HM Passport Office has for some years been incorporating electronic images of signatures onto the British Passports that it issues. A decision has now been made to revert to manual hand written signatures in an updated style of passport which our notaries office understand is about to be issued.  On this basis passport holders receiving this new passport will, to ensure the passport is valid, be required to sign in black biro on a new page which our Notary Offices understand will precede the information page.

The new passports provide an additional verification requirement for Notary Publics. In particular, Public Notaries should check and confirm that any passport requested to be notarised has been duly signed in the appropriate manner and location.  Often notarised passports are required to be legalised by way of Apostille Certificate issued by The Foreign and Commonwealth Office.  These notarised passport copies are only likely to be accepted by the FCO and issued with an Apostille if the notarised copy sent to the Legalisation Office is signed.  Our Notary’s Office expects that unsigned notarised passport copies will likely be rejected.