Passport prices to increase yet again from next month.

[stadler]

From next month (8th of April) the Passport Office are increasing the extortionate passport fees yet again.

Passport Office Article:

New fees for passport applications

Changes to passport application fees will take effect on 8 April 2026.

www.gov.uk

News story

New fees for passport applications

Changes to passport application fees will take effect on 8 April 2026.

From:

HM Passport Office and Home Office

Published

18 March 2026

The government will introduce new fees for passport applications on 8 April 2026.

The proposals, which are subject to approval by Parliament, will include the following:

the fee for a standard online application made from within the UK will rise from £94.50 to £102 for adults and £61.50 to £66.50 for children

postal applications will increase from £107 to £115.50 for adults and £74 to £80 for children

the fee for a premium service (1 day) application made from within the UK will rise from £222 to £239.50

the fee for a standard online application when applying from overseas for a UK passport will rise from £108 to £116.50 for adults and £70 to £75.50 for children

overseas standard paper applications will increase from £120.50 to £130 for adults and £82.50 to £89 for children

The new fees will help the Home Office to continue to move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation. The government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications.

The fees 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.

Customers are advised that they should apply in good time before travelling.  Apply online for a UK passport.

In 2025, where no further information was required, 99.7% of standard applications from the UK were processed within 3 weeks.

Passport fees are reviewed in line with HM Treasury guidance Managing public money.

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Published 18 March 2026

BBC News Article:

Cost of online passport application could rise to over £100

The Home Office says the increase will help it "move to a system that meets its costs through those who use it" and rely less on taxpayers.

www.bbc.co.uk

Cost of online passport application could rise to over £100

Changes to passport application charges are expected to be introduced on 8 April

By Alicia Curry

Published

18 March 2026

The application fee for an online passport could rise to £100 for the first time, the government has announced.

Under the new proposals, the price for adults in the UK would rise from £94.50 to £102, and £61.50 to £66.50 for children.

The Home Office has said the 8% increase will help it "move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it" and rely less on taxpayers.

Changes to passport application charges are expected to be introduced on 8 April, subject to approval from Parliament.

Under the plans, adults applying via post in the UK can expect fees to rise from £107 to £115.50, and £74 to £80 for children.

For the one-day premium service method, prices will hike from £222 to £239.50.

For overseas applications, passports applied for online will cost £116.50 for adults up from £108, and £75.50 for children up from £70.

Adults submitting paper documents from abroad will be charged £130 up from £120.50. For children, the price will rise from £82.50 to £89.

The Home Office said the proposed fees "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".

It added that customers are advised to apply in good time before travelling.

The price of passports previously increased by 7% in 2024 and 9% in 2023.

The standard passport renewal process normally take up to three weeks in the UK, if all the information requested is provided.

The new prices are £115.50 (34 page) or £129.50 (54 page) for a standard paper application sent by post and paid by cash or postal order or cheque. If you want to apply online then it will be £102.00 (34 page) or £116.00 (54 page) for an online application paid for by card. These are adult 10 year prices.

CURRENT PRICES (to the 07/04/2026):
• £61.50 (Child 0-15) (5 Year) (Online) (34 Page)
• £74.50 (Child 0-15) (5 Year) (Online) (54 Page)
• £74.00 (Child 0-15) (5 Year) (Paper) (34 Page)
• £87.00 (Child 0-15) (5 Year) (Paper) (54 Page)
• £94.50 (Child 16-17) (10 Year) (Online) (34 Page)
• £107.50 (Child 16-17) (10 Year) (Online) (54 Page)
• £107.00 (Child 16-17) (10 Year) (Paper) (34 Page)
• £120.00 (Child 16-17) (10 Year) (Paper) (54 Page)
• £94.50 (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year) (Online) (34 Page)
• £107.50 (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year) (Online) (54 Page)
• £107.00 (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year) (Paper) (34 Page)
• £120.00 (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year) (Paper) (54 Page)
• £0.00 (Born On Or Before 02/09/1929) (10 Year)

