From today, Brits will be charged 7% more to apply for a new passport. As of April 10, the government has raised the standard online application fee to £94.50, up by £6, for adults and increased children’s passports by £4, to £61.50.
For postal applications, the price will soar to a whopping £107 for adults, and £74 for children. The one-day Premium Service is also subject to the hike, with the value rising from £207.50 to £222 for adults and £176.50 to £189 for children. For those applying for a UK passport from overseas, the cost has also increased for both the standard online application and the paper application.
The Home Office says the change in price will “help towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it”. The government aims to reduce reliance on funding from taxes for the service, adding that it “does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications”.
The added fees will contribute to the cost of processing passport applications, consular support overseas, including for lost or stolen passports, and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders.
The Home Office has advised customers to apply in good time before travelling to ensure their passport arrives on time.
Travel expert Mike Harvey has warned jetsetters to double-check their passport validity to avoid being denied boarding.
For those planning to travel, Mr Harvey, Managing Director at 1st Move International, said to “ensure your passport is valid for the entire duration of your stay”.
“Many countries enforce a ‘six-month rule’,” he says. “This means your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your departure date.”
Since Brexit, most EU countries require British passports to have been issued within the last 10 years with at least three months of validity left. This means that even if your passport hasn’t expired, it could still be rejected if it was issued more than a decade ago.
The travel expert advised that UK passport applications are currently taking around three weeks. “While you can fast-track the process for an extra fee, it's best to renew well in advance to avoid delays,” he adds.
