💡 What Is the Government Documents & Services Policy?
Google has strict rules for businesses that advertise services related to official government documents or processes. This includes passport and visa assistance, driving licence help, immigration services, citizenship applications, birth certificate services, tax filing help, social benefit guidance, and similar government-related document preparation. The core concern is that many companies in this space charge fees for services that the public can access directly from the government for free or at low cost — and some deceive users into thinking they are dealing with an official government agency. This checklist walks you through every rule in plain language.
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Your ad must clearly state that you are a private company — not a government agency
This is the single most important rule in this policy. Your ad headline, description, and landing page must make it unmistakably clear that you are a private, third-party service provider — not an official government office, department, or agency. Google requires this disclosure to protect users from accidentally paying for a service they believe is official and free.
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Remove any language, imagery, or branding that could be mistaken for an official government website
Using official-looking government seals, crests, flags, colour schemes that mimic government websites, or language like "Official Passport Application Portal" is strictly prohibited. Your website and ads must look clearly like a private commercial service — not a .gov or official government portal. Review every image, colour, and phrase on your landing page with this in mind.
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Do not use domain names that closely imitate official government URLs
Domains like "passport-gov-applications.com," "ukvisaofficial.net," or anything that could be confused with a genuine government web address are not permitted. Your domain name must clearly represent a private company, not an official government service. If your current domain could be confused for a government site, you may need to change it before your ads can be approved.
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Your business name in the ad must be your real company name — not a name that suggests government authority
Business names like "National Visa Centre," "Federal Passport Services," or "Official DVLA Help" imply government affiliation that does not exist. Use your real, registered company name in your ads. If your registered business name itself implies government authority, this may be an issue you need to address with your company registration authority first.
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Do not claim your service is "approved by," "in partnership with," or "endorsed by" any government body unless genuinely true
Phrases like "HMRC-approved tax assistance," "Home Office approved visa help," or "Partnered with the DVLA" — when no such approval or partnership exists — are false endorsement claims. If you have a genuine government approval or certification, display it accurately and be ready to prove it with documentation. If not, remove all such language immediately.
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Check that your ad does not appear in response to searches for the actual government service
Bidding on keywords like "gov.uk passport renewal," "USCIS official application," or "DVLA driving licence official" places your private service ad alongside or above official government results. While not always prohibited, your ad must be unmistakably distinguishable from the official service — any ambiguity will be interpreted as intentional deception by Google's reviewers.
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State clearly in your ad that your service charges a fee
If your service costs money, this must be evident from the ad itself — not just buried on the landing page. Google requires that users are not surprised by charges after clicking. Add a phrase like "Private assistance service — fees apply" or "Third-party document help — our fee: £X" directly in your ad description so users know before they click.
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Show your service fee clearly and prominently on your landing page — not hidden in small print
Your fee must be clearly displayed near the top of your landing page — not buried in footer small print, a long terms document, or only revealed during checkout. A user who lands on your page from the ad should be able to see your fee within the first visible screen of the page without scrolling.
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Explain clearly what your fee covers and what it does not
Users must understand what value your service provides in exchange for the fee. Explain specifically what you do: form checking, guidance, submission support, translation, and so on — and make clear that any official government application fees are separate and paid directly to the government. Ambiguity about what is included in the fee is a common reason for policy violations in this category.
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Do not describe your service as cheaper or equivalent to the official government channel if it costs more
The official government service for a passport, visa, or licence is almost always cheaper than a third-party assistance service. Never imply your service is the same cost as the official channel, or suggest users are saving money by using you when they are not. Be transparent that the official route exists and is typically less expensive.
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Include your refund and cancellation policy on your landing page
Because users sometimes realise after paying that they could have used the official free government service, a clear refund or cancellation policy is essential. Your landing page must explain: whether refunds are available, under what circumstances, and how the cancellation process works. Missing or unclear refund policies are flagged as transparency violations.
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Your landing page must load fully without any errors on both mobile and desktop
Test your exact landing page URL right now in a browser on your phone and on a computer. A blank page, a "404 Not Found" error, a broken layout, or a slow page will trigger automatic disapproval. Fix all technical issues before making any other changes.
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Add a clear, prominent disclaimer at the top of your landing page stating you are a private service
Your landing page must include a clearly visible statement near the top — not in the footer — that clarifies your private status. Example: "We are a private document assistance company and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or part of any government agency. An official government service is available directly at [official URL]." This single addition resolves the most common reason for disapproval in this category.
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Display your business name, registered address, and contact information clearly on your website
An anonymous-looking website for a government document service is a major red flag for Google's reviewers. Your website must clearly show your registered company name, physical or business address, a working phone number, and an email address. This information must be easy to find without searching for it.