NEW PRICES (from the 08/04/2026):
• £66.50 (Child 0-15) (5 Year) (Online) (34 Page)
• £80.50 (Child 0-15) (5 Year) (Online) (54 Page)
• £80.00 (Child 0-15) (5 Year) (Paper) (34 Page)
• £94.00 (Child 0-15) (5 Year) (Paper) (54 Page)
• £102.00 (Child 16-17) (10 Year) (Online) (34 Page)
• £116.00 (Child 16-17) (10 Year) (Online) (54 Page)
• £115.50 (Child 16-17) (10 Year) (Paper) (34 Page)
• £129.50 (Child 16-17) (10 Year) (Paper) (54 Page)
• £102.00 (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year) (Online) (34 Page)
• £116.00 (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year) (Online) (54 Page)
• £115.50 (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year) (Paper) (34 Page)
• £129.50 (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year) (Paper) (54 Page)
• £0.00 (Born On Or Before 02/09/1929) (10 Year)

This is ridiculous that we have yet another passport fee increase only twelve months after they had last increased. This is now at least the fourth year in a row with a price rise. 2023 2024 2025 2026 have all seen a price rise.

The price rise in 2026 is 8% for all passport types which means that some passports will see an almost £10 price increase after just one year after they last increased.

I made the same comment in the postage stamp price thread but it seems like everyone is increasing prices far more often than they used to. The prices of passports used to increase about once every five or six years. Now they are increasing every single year.

At least our passports are valid for 10 years (unlike in some countries like Finland or Luxembourg or Portugal or Sweden which only issue adult passports valid for 5 years maximum) but it still makes it very expensive when the time to renew comes up.

I have long thought that passports should be free of charge. Everyone should get one free passport every ten years. It is an essential document for travelling and identification so the government should really look in to issuing them for free.

I have been looking in to what prices that other countries charge and the majority are a lot cheaper than us which shows that a passport does not cost this much to make.

These are the current prices as of now March 2026 for some other developed countries:

Andorra:
• EUR32.16 (£27.94) (Child 0-17) (5 Year)
• EUR32.16 (£27.94) (Adult 18-19) (5 Year)
• EUR49.31 (£42.84) (Adult 20-Old) (10 Year)

Australia:
• AUD213.00 (£112.59) (Child 0-15) (5 Year)
• AUD422.00 (£223.06) (Child 16-17) (10 Year)
• AUD422.00 (£223.06) (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year)

Austria:
• EUR0.00 (£0.00) (Child 0-1) (2 Year)
• EUR44.00 (£38.23) (Child 2-11) (5 Year)
• EUR112.00 (£97.31) (Child 12-17) (10 Year)
• EUR112.00 (£97.31) (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year)

Belgium:
• EUR35.00 (£30.41) (Child 0-17) (5 Year)
• EUR65.00 (£56.48) (Adult 18-Old) (7 Year)

Canada:
• CAD57.00 (£31.12) (Child 0-15) (5 Year)
• CAD120.00 (£65.52) (Child 16-17) (5 Year)
• CAD160.00 (£87.36) (Child 16-17) (10 Year)
• CAD120.00 (£65.52) (Adult 18-Old) (5 Year)
• CAD160.00 (£87.36) (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year)

Cyprus:
• EUR45.00 (£39.10) (Child 0-17) (5 Year)
• EUR70.00 (£60.82) (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year)

Denmark (Mainland):
• DKK150.00 (£17.41) (Child 0-1) (2 Year)
• DKK150.00 (£17.41) (Child 2-11) (5 Year)
• DKK182.00 (£21.13) (Child 12-17) (5 Year)
• DKK894.00 (£103.77) (Adult 18-66) (10 Year)
• DKK382.00 (£44.34) (Adult 67-Old) (10 Year)

Denmark (Faroe):
• DKK115.00 (£13.35) (Child 0-1) (2 Year)
• DKK115.00 (£13.35) (Child 2-11) (5 Year)
• DKK145.00 (£16.83) (Child 12-17) (5 Year)
• DKK630.00 (£73.13) (Adult 18-66) (10 Year)
• DKK380.00 (£44.11) (Adult 67-Old) (10 Year)

