage certificates, birth certificates, and deed polls sent by ordinary post are at risk of loss and are difficult or impossible to replace. Always use Royal Mail Special Delivery or an equivalent tracked and insured service when sending original documents to HMPO.
What counts as a significant change in appearance?
HMPO's published guidance states that a passport photo must be a "true likeness" of you as you appear now. The question of what constitutes a significant change is one that comes up frequently, particularly among people who applied for their current passport many years ago.
Changes that HMPO considers significant enough to require a new passport photograph, and potentially a new passport, include:
- A substantial change in weight that has altered your facial structure
- Significant facial surgery or reconstructive procedures
- The removal or addition of distinctive facial features that appear in your current photograph, such as significant scarring
- Children growing into teenagers or adults, where the likeness to the photograph has substantially diminished
Changes that HMPO does not consider significant enough to require a new passport include:
- Changes to hair colour, length or style
- Glasses (photos must be taken without glasses, so this does not apply)
- Minor weight changes
- Ageing that has not substantially altered your facial features
- Temporary changes such as a beard or tan
If you are uncertain whether your appearance has changed enough to warrant a new passport, the practical test is whether a border control officer might reasonably question whether the person in the photo is you. If you have any doubt before international travel, it is worth applying for a renewal in advance.
How do you renew your passport?
Passport renewal follows the same process as a name change application, with the difference that your supporting document is simply your expired or expiring passport rather than a certificate of name change.
| Method | Where | Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online application | gov.uk/renew-adult-passport | 24/7 | Fastest route. Upload photo digitally. Pay by card. |
| Post Office Check and Send | Participating Post Office branches | Branch hours vary | Basic form and photo check included for an additional fee. |
| Paper form by post | Post to: His Majesty's Passport Office, PO Box 767, Newport, NP20 9NY (check GOV.UK for current address) | Any time | Slowest route. Use tracked postage for original documents. |
| Passport Adviceline | 0300 222 0000 | Mon–Fri 8am–8pm, Sat–Sun 9am–5:30pm | For guidance on applications, urgent renewals, and in-progress applications. |
| Urgent applications | Premium and Fast Track services via gov.uk or Passport Adviceline | Appointment required | Higher cost. For genuine travel emergencies only. |
Renewing after a move: When you apply for a passport renewal, you provide your current address as part of the application. This automatically updates the address HMPO holds for you. Your new passport will be delivered to the address you provide on the application, so make sure you enter your new address if you have recently moved.
What if your passport is lost or stolen during your move?
Moving house is a period when important documents can go missing. If you realise your passport has been lost during a move, there are steps to take immediately.
Report the loss to HMPO
A lost or stolen passport should be reported to HMPO as soon as possible. You can do this online at gov.uk/report-a-lost-or-stolen-passport or by calling the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000. Reporting cancels the passport, which prevents it from being used fraudulently by anyone who finds it.
Apply for a replacement
Once a passport is reported as lost, you cannot un-report it even if it turns up later. A replacement application must be made. The application process is the same as a standard renewal, but you will need to declare it as a lost or stolen replacement rather than a standard renewal. The application fee still applies.
Check your old address
If your passport may have been left at a previous address during the move, contact your old landlord, estate agent, or the new occupants if possible. You should also consider setting up a Royal Mail Redirection from your old address to catch any post that arrives there after your move, which could include the passport if it was posted back to you or forwarded by a third party.
A lost passport at a previous address creates an identity risk. A UK passport arriving at your old address gives whoever finds it access to a valuable identity document in your name. Report a lost passport to HMPO promptly and contact your old address to make sure it has not arrived there. This is one specific situation where the connection between a passport and a change of address does matter, even though no HMPO notification is required in ordinary circumstances.
Can a passport be used as proof of address?
No. A UK passport cannot serve as proof of your current home address because it does not contain one. This is one of the most common misconceptions about passports as identity documents.
A passport is excellent proof of identity and nationality. It confirms who you are and that you are a British citizen. But it says nothing about where you live. When organisations ask for proof of address alongside photo identification, they are looking for two separate things that a passport can only provide one of.
Documents commonly accepted as proof of address in the UK include:
- A bank or building society statement dated within the last three months
- A utility bill dated within the last three months
- A council tax bill for the current year
- A letter from HMRC dated within the last year
- A mortgage statement for the last full year
- A tenancy agreement signed within the last year
- A driving licence showing your current address (for both identity and address combined)
A driving licence is worth noting separately because it can serve as proof of both identity and address in a single document, provided the address shown is your current one. This is one reason keeping your driving licence address up to date matters practically, not just legally.
Moving abroad: what do you need to check?
If you are moving abroad permanently or for an extended period, moving house has no bearing on your passport in terms of notification to HMPO. Your passport remains valid. But there are several passport-related checks worth completing before an international move.
Check your passport expiry date
Many countries require your passport to have at least six months of validity remaining beyond your intended travel dates, regardless of the stated expiry date. If your passport expires within the next twelve months and you are planning to live abroad, renew it before you go rather than dealing with it from overseas.
Check entry requirements
Entry requirements vary significantly by destination, including whether UK citizens require a visa, how long they can stay, and what documentation they must carry. Check the GOV.UK foreign travel advice pages for your destination country well in advance of your move.
