Passport

Hello Rob_B

Thank you for getting in touch on the Support Line.

I am sorry to hear that your daughter has been diagnosed with cancer and is coping with hair loss as a result of treatment. It’s understandable that you’d want to know whether your daughter has to apply for a new passport.

The Gov.UK website has information on when you would need to apply for a new passport here. You’ll see that in terms of appearance, it mentions that a new passport should only be needed if your appearance changes and you cannot be recognised from your passport photo anymore.

It sounds like it would be useful to check by calling the Passport Adviceline on:  0300 222 0000 or connecting with them via web chat or online enquiry form. (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm. Saturday, Sunday and UK bank holidays, 9am to 5:30pm) to get clarification and see if medical induced hair loss would be included in this criteria or not.

You may also wish to ask your daughter’s healthcare team about how patients who are coping with hair loss would navigate this when needing to use their passport.

Or reach out to our Chemotherapy Online Community Forum to see how others have dealt with this experience.

I do hope they are able to help.

It feels important to check Rob_B, how has your daughter been coping with her treatment and hair loss? And you as a family? Is there any other support you feel you are needing at the moment?

Please know we’re here on the Support Line as a place to talk through how you are feeling and access emotional support if needed at any point- as well as to support as much as we can with general questions like today- so do keep in touch going forward, we’re here 8am-8pm, 7 days a week on: 0808 808 00 00 or via web chat

I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's situation. In cases like this, where there's a significant change in appearance due to medical treatment, it's advisable to apply for a new passport. This ensures that her identification accurately reflects her current appearance, which is important for travel and identification purposes.
If you're unsure about the requirements or need assistance with the passport renewal process, you might find it helpful to explore resources like idanalyzer.com. They offer solutions like the Prime ID Scanner, which can help streamline the process and ensure all documentation meets the necessary standards.