British Passports
When to think about renewing your passport
You don't have to wait for your passport to expire before applying. You can carry up to nine months unused time from your old passport on to your new one
Passport fees, how long it takes and urgent passport applications
Travelling within two weeks?
If you need to renew your passport urgently, IPS offers a Fast Track one-week service and a Premium one-day service. You must make an appointment for these services by calling the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000. The line is open 8.00 am to 8.00 pm Monday to Friday and 9.00 am to 5.30 pm on weekends and public holidays
Table of passport fees, how to pay and refunds
Explains how much your passport will cost and how to pay
Timetable for passport applications
Find out how long it will take to get your passport
Table of passport fees, how to pay and refunds
Passport fees vary depending on the type of application and the service you use. You may be able to get a refund if Premium or Fast Track services do not meet their guaranteed times. Read this guide to costs and how to pay.
How much your passport will cost
The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) recommends the Post Office's Check & Send service. As well as the 'normal service' fee shown, you must pay a handling charge to the Post Office. The charge is currently £8.17. (If you were born on or before 2 September 1929, you don't have to pay this charge.)
| Normal service by post (aims to return your passport within three weeks - not guaranteed) | One-week Fast Track service (by appointment only) | One-day Premium service (by appointment only) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adults (aged 16 and over) | |||
| Renew or amend an existing adult passport | £77.50 | £112.50 | £129.50 |
| First adult passport - if you have previously held a child passport issued in the UK | £77.50 | £112.50 | £129.50 |
| First adult passport - if you have never held a child passport issued in the UK | £77.50 | N/A | N/A |
| Replace a lost, stolen or damaged adult passport | £77.50 | £112.50 | N/A |
| Extend a restricted validity adult passport issued on or after 1 May 2008* | £77.50 | £112.50 | N/A |
| Jumbo (48-page) passport | £90.50 | £120.50** | £138.50** |
| Children (aged under 16) | |||
| First child passport (includes those who were previously on a parent's passport) | £49.00 | £96.50 | N/A |
| Renew or amend an existing child passport | £49.00 | £96.50 | £109.50 |
| Replace a lost, stolen or damaged child passport | £49.00 | £96.50 | N/A |
| Extend a restricted validity child passport issued on or after 1 May 2008* | £49.00 | £96.50 | N/A |
| Adults born on or before 2 September 1929 | |||
| Standard 32-page ten-year passport | Free | £35.00 | £52.00 |
** Only available when renewing an existing passport (normal or jumbo size).
Postage and Secure Delivery
The passport fee includes sending out your new passport by Secure Delivery and returning your supporting documents by Royal Mail second-class post.
IPS can also return your supporting documents by Secure Delivery for an extra fee of £3.00.
If you want your supporting documents sent back by Secure Delivery, add £3.00 to the fees shown in the table when you make your payment.
The extra £3.00 is waived if you:
- renew your passport with a 48-page jumbo passport
- were born on or before 2 September 1929
How to pay
| How you apply | Debit card/credit card accepted? | Cheque/postal order accepted? | Cash accepted? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Check & Send at a Post Office | yes | postal order only payable to 'Post Office Ltd' | yes |
| By post | yes - complete the form in the application pack | yes, payable to 'Identity and Passport Service' | no |
| In person at a Regional Passport Office | yes | postal order only payable to 'Identity and Passport Service' | yes |
Claiming a refund of the Premium or Fast Track fee
If you pay for the Premium or Fast Track service and your application isn't processed within the specified time, you can claim a refund. You'll be refunded the extra service fee - not the standard passport fee. However, IPS won't refund the fee if your application wasn't processed within the specified time due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control. For example, in some cases IPS may need to take extra time to look at your application. This will be to confirm details you have given and to contact your countersignatory.
You can also claim a refund if you applied for the Premium or Fast Track service fee because you:
- need to travel urgently because of the death or serious illness of a family member, friend or business associate
- are travelling abroad for medical treatment
- are seriously ill, or are the carer of a seriously ill person, and your travel has been arranged by a charitable/religious organisation
Follow the link below to download a refund claim form. If you don't have a printer, you can call the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000 to request a copy of the form. Please read the notes that come with the form and fill out every section. Then send it to the Customer Service Manager at the Regional Passport Office at which you made your application.
What the fee covers
IPS does not make a profit. Passport fees cover the costs of providing passport services in the UK. Part of the fee is called 'the consular premium'. This covers the costs of providing consular help to British nationals who find themselves in difficulty while overseas.
More useful links
Useful contacts
Urgent passport applications
If you need your passport within two weeks, this counts as an urgent application and you will need to visit a Regional Passport Office. You must always make an appointment. Find out which service best meets your needs and what to do if you can't get to an office.
The basics
If you don't need to travel within two weeks, then you don't need to visit a Regional Passport Office to make an urgent application. The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) recommends that you use the Post Office Check & Send service. You can also use the standard service and apply by post.Allow six weeks for a first adult passport
In most cases you will need to attend a passport interview, so Fast Track and Premium services don't apply. The timings in this section are for other applications.'Timetable for passport applications' explains the various services and timescales in detail. You can learn more about the Post Office Check & Send service and find your nearest Check & Send Post Office by following the link below.
Making an urgent application - travelling in less than two weeks
Please note- the Fast Track one-week service
- the Premium one-day service
IPS strongly recommends that you don't book travel arrangements until you have your passport.
You'll need to bring a completed application form and any supporting documents to your appointment
Making appointments to visit in person
Demand for appointments in all IPS regions is usually very high - you should allow up to two weeks for your appointment date. You can't book appointments more than two weeks in advance.
If you make an appointment, please arrive no more than ten minutes before your appointment time to avoid unnecessary queuing.
Fast Track one-week service
This service guarantees delivery of your passport by Secure Delivery within one week (excluding bank and public holidays) of you applying.The guarantee applies only if you:
- supply your completed form and all supporting documents to IPS at the agreed appointment
- are in to sign for delivery of the passport if required
Premium one-day service
The Premium service is a guaranteed service in which you deliver your application and collect your passport on the same day. It's available on weekdays for appointments before:
- 4.00 pm in London
- 1.30 pm in Liverpool
- 1.00 pm in Peterborough
- 12.30 pm in Glasgow and Newport
- 12.00 noon in Belfast and Durham
The waiting time for your passport will be four hours from when the application is accepted and the cashier gives you a receipt.
This service is not available for:
- a first adult or first child passport
- extending a limited passport
- replacing a lost, stolen or damaged passport
- making several or complex changes to your existing passport
Changing the name on your passport can usually be done using the Premium service. If you are unsure, call the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000 and explain the changes you need.
If you can't attend your appointment or collect your passport
If you can't attend an appointment yourself, someone else may bring in the completed application form and supporting documents for you. They must also bring:
- evidence of their identity, like their passport or driving licence (if they don't have either of these, call the Passport Adviceline for help on 0300 222 0000)
- a signed letter from you giving them permission to submit the application on your behalf
Someone else can also collect your passport for you, but they must bring:
- evidence of their identity, as above
- a signed letter from you, giving them permission to collect your passport
If the application is for a child, the person who has signed section 9 of the form must sign the letter.
Conditions of the Fast Track and Premium services
- your application is straightforward
- you have completed the application form properly and supplied all the necessary supporting documents
If you supply incomplete information or IPS cannot confirm your eligibility from the documents you supply, your passport may be delayed.
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