Emergency travel documents
If your passport expires, is lost, or is stolen while you are overseas, you can apply for an emergency travel document through the nearest British embassy, high commission, or consulate. These are one-time documents that allow you to travel back to the UK only. They cost a fee and are not a substitute for a full passport.
Long-term residents abroad
If you are going to live abroad for several years, renewing your passport with a UK address before you go means your new passport will be delivered in the UK. Passport applications made from abroad take longer and involve more steps. Most people find it easier to renew while still in the UK before emigrating.
Notifying all your other providers when you move
Your passport is the one thing on the moving admin list that requires no action. But the rest of that list is significant, and the consequences of missing items on it range from inconvenient to genuinely costly.
Your HMRC address must be updated to avoid missed tax correspondence and potential penalties. Your DVLA driving licence and V5C logbook must each be updated separately or you risk fines of up to £1,000 per document. Your council, energy supplier, bank, and GP all need your new address so your post reaches you and your accounts stay accurate. Post arriving at your old address containing sensitive financial or government documents is one of the main routes for previous occupier fraud.
Moveinout is an online change of address service covering over 9,000 UK organisations across 24 provider categories. You enter your details once, select who needs to know, and Moveinout dispatches notifications to each provider on your behalf. A dashboard shows which providers have been notified, helping you keep track and make sure nothing slips through on moving day.
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Quick summary: passport change of address
- You do not need to notify HMPO or change your passport when you move home in the UK
- A UK passport does not contain your residential address anywhere on the document
- Your passport remains valid for travel until its expiry date after moving
- HMPO holds an internal address record for delivery purposes only. It updates automatically when you next renew
- You only need to act on your passport if it expires, your name changes, or your appearance changes significantly
- Passport Adviceline: 0300 222 0000, Mon–Fri 8am–8pm, Sat–Sun 9am–5:30pm
- Online applications: gov.uk/renew-adult-passport
- If your passport was lost during a move, report it immediately at gov.uk/report-a-lost-or-stolen-passport
- A passport cannot be used as proof of address, it does not contain one
- The address updates that do matter legally when you move: DVLA driving licence, V5C logbook, Council Tax, electoral roll
Frequently Asked Questions
The most common questions about passports and change of address when moving home in the UK.
No. You are not legally required to notify HMPO when you change your home address. A UK passport does not contain your residential address anywhere on the document, and your passport remains valid for travel until its expiry date regardless of how many times you move. The address HMPO holds for you updates automatically the next time you apply for a passport renewal.
No. A UK passport does not display your residential address on the identity page, the photo page, or in the biometric chip embedded in the cover. The identity page shows your name, nationality, date of birth, place of birth, passport number, expiry date, and photograph. Your address is not part of the passport document at any point.
HMPO holds the address you provided on your most recent passport application. This is used internally to send renewal reminders and to deliver your passport when you apply for a new one. It is not shared with other government departments, does not appear on your passport, and updates automatically when you next apply. If you have a passport application currently in progress and have recently moved, call the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000 to update your delivery address.
Yes. Moving home has no effect on the validity of your UK passport. Your passport is valid for international travel until its expiry date. No action is needed. The only things that affect passport validity are expiry, damage to the document, cancellation following a report of loss or theft, or the issue of a new passport in a changed name.
You need to apply for a new or updated passport when it expires, when your name changes (after marriage, civil partnership, divorce or deed poll), or when your appearance has changed significantly from your passport photo. A change of home address is not a reason to apply for a new passport.
Apply for a new passport at gov.uk/renew-adult-passport or using a paper form from a Post Office. You will need your current passport, a qualifying photo, and the original supporting document for your name change, a marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate, decree absolute, or enrolled deed poll. Post originals using Royal Mail Special Delivery. Standard processing times are published on GOV.UK. Call the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000 for guidance on your specific situation.
No. A UK passport cannot be used as proof of your current home address because it does not contain one. Accepted proof of address documents typically include a recent bank statement, utility bill, council tax bill, HMRC letter, or a current driving licence. A driving licence can serve as proof of both identity and address in a single document, provided your current address is shown on it.
Report it immediately online at gov.uk/report-a-lost-or-stolen-passport or by calling the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000. Reporting cancels the passport and prevents fraudulent use. Once reported as lost, you cannot use the passport even if it is found later. Apply for a replacement through the same process as a standard renewal. If your passport may have been left at a previous address, contact the property and consider setting up a Royal Mail Redirection to catch any post arriving there.
Moving abroad does not require any notification to HMPO. Check that your passport is valid for the duration of your intended stay and meets the entry requirements of your destination country, many require at least six months of validity remaining beyond your travel dates. If your passport expires within the next twelve months, renew it before you leave rather than managing it from overseas. If you need guidance, call the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000.
Your passport does not need updating. For the organisations that do need notifying, Moveinout lets you update over 9,000 UK providers in one online process, including your bank, HMRC, the DVLA, your council, energy suppliers, GPs and more, without individual phone calls. You enter your details once, select who needs to know, and Moveinout dispatches notifications on your behalf.
Passport sorted. Now for everything else on your list.
Moveinout notifies your bank, HMRC, the DVLA, your council, energy provider, GP and over 9,000 other organisations. All from one place, all in one process.
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