Did you know that the UK passport is one of the strongest in the world? It’s the fifth most powerful, in fact. That means it can get you into over 190 completely visa-free, but that doesn’t come without a cost.
Getting a passport is essential if you ever want to leave UK soil, and they come in handy even if you aren’t travelling when it comes to things like proving your right to work or live in the UK. Plus, they’re now famously a beautiful blue colour, if that’s something that excites you.
It might have been a while since you got your passport renewed, in which case you might’ve forgotten that they aren’t actually cheap to buy at all. A UK passport for an adult currently costs £88.50. Kids ones, which need renewing more often, are slightly less, at £57.50. This cost is supposed to cover the administrative labour and physical materials that go into making the document. The home office has stated that ‘the government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications.’
But, like everything else, the cost of a passport has gone up quite a bit in the past couple of years. In fact, in April it will have risen by a total of nearly 25 percent in 24 months. Here’s everything you need to know about upcoming passport price increases.
How much are passport fees going up?
The amount your passport will cost depends on two things. Your age and how you apply for it.
The cost for an online application for an adult passport will go up £6 to a total of £94.50. For children’s digital applications it will rise £4, meaning the price will be £61.50.
If you would prefer to apply via post, you’ll have to pay a little bit more. Postal applicants will be charged £107 for adults, and £74 for children. This is an increase of £7 and £5 respectively.
The fast-track service is also getting more expensive. If you need your application to be processed in a single day, you’ll need to shell out £222 for an adult, or £189 for a child.
It also costs more to apply for a passport from overseas. To find out exactly how much international applications are, look at the government’s website here.
When are passport fees going up?
Passport fees will go up at midnight on April 10, so from that day onwards you’ll have to pay the higher fee. Until then, the current costs will remain.
When should I renew my passport?
Adult passports only need to be renewed once every decade. Your passport will have an expiry date – if this date is in 2025 you’re probably best to get it renewed now and avoid that extra fiver. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of travel, if it is within six months of expiry you could be refused entry at the border.
For example, if you have a holiday booked for this August but your passport expires January 2026, you will need to renew it before you travel. If this is your situation, you may as well do it before the fee increase.
If your passport expiry is not within the next 18 months, there is no need to renew it this year.
Similar rules apply for children, only you need to get them a new passport every five years. Similarly, if your child’s passport is set to expire within the next year, you will likely be better off doing it now.
You can apply, or reapply, for a British passport here.
How long does it take to renew a passport?
The Home Office says that 99.7 percent of ‘straightforward’ passport applications are processed within three weeks, but it can take longer if more information is needed or you need to be interviewed. As a general rule, apply for a passport renewal with as much time before travelling as possible.
It takes longer to apply for a passport for the first time for yourself or a child – expect this process to be closer to six weeks.
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