Passport Office plans to relax security checks on applications from overseas have been blocked by ministers, as staff tackle a major backlog of cases.
Leaked documents suggest passport officials wanted to ease rules on the supporting evidence that UK nationals living abroad have to provide, where it did not compromise security.
The Home Office said it was "unaware" of the proposed change and the guidelines had now been withdrawn.
Labour said ministers were "in denial".
The party has been granted an urgent question in the Commons - meaning a Home Office minister will have to answer questions about the situation from 10:30 GMT.
The development, first reported by the Guardian, came as Prime Minister David Cameron said up to 30,000 passport applications had been hit by delays as a result of applications hitting a 12-year high.
He told Parliament on Wednesday that hundreds of extra staff have been drafted in and new offices are being opened in Liverpool next week to help tackle the backlog.
The Passport Office is dealing with about 465,000 renewals and first-time passport requests, and 150,000 passports are being sent out each week.
The Guardian said a briefing note issued by the agency on Monday had proposed a number of measures to "enable overseas applications to be processed more quickly without compromising the quality and security of either the process or the passport".
These included:
- Applicants outside the UK providing an alternative address would not be required to provide evidence of a link to that address or a related disclaimer "if there are no other concerns or fraud indicators".
- Counter-signatories for applications from 18 countries would be allowed to provide national identity cards as supporting documentation instead of passports.
- "Discretion" should be used by officials when dealing with aspects of foreign applications, including the type of documentation needed for people applying for additional passports.
- Recently married applicants who had taken their partner's name would not have to provide additional evidence beyond a marriage certificate.
The note said the new protocols, which were supposed to come into force at offices in Liverpool and Durham on Wednesday and in Belfast next week, were "focused on achieving the right balance between customer service, public protection and organisational requirements".
But a Home Office spokesperson said: "Ministers were unaware of this document and have instructed Her Majesty's Passport Office to withdraw it immediately."
Labour said the situation had become "seriously chaotic".
"Now we find out staff have been told to scale back vital security checks," shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said. "If this is what the prime minister meant by getting a grip on the situation, he needs to think again."
'Fewer resources'MPs have reported an increase in constituents complaining about delays to passport applications.
The prime minister said longer opening hours had been introduced at passport offices, which were now operating seven days a week; an extra 650 helpline staff had been recruited; and new offices would be opened in Liverpool next week with an additional 100 staff.
The Home Office has insisted that security is not being compromised and "all of the anti-fraud checks are being undertaken in respect of the passport applications".
Passport Office chief executive Paul Pugh - who will be questioned next week by MPs on the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee - said there had been "exceptional" summer demand but that extra staff had been brought in to handle applications.
Applying for a passport
Guidance on the Passport Office's website says it should take three weeks for passports to be renewed, although the process can take longer if more information is required or the form is not filled out correctly.
It states that people should not book holidays or make other travel plans until they have a valid passport, adding that those doing so do it "at their own risk".
Standard adult passports cost £72.50 to renew or £81.25 if you use the Post Office's Passport Check and Send service. Child passports cost £46 or £54.75 respectively.
Those needing a passport urgently can pay extra for a premium or fast-track service. A premium service, costing £128, means passports can be collected within four hours of being approved.
Under the fast-track service, costing £103, a passport is returned within a week of the application being approved.
For over-16s applying for their first adult passport, the Passport Service says people should allow for at least six weeks to receive it.
He said almost three million passports had been issued for UK customers in 2014, including over one million issued in the eight weeks since the start of April.
The Public and Commercial Services Union has said it does not know how many applications have been delayed.
It has claimed the loss of a tenth of the agency's workforce in the past five years and the closure of local passport offices have contributed to "major problems".
Have you been affected by the passport delays? What do you think about the plans to relax security checks? Please share your comments and experiences with us. You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject 'passport delays'. If you are willing to be interviewed, please include a photograph of yourself and your full contact details.
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