Can I advertise passport, visa, or government-document services?
Direct answerGoogle allows ads that promote getting a specific government document or service only for a certified government or an authorized provider. An authorized provider’s domain has to be linked from an official government website and named there as authorized for that document. Everyone else is restricted. Google adds “Not a government website” to Search ads unless you are certified as the government. A warning comes at least 7 days before suspension.
Four ways to apply
Google’s Government documents and services policy, reviewed on September 28, 2026, requires certification before those ads run. Use the form linked from that page. The choices are:
- Government provider: federal, state, or local government.
- Authorized non-government provider: explicit permission, proven by a link from an official government site that names your domain for that document or service.
- Regional or business exclusion: the live list says you do not have to be the government or an authorized provider for that category in that place. You still apply.
- Out of scope: you were disapproved and you do not promote these documents. Restricted documents elsewhere in the account still need the matching certificate.
After that application, complete advertiser verification unless you are applying as a government or you are already verified. Google says the business details must match. Verification can take 5–7 business days to update. Certification email is typically 10–12 business days after verification succeeds. Then appeal or resubmit. Unless you are certified as a government, Google adds “Not a government website” on Search ads for these categories, on all Search formats.
What is on the list
Google calls the category list comprehensive. Examples inside each category are not. Exclusions below are places or businesses that do not also need government or authorized status. They still file the exclusion application. Open the live page if your document is not in this table.
| Category | Exclusion on the page |
|---|---|
| Identity numbers, such as a US Social Security number | None listed in this reading |
| Birth or death certificates | None listed |
| Name or address changes | None listed |
| Business identifiers, such as a US EIN | Colombia, France, India, Peru |
| Criminal background checks | Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Spain |
| Health and welfare benefits | Health insurance in Germany; healthcare in Israel; healthcare and health insurance in Peru |
| Unclaimed, intermittent tax rebates | Pakistan |
| Electronic travel visas, including ESTA | None listed |
| Passports | None listed |
| Border entrance forms | None listed |
| US Trusted Traveler programs | US programs only, in any country they are promoted |
| Driver licenses | Driving schools and lessons; Israel; Italy |
| Road tolls and emissions stickers | Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Israel, Peru, Taiwan. European vignettes are outside the sticker example. |
| Vehicle registration | Belgium, Germany |
| License plates | Belgium, Canada, Germany, Pakistan, United Kingdom |
| Hunting or fishing licenses | Fishing licenses in France; Norway |
| Residency lotteries, including the US diversity visa | None listed |
Selling a health plan is health insurance ads. Helping someone apply for a government benefit is this list. A forged passport or a number that only looks like a national ID is dishonest behavior, not a certification you can earn.
Setup workflow
- Name the offer: direct help getting a government document, or something else such as a driving lesson or a health-plan sale.
- If it is direct acquisition, apply on the form linked from Google’s policy as a government, an authorized provider, a regional or business exclusion, or an out-of-scope exclusion.
- An authorized provider’s domain must be linked from an official government site and named there as authorized for that document.
- Complete advertiser verification unless you are applying as a government or you are already verified. The business details have to match.
- A forged passport or a lookalike national ID is not this certificate. This policy warns at least 7 days before suspension.
Frequently asked questions
Does a regional exclusion mean I can skip the application?
No. Google says advertisers in an excluded region or business still apply, so the ads are not disapproved by mistake. The exclusion means you do not also have to qualify as the government or as an authorized provider.
Will Google label my ad as not a government site?
Yes, unless you are certified as a government provider. Google says it automatically adds “Not a government website” on Search ads for categories this policy covers, on all Search formats.
Sources
Exclusion lists change. This reading is as of September 28, 2026. It is not a statement that a private firm is authorized by a government.
See whether the page is selling the document
LaunchGuarding reads the ad and the destination, which is where a “guide” often becomes an application service.