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Add a Privacy Policy that explains how you handle users' sensitive personal and identity data
Government document services collect extremely sensitive data — passport numbers, national insurance numbers, addresses, date of birth, and payment details. Your Privacy Policy must be clearly linked in the footer of every page and must explain: what data you collect, how it is stored securely, who it is shared with, how long it is retained, and how users can request deletion.
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Provide a link to the official government service on your landing page
Google expects that users are given the choice to use the official free or lower-cost government service. Include a clearly visible link to the relevant official government website on your landing page. Example: "You can also apply directly through the official government website at [gov.uk/apply-passport] without using our service." This demonstrates good faith and is increasingly expected in this category.
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Your landing page must match exactly what your ad promises — the same service, same fee, same scope
If your ad says "Passport application checking service — £29," the landing page must describe exactly that service at that price. Sending people to a generic homepage, a different service, or a page that hides or changes the fee structure is a bait-and-switch violation.
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Remove any official-sounding words from your ad headlines and descriptions
Words and phrases like "Official," "Government," "National," "Federal," "Ministry," "HMRC," "DVLA," "USCIS," "Home Office," or any specific government agency name in your ad copy can make your private service look official when it is not. Unless you are genuinely that agency, remove or replace all such terms. Use your actual company name and a clear description of your private assistance service instead.
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Do not use urgency tactics that exploit anxiety about government deadlines or penalties
Phrases like "Avoid fines — renew TODAY before it's too late!" or "Your licence expires this week — act NOW or face penalties!" exploit people's fear of government consequences to drive clicks. Google prohibits manipulative urgency language in this category. Use factual, helpful language that describes your service clearly without manufacturing fear.
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State the nature of your service accurately — "assistance," "preparation help," or "guidance" rather than implying you process documents officially
Your service helps people with documents — it does not issue, process, or officially handle them. Use language that accurately describes the nature of your help: "We help you prepare your visa application," "Document review and guidance service," or "We check your forms before you submit." Never use language that implies your company submits to or receives documents from the government on any kind of official basis unless that is genuinely true and authorised.
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Do not use testimonials or statistics that imply guaranteed approval rates
Saying "98% of our customers got approved!" or "Join thousands who got their visa approved using our service" implies your service determines the outcome — which it does not. Government decisions on applications are made by government officials, not by your preparation service. Remove or reframe any statistics that could be interpreted as approval guarantees.
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Ensure your Display URL and Final URL are on the same domain and do not imply government affiliation
If your Display URL shows something like "gov-passport-help.com" but your actual website is "helpmypassport.co.uk," that mismatch — combined with a government-sounding display URL — is a policy violation. Both your Display URL and Final URL must be on the same domain, and neither should imply government affiliation.
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Passport & travel document services: clearly state you only assist with preparation — you do not issue passports
Only government passport agencies issue passports. Your website and ads must make absolutely clear that your service helps people prepare, check, or organise their passport application — and that the actual passport is issued by the government, not you. Include the official passport application URL so users can compare your service with the official option.
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Visa & immigration services: confirm whether you need to be a regulated immigration adviser or solicitor to advertise
In many countries, providing immigration advice or services — including helping someone fill out a visa application — is a regulated activity. In the UK: only those registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) or qualified solicitors can provide immigration advice for payment. In the US: only accredited representatives or attorneys can charge for immigration help. Confirm your legal right to operate before advertising.
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Driving licence services: clearly distinguish between theory test preparation and official DVSA/DMV processes
Many businesses advertise driving theory test preparation services. Make clear that your service provides practice tests, study materials, or booking assistance — and that it is entirely separate from the official DVSA (UK), DMV (US), or equivalent government body that actually tests and licences drivers. Do not imply your service provides any official certification or licence.
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Tax filing services: if regulated, confirm you hold the required tax agent or accountant registration
In many countries, providing tax advice or filing tax returns commercially requires specific registration. In the UK: agents who submit tax returns must be registered with HMRC as an authorised agent. In the US: tax preparers must have a valid Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) from the IRS. Confirm you hold the required registration and display it on your website.
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Benefits & entitlement services: do not charge for help with government benefits applications without clear disclosure
Charging people to help them apply for government benefits they are entitled to receive is ethically sensitive and highly regulated. If you charge for this type of assistance, your fee must be disclosed upfront in the ad and prominently on the landing page — and you must clearly explain that official free help is available directly from the government. In some countries, charging for benefit application assistance is restricted or requires specific authorisation.
