Using the Passport Validation Service (PVS) allows government agencies to find out if the passport is a valid issue – i.e. is the passport holder allowed to travel and whether the passport is valid as evidence of identity. This reduces fraud by identifying fraudulent and counterfeit books and prevents them from being used to deceive other organisations.
PVS assists the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) in achieving its published mission statement of “Safeguarding your identity” by helping to combat fraud and identity theft. (Please see further information on the IPS privacy policy.)
Organisations are only given access to PVS when they clearly have both the legal powers and a legitimate reason for checking passport details. The IPS provides access to its database of passport details in order to assist in combating fraud and identity theft and in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998.
Currently PVS is accessible to public sector organisations through the following channels:
From one initial customer (the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) using it to support all British passports issued overseas, we now have several major customers from the public sector using it to support fraud or other investigations. Organisations are only given access when they clearly have both the legal powers and a legitimate reason for checking passport details. Customers include the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). These organisations use a browser-based system that allows them to look up passports details directly on the passport system when they are suspicious about them. They can then check that the passport still contains the same details, that it has not been reported lost or stolen and that we do not have any concerns about it.
Some government departments also have access to passport data by their system being linked directly to the IPS. One example is the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) who allow people to apply for their driving licence online by filling in a form. If the customer enters a passport number to support their application, the DVLA’s system checks that it matches our records. If the customer has consented, the system can take the digital photo and signature from our system and put it on the driving licence. This means that customers do not have to send in new pictures or any other documentation.
For more information see Home Office website
August 2008