Denmark (Greenland):
• DKK115.00 (£13.35) (Child 0-1) (2 Year)
• DKK115.00 (£13.35) (Child 2-11) (5 Year)
• DKK146.00 (£16.95) (Child 12-17) (5 Year)
• DKK431.00 (£50.03) (Adult 18-64) (10 Year)
• DKK181.00 (£21.01) (Adult 65-Old) (10 Year)

Estonia:
• EUR20.00 (£17.38) (Child 0-17) (Online) (5 Year)
• EUR25.00 (£21.72) (Child 0-17) (Office) (5 Year)
• EUR50.00 (£43.44) (Adult 18-64) (Online) (10 Year)
• EUR60.00 (£52.13) (Adult 18-64) (Office) (10 Year)
• EUR20.00 (£17.38) (Adult 65-Old) (Online) (10 Year)
• EUR25.00 (£21.72) (Adult 65-Old) (Office) (10 Year)
• EUR20.00 (£17.38) (Disabled Adult) (Online) (10 Year)
• EUR25.00 (£21.72) (Disabled Adult) (Office) (10 Year)

Finland (Mainland):
• EUR42.00 (£36.49) (Child 0-17) (5 Year) (Online)
• EUR48.00 (£41.70) (Child 0-17) (5 Year) (Office)
• EUR42.00 (£36.49) (Adult 18-Old) (5 Year) (Online)
• EUR48.00 (£41.70) (Adult 18-Old) (5 Year) (Office)
• EUR22.00 (£19.11) (War Veteran) (5 Year) (Online)
• EUR25.00 (£21.72) (War Veteran) (5 Year) (Office)

Finland (Aland):
• EUR42.00 (£36.49) (Child 0-17) (5 Year) (Online)
• EUR48.00 (£41.70) (Child 0-17) (5 Year) (Office)
• EUR42.00 (£36.49) (Adult 18-Old) (5 Year) (Online)
• EUR48.00 (£41.70) (Adult 18-Old) (5 Year) (Office)
• EUR22.00 (£19.11) (War Veteran) (5 Year) (Online)
• EUR25.00 (£21.72) (War Veteran) (5 Year) (Office)

France:
• EUR17.00 (£14.77) (Adult 0-14) (5 Year)
• EUR42.00 (£36.49) (Adult 15-17) (5 Year)
• EUR86.00 (£74.72) (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year)

Germany:
• EUR37.50 (£23.89) (Child 0-17) (6 Year) (32 Page)
• EUR59.50 (£51.70) (Child 0-17) (6 Year) (48 Page)
• EUR37.50 (£23.89) (Adult 18-23) (6 Year) (32 Page)
• EUR59.50 (£51.70) (Adult 18-23) (6 Year) (48 Page)
• EUR70.00 (£60.82) (Adult 24-Old) (10 Year) (32 Page)
• EUR92.00 (£79.93) (Adult 24-Old) (10 Year) (48 Page)

Greece:
• EUR71.00 (£61.69) (Child 0-13) (3 Year)
• EUR80.00 (£69.51) (Adult 14-17) (10 Year)
• EUR80.00 (£69.51) (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year)

Iceland:
• ISK7,000.00 (£42.06) (Child 0-17) (5 Year)
• ISK19,000.00 (£114.16) (Adult 18-66) (10 Year)
• ISK7,000.00 (£42.06) (Adult 67-Old) (10 Year)
• ISK7,000.00 (£42.06) (Disabled Adult) (10 Year)

Ireland:
• EUR20.00 (£17.38) (Child 0-17) (5 Year) (Online)
• EUR30.00 (£26.07) (Child 0-17) (5 Year) (Postal)
• EUR45.00 (£39.10) (Child 0-17) (5 Year) (Office)
• EUR75.00 (£65.16) (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year) (Online)
• EUR80.00 (£69.51) (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year) (Postal)
• EUR95.00 (£82.54) (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year) (Office)

Italy:
• EUR116.20 (£100.96) (Child 0-2) (3 Year)
• EUR116.20 (£100.96) (Child 3-17) (5 Year)
• EUR116.20 (£100.96) (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year)

