If the Passport Office Asks Your Family for a DNA Test, Here Is What the Rules Say You Can Say No To

Visas & Entry HM Passport Office says it must not insist on DNA evidence. Here is what the official guidance allows, who pays, and what happens to your application… By Kevin Crow · Oct 12, 2026 Read the full story

HM Passport Office cannot force you to take a DNA test to get a British passport. Its own caseworker guidance says staff "must not insist on DNA evidence from a customer", and a customer who declines must not be refused for that reason alone. The guidance… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Can the Passport Office make you take a DNA test?

No. The official guidance on GOV.UK states that HM Passport Office must not insist on DNA evidence and has no statutory power to demand it. Testing is offered as one way to support a claimed parental link when documents such as a birth certificate leave a… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

What happens to your application if you say no

Your application is decided on the documents you have already sent, on the balance of probabilities. The guidance says it must not be automatically refused because you declined testing. That matters if you are on a deadline, because the alternative route is… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Practical steps before you travel

Ask for the request in writing and ask which specific document is missing, because that is often the faster fix than a test. A fuller birth certificate, marriage record or other proof of the family link may resolve it. Passport delays also hit insurance and… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Frequently asked questions

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Does a test guarantee I get the passport?

No. The guidance says DNA evidence on its own does not provide enough grounds to issue a passport. It is weighed alongside your documents. Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Can I get an emergency travel document to go and take the test?

No. Emergency travel documents are not issued for travel to take a DNA test. Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

What if the result is weak?

Results below the stated threshold are referred to an operational team leader rather than automatically rejected. Planning a long trip once your passport arrives? See our 12-day Everest Base Camp trek and remember most countries want six months of validity… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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