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Ensure your website uses HTTPS (secure connection) — not plain HTTP
Any website that collects personal data — especially passport numbers, national ID numbers, or payment details — must use HTTPS encryption. Check your website URL: it must start with "https://" and show a padlock icon in the browser. An HTTP-only website handling sensitive government document data is a major security risk and will trigger policy flags. Contact your web host to enable an SSL certificate immediately if this is not already in place.
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Clearly explain how you store, protect, and ultimately delete users' sensitive personal data
Users submitting passport numbers, national insurance numbers, or date of birth details to your service need reassurance about data security. Your Privacy Policy and website must explicitly state: how data is encrypted, how long you store it, who has access to it within your organisation, and how users can request its deletion. Vague statements like "We take security seriously" are not sufficient.
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Do not sell, share, or use users' personal data for purposes beyond delivering the stated service
Using identity data submitted for a passport application to later send marketing emails, to share with third-party marketing partners, or for any purpose not directly related to the service is both a policy violation and illegal under GDPR and similar privacy laws. Your Privacy Policy must be explicit that data is used solely for the service described — not for marketing or third-party commercial purposes.
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Display security credentials or trust signals on your website (e.g. SSL badge, ICO registration, company number)
Trust signals help users feel confident providing sensitive documents to your service. Consider displaying: your company registration number, your ICO (Information Commissioner's Office) registration number if in the UK, SSL security certification logos, any relevant professional body memberships, and verified customer reviews from a reputable platform. These signals also help Google's reviewers assess your credibility.
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Confirm your Final URL and Display URL are on the same domain and match your private company website
Your Final URL (where people actually go) and Display URL (shown in the ad) must both be on the same domain. For government document services, both must clearly belong to your private company website — not any URL that resembles or references an official government domain. Check every ad in your account for this.
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Review all ad extensions — sitelinks, callouts, and structured snippets — for accuracy and non-impersonation
Ad extensions appear as extra lines below your main ad. Every sitelink must go to a working, relevant page on your private website. Every callout must be factually accurate and must not use government-sounding language. A single misleading extension can trigger disapproval of the entire ad — even if the main headline is compliant.
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Set your geographic targeting to only include countries where your service is legally available and where you hold any required authorisation
Offering immigration or visa assistance in a country where you are not authorised to do so is illegal — and advertising that service there is also a policy violation. In your Google Ads Location settings, only include countries where you are legally permitted to offer your specific type of government document assistance.
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Review and update your keyword strategy — avoid keywords that are identical to official government service searches
Bidding on exact-match keywords that people use to find the official government service (e.g. [gov.uk passport], [official DVSA theory test]) places your ad in a context where confusion is almost certain. Adjust your keyword strategy to target assistance and preparation intent rather than official government service intent. Example: "passport application help" instead of "apply for passport gov.uk."
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Audit your entire Google Ads account for similar violations across all campaigns before appealing
If one ad was flagged for a Government Documents policy violation, other ads in your account likely have similar or identical issues. Before submitting any appeal, go through every active and paused campaign, ad group, and individual ad. Fix all violations account-wide — a partially clean account weakens your appeal significantly.
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Go through every item in this checklist and confirm each one is genuinely and completely fixed
Government Documents & Services policy appeals are reviewed by Google specialists, not automated tools. You typically get a limited number of manual review attempts. Submitting before all issues are fixed wastes your appeal and makes subsequent attempts significantly harder. Only submit when you have genuinely resolved every item — not just the ones that seemed easiest to fix.
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Write a detailed, specific, and professional appeal message listing every single change you made
In Google Ads: find the disapproved ad or policy notice → click "Appeal" or "Request Review" → in your message, list every specific change: the private company disclaimer you added to the landing page, the government impersonation language you removed from ads, the fee disclosure you added, the official government link you included, the domain or business name changes you made. Vague appeals like "we've updated our site" are almost always rejected. Specific, documented changes get approved.
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Attach supporting documentation — company registration, OISC registration, tax agent registration, or other relevant authorisations
If your service requires regulatory authorisation (e.g. immigration adviser registration, tax agent registration), include your official registration certificate with your appeal. Appeals with documentary proof of legitimacy are approved at a far higher rate in this category than text-only appeals. Name each document clearly and reference it in your appeal message.
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If your appeal is still rejected after all fixes, engage a Google Ads policy specialist
Government Documents & Services is one of Google's most sensitive policy categories. If you have genuinely addressed every issue and are still being rejected, do not guess at what is remaining — contact Google Ads Support for a specific, written explanation of what is still failing, and engage a specialist who handles this category regularly. Continuing to self-experiment risks triggering an account-level suspension.
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