Latvia:
• EUR25.00 (£21.72) (Child 0-4) (2 Year)
• EUR25.00 (£21.72) (Child 5-17) (5 Year)
• EUR25.00 (£21.72) (Adult 18-19) (5 Year)
• EUR50.00 (£43.44) (Adult 20-64) (10 Year)
• EUR25.00 (£21.72) (Adult 65-Old) (10 Year)
• EUR25.00 (£21.72) (Disabled Adult) (10 Year)

Liechtenstein:
• CHF60.00 (£57.07) (Child 0-12) (5 Year)
• CHF60.00 (£57.07) (Child 13-17) (10 Year)
• CHF140.00 (£133.17) (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year)

Lithuania:
• EUR25.00 (£21.72) (Child 0-4) (2 Year)
• EUR25.00 (£21.72) (Child 5-15) (5 Year)
• EUR25.00 (£21.72) (Child 16-17) (10 Year)
• EUR50.00 (£43.44) (Adult 18-64) (10 Year)
• EUR10.00 (£8.69) (Adult 65-Old) (10 Year)
• EUR0.00 (£0.00) (Disabled Adult) (10 Year)

Luxembourg:
• EUR30.00 (£26.07) (Child 0-3) (2 Year)
• EUR50.00 (£43.44) (Child 4-17) (5 Year)
• EUR50.00 (£43.44) (Adult 18-Old) (5 Year)

Malta:
• EUR16.00 (£13.90) (Child 0-9) (2 Year) (Sep-Mar)
• EUR16.00 (£13.90) (Child 0-9) (2 Year) (Apr-Aug)
• EUR40.00 (£34.75) (Child 10-15) (5 Year) (Sep-Mar)
• EUR40.00 (£34.75) (Child 10-15) (5 Year) (Apr-Aug)
• EUR70.00 (£60.82) (Child 16-17) (10 Year) (Sep-Mar)
• EUR80.00 (£69.51) (Child 16-17) (10 Year) (Apr-Aug)
• EUR70.00 (£60.82) (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year) (Sep-Mar)
• EUR80.00 (£69.51) (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year) (Apr-Aug)

Monaco:
• EUR30.00 (£26.07) (Child 0-2) (3 Year)
• EUR60.00 (£52.13) (Child 3-17) (5 Year)
• EUR90.00 (£78.20) (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year)

Netherlands:
• EUR67.05 (£58.26) (Child 0-17) (5 Year)
• EUR88.65 (£77.02) (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year)

New Zealand:
• NZD144.00 (£63.03) (Child 0-15) (5 Year)
• NZD247.00 (£108.11) (Child 16-17) (10 Year)
• NZD247.00 (£108.11) (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year)

Norway:
• NOK510.00 (£39.81) (Child 0-4) (2 Year)
• NOK510.00 (£39.81) (Child 5-9) (3 Year)
• NOK510.00 (£39.81) (Child 10-15) (5 Year)
• NOK840.00 (£65.56) (Child 16-17) (10 Year)
• NOK840.00 (£65.56) (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year)

Portugal:
• EUR65.00 (£56.48) (Child 0-4) (2 Year)
• EUR65.00 (£56.48) (Child 5-17) (5 Year)
• EUR65.00 (£56.48) (Adult 18-Old) (5 Year)

San Marino:
• EUR30.00 (£26.07) (Child 0-2) (3 Year)
• EUR50.00 (£43.44) (Child 3-13) (5 Year)
• EUR100.00 (£86.89) (Child 14-17) (10 Year)
• EUR100.00 (£86.89) (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year)

Spain:
• EUR30.00 (£26.07) (Child 0-4) (2 Year)
• EUR30.00 (£26.07) (Child 5-17) (5 Year)
• EUR30.00 (£26.07) (Adult 18-29) (5 Year)
• EUR30.00 (£26.07) (Adult 30-Old) (10 Year)

Sweden:
• SEK500.00 (£40.12) (Child 0-11) (3 Year)
• SEK500.00 (£40.12) (Child 12-17) (5 Year)
• SEK500.00 (£40.12) (Adult 18-Old) (5 Year)

Switzerland:
• CHF60.00 (£57.07) (Child 0-17) (5 Year)
• CHF140.00 (£133.17) (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year)

