The rise is said to be aimed at covering processing costs (Picture: PA)
Bad news for holidaymakers – the cost of getting a new passport is set to rise as the government is introducing new fees.
Under the proposed changes, a standard online application made from within the UK will rise to £88.50 for adults and £57.50 for children.
Before the price hike, an online application cost £82.50 for adults and £53.50 for children.
Meanwhile, the cost of a postal application for a standard passport has risen by £7 for adults to £100. For children, a postal application will now cost £69, up from £64.
It currently takes three weeks to get a passport, according to HM Passport Office (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Costs are even higher if applying from overseas, where an online application will rise to £101.00 for adults and £65.50 for children.
If you want to do a postal application from abroad, it will cost £112.50 for adults and £77.00 for children.
The new fees will come into force on April 11.
The prices are the same for all applications, regardless of whether the applicant is getting their first passport or renewing an existing one.
But if you’re over 95, you’re in luck – anyone born before September 2, 1929, gets their passport for free.
Why is the government increasing the cost of passports?
The government said the new fees will help to cover the cost of processing applications.
Adult passports last for ten years (Picture: by Daniel Leal / AFP)
They added that the fees will also contribute overseas support to people who have lost their passports or had them stolen, as well as the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders.
The government does not make a profit from passport applications.
How to renew a UK passport
You can renew your passport online. You’ll need a new digital photo, your old passport, and a credit or debit card.
Alternatively, you can renew your passport by a paper application at a Post Office with a Check and Send service.
If you’re applying for a passport for the first time, you’ll need more documents, including your full birth or adoption certificate.
An adult passport is valid for ten years, but certain countries don’t allow you to enter if there is less than six months left before your passport’s expiration date.
What are the passport photo requirements?
If you’re applying for a passport online, you’ll need to use a digital photo, which you can get from a photo booth or shop.
Alternatively, you can take one yourself on your own device.
If taking a digital photo, it must be at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall.
You should be looking straight at the camera with a plain expression.
In the image, you need to have your eyes open and mouth closed, and your hair needs to be away from your face.
You can renew your passport online (Picture: Getty Images)
Head coverings are not allowed unless they are for religious or medical reasons.
You should not wear glasses in your passport photo unless you have been told to do so.
The background should be plain and light-coloured with no other people or objects.
If you’re applying via the post, you’ll need a printed photo. This must be printed to a professional standard, and you can get them taken in a photo booth or a shop.
How long does it take to get a UK passport?
Most passport applications are processed within three weeks, although it can take longer if the Passport Office decides that they need more information about you.
The three-week processing time starts from when the Passport Office receives your documents.
In the last two years, delays at the Passport Office have led to longer waiting times.
In 2022, a surge in passport applications following the end of coronavirus pandemic travel restrictions caused delays of more than ten weeks for applicants.
Last April, more than 4000 Passport Office employees went on strike for five weeks in a dispute over jobs, pay and conditions, which further added to the delays.
In the last year, though, the Passport Office has cut down passport waiting times.
Once you’ve made an application, you can track your application online using your application reference code that begins with ‘PEX’.
Can you get a same-day passport in the UK?
If you need a passport more urgently, you can use a Fast Track service – although you’ll have to pay a premium.
The one-week Fast Track costs £155 for adults and £126 for children, and you need to attend an appointment at a passport office.
There is also a Premium one-day service, which costs £193.50 for adults.
This service can’t be used to renew children’s passports and it can’t be used to get a passport for the first time.
What to do with an old passport
It’s best not to throw old passports away.
If you want to keep an old passport, make sure to store it in a safe place.
Expired passports can be sent to the UK Passport Office, where they are incinerated.