Recommender condition dropped

Persons over 18 who apply to renew their passport no longer require a recommender to sign their application, the government said. However, such persons handing in their application at the passport office must produce their identity card and their expired passport. Persons sending in their passport application by post must also produce their identity card and expired passport when collecting their new passport.

Persons under 18 and those applying for a passport for the first time still require a recommender to sign their application. The recommender must know the applicant for at least two years.