United States Of America:
• USD100.00 (£74.87) (Child 0-15) (5 Year)
• USD130.00 (£97.33) (Child 16-17) (10 Year)
• USD130.00 (£97.33) (Child 18-Old) (10 Year)

United Kingdom (England / Wales / Scotland / NI):
• £61.50 (Child 0-15) (5 Year) (Online) (34 Page)
• £74.50 (Child 0-15) (5 Year) (Online) (54 Page)
• £74.00 (Child 0-15) (5 Year) (Paper) (34 Page)
• £87.00 (Child 0-15) (5 Year) (Paper) (54 Page)
• £94.50 (Child 16-17) (10 Year) (Online) (34 Page)
• £107.50 (Child 16-17) (10 Year) (Online) (54 Page)
• £107.00 (Child 16-17) (10 Year) (Paper) (34 Page)
• £120.00 (Child 16-17) (10 Year) (Paper) (54 Page)
• £94.50 (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year) (Online) (34 Page)
• £107.50 (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year) (Online) (54 Page)
• £107.00 (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year) (Paper) (34 Page)
• £120.00 (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year) (Paper) (54 Page)
• £0.00 (Born On Or Before 02/09/1929) (10 Year)

United Kingdom (Isle Of Man / Jersey / Guernsey):
• £74.00 (Child 0-15) (5 Year)
• £107.00 (Child 16-17) (10 Year)
• £107.00 (Adult 18-Old) (10 Year)
• £0.00 (Born On Or Before 02/09/1929) (10 Year)

United Kingdom (Gibraltar):
• £51.50 (Child 0-15) (5 Year)
• £77.50 (Child 16-17) (10 Year)
• £77.50 (Adult 18-64) (10 Year)
• £0.00 (Adult 65-Old) (10 Year)

United Kingdom (Falkland Islands)
• £101.30 (Child 0-15) (5 Year)
• £139.30 (Child 16-17) (10 Year)
• £139.30 (Adult 18-64) (10 Year)
• £0.00 (Adult 65-Old) (10 Year)

United Kingdom (Saint Helena):
• £101.30 (Child 0-15) (5 Year)
• £139.30 (Child 16-17) (10 Year)
• £139.30 (Adult 18-64) (10 Year)
• £0.00 (Adult 65-Old) (10 Year)

United Kingdom (Ascension):
• £101.30 (Child 0-15) (5 Year)
• £139.30 (Child 16-17) (10 Year)
• £139.30 (Adult 18-64) (10 Year)
• £0.00 (Adult 65-Old) (10 Year)

United Kingdom (Tristan Da Cunha):
• £101.30 (Child 0-15) (5 Year)
• £139.30 (Child 16-17) (10 Year)
• £139.30 (Adult 18-64) (10 Year)
• £0.00 (Adult 65-Old) (10 Year)

United Kingdom (Pitcairn Islands):
• £101.30 (Child 0-15) (5 Year)
• £139.30 (Child 16-17) (10 Year)
• £139.30 (Adult 18-64) (10 Year)
• £0.00 (Adult 65-Old) (10 Year)

United Kingdom (British Virgin Islands):
• USD105.00 (£78.61) (Child 0-15) (5 Year)
• USD125.00 (£93.59) (Child 16-17) (10 Year)
• USD125.00 (£93.59) (Adult 18-64) (10 Year)
• USD0.00 (Adult 65-Old) (10 Year)

United Kingdom (Turks And Caicos Islands):
• USD75.00 (£56.15) (Child 0-15) (5 Year)
• USD150.00 (£112.30) (Child 16-17) (10 Year)
• USD150.00 (£112.30) (Adult 18-64) (10 Year)
• USD0.00 (£0.00) (Adult 65-Old) (10 Year)

United Kingdom (Cayman Islands):
• KYD75.00 (£67.22) (Child 0-15) (5 Year)
• KYD100.00 (£89.62) (Child 16-17) (10 Year)
• KYD100.00 (£89.62) (Adult 18-64) (10 Year)
• KYD0.00 (£0.00) (Adult 65-Old) (10 Year)

United Kingdom (Montserrat):
• ECD150.00 (£41.61) (Child 0-15) (5 Year)
• ECD300.00 (£83.23) (Child 16-17) (10 Year)
• ECD300.00 (£83.23) (Adult 18-64) (10 Year)
• ECD0.00 (£0.00) (Adult 65-Old) (10 Year)

United Kingdom (Anguilla):
• ECD150.00 (£41.61) (Child 0-15) (5 Year)
• ECD200.00 (£55.48) (Child 16-17) (10 Year)
• ECD200.00 (£55.48) (Adult 18-64) (10 Year)
• ECD0.00 (£0.00) (Adult 65-Old) (10 Year)

United Kingdom (Bermuda):
• BMD89.00 (£66.47) (Child 0-15) (5 Year)
• BMD179.00 (£133.69) (Child 16-17) (10 Year)
• BMD179.00 (£133.69) (Adult 18-64) (10 Year)
• BMD0.00 (£0.00) (Adult 65-Old) (10 Year)

Some countries are significantly more expensive than us (Australia). Some countries charge about the same as us (Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Switzerland, United States Of America). But the majority of other countries are much cheaper than us (even in some places with similar income).

Spain is noticeably very cheap at only £26.07 for an adult 10 year passport. Norway which is one of the worlds most exoensive countries charges only about half our costs at £65.56 for an adult 10 year passport. Andorra is a very high cost tax haven and they only charge £42.84 which is less than half our cost. Even in Monaco at £78.20 and San Marino at £86.89 they are cheaper than us. Belgium is only £56.48 for theirs. Gibraltar also charges significantly less despite still being British passports.

The question has to be asked that if Spain can charge £26.07 for an adult 10 year passport than how on earth is ours so much. It proves that a passport does not cost anything close to £100 to make. But yet we are charging over £100 for ours. It is clear that the Passport Office is ripping us off. Within ten years our passport will be well over £200 at this rate.

The cost of a British passport can be a significant cost for people on low income. Even for people with average income it is still a lot of money to spend. You also have the new rules requiring you to enter on your British passports meaning that people with multiple citizenships have even higher costs as they are now forced to get multiple passports to travel when one would have previously been sufficent.

I would be interested to hear what other think of the price rise. I think we need to put a cap on passport price rises. Putting up the prices every single year (when it used to be every couple years) is just ridiculous and within ten years people will struggle to afford to renew their passport.

 

[John R]

If you can afford to travel abroad, then I don't think £102 for a legal document that will last for 10 years is excessive. So I don't buy the argument that it will become unaffordable at all.

As for the point about people with multiple citizenships having to pay more then, tough. Did they expect that benefit to come for free.

If you want to complain about the cost of travelling abroad then much better to focus on Air Passenger Duty, not the cost of a passport.

 

[stadler]

If you can afford to travel abroad, then I don't think £102 for a legal document that will last for 10 years is excessive. So I don't buy the argument that it will become unaffordable at all.

As for the point about people with multiple citizenships having to pay more then, tough. Did they expect that benefit to come for free.

If you want to complain about the cost of travelling abroad then much better to focus on Air Passenger Duty, not the cost of a passport.

Travelling abroad can be very cheap. Not everyone is wealthy or goes on expensive trips. You can go from Newhaven to Dieppe on the ferry for a day trip for only £31.00 single or £46.00 return which is cheaper than a day trip to London by train from many UK cities.

A passport is also used as identification even for domestic purposes. My passport is my sole form of identification that i have. So it also serves a very important purpose other than for travelling.

Also the point still stands that the passport office are clearly profiteering and ripping us off with their prices. If some other developed countries with a similar income to us can charge around £25.00 then what makes ours cost over £100.00 to renew now. It proves that they could easily charge much less.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Thank yourself lucky you’re not Australian, an Australian passport costs AUD 422, which is £222

 

[Elwyn]

Also the point still stands that the passport office are clearly profiteering and ripping us off with their prices. If some other developed countries with a similar income to us can charge around £25.00 then what makes ours cost over £100.00 to renew now. It proves that they could easily charge much less.

UK Passports could be sold for £25 but that would mean the taxpayer subsidising them. Why?

My understanding - from a colleague who was a senior official in the Passport Office - is that nowadays the price is calculated to try and cover most of the costs involved. Staff and building costs, as well as the extremely expensive paper which contains all sorts of magic features designed to make it harder to forge or misuse. So it’s an expensive document to make.

 

[jfollows]

The mentality of the Home Office has changed from offering a reasonable service at a reasonable price to gouging its customers as much as possible.
My husband moved to the UK around the start of this century, and the service we got was exemplary and reasonably priced. Now it’s extortionate to move to the UK and become a British citizen. That’s a political choice, obviously influenced by Reform and the like, but not one that I agree with.

 

[Stathern Jc]

Also the point still stands that the passport office are clearly profiteering and ripping us off with their prices.

You point out the regularity of these increases which I hadn't noticed, this year 8%.
Maybe a touch pedantic but I doubt that the Passport Office will see much of a profit. We all know where it will go.
Similarly with Driving Licence payments and Vehicle Excise Duty etc etc.

A passport is also used as identification even for domestic purposes. My passport is my sole form of identification that i have. So it also serves a very important purpose other than for travelling.

A very useful and perhaps the most unquestionable form of photo ID, especially since this has been needed to vote at a Polling Station.

A passport will have wider use, especially for those of us still having the green paper Driving Licence.
But we will always mutter a bit when we have to fork out for a new one.

 

[87 027]

You might find this report from government's own auditors quite illuminating. It says that the Passport Office has a target of recovering 100% of the costs of a passport through fees (Figure 5, page 20) but in 2023-24 only recovered 74% of its costs (Figure 11, page 33) and has missed its cost recovery target for each of the last 5 years (Figure 12, page 34).

The report itself is a PDF but the relevant figures are as above

Financial management of fees and charges - NAO report

This report considers how effectively government bodies financially manage fees and charges for certain services.

www.nao.org.uk

Those of a pedantic disposition might also like to take look at Figure 2 which neatly summarises the technical differences between taxes, fees and charges!

 

[John R]

Also the point still stands that the passport office are clearly profiteering and ripping us off with their prices.

Clearly not given the post immediately above this.

You can go from Newhaven to Dieppe on the ferry for a day trip for only £31.00 single or £46.00 return which is cheaper than a day trip to London by train from many UK cities.

I'm not sure the cost of a passport should take into consideration those who want a day trip jolly to another country to spend barely a few hours there. Especially when the service is already not covering its costs.

 

[m0ffy]

As a local-ish comparison, an Irish 10 year passport is €75, or €100 with a 5-year passport card (£65 and £87 respectively). I understand the price is set to cover the cost of both the document and consular services.

 

[Elwyn]

Fee for a US passport for an adult is $165 (£124) for initial issue, & $130 (£98) for renewal.

 

[GB]

Travelling abroad can be very cheap. Not everyone is wealthy or goes on expensive trips. You can go from Newhaven to Dieppe on the ferry for a day trip for only £31.00 single or £46.00 return which is cheaper than a day trip to London by train from many UK cities.

A passport is also used as identification even for domestic purposes. My passport is my sole form of identification that i have. So it also serves a very important purpose other than for travelling.

Also the point still stands that the passport office are clearly profiteering and ripping us off with their prices. If some other developed countries with a similar income to us can charge around £25.00 then what makes ours cost over £100.00 to renew now. It proves that they could easily charge much less.

Effectively £10 a year really isn't all that much and I don't know if you have noticed but nearly everything has gone up in price. Wages, paper, ink, electricity, postage to name a few... They all add up.

 

[gswindale]

A very useful and perhaps the most unquestionable form of photo ID, especially since this has been needed to vote at a Polling Station.

A passport will have wider use, especially for those of us still having the green paper Driving Licence.
But we will always mutter a bit when we have to fork out for a new one.

You've two choices here surely? £20 to replace your tatty bit of paper to be a photo card licence valid for 10 years and suitable ID for the polling station, or, if travelling (abroad primarily), the going rate for a 10 year passport.

From the Government's perspective, whatever they do would be criticized - keep costs low and they face claims of wasting tax payers money on something that not everyone wants/needs. Make the charges reflect the actual costs involved in producing the item and covering border control costs, then they are accused of profiteering.

 

[tbtc]

I don't know why we need to have threads complaining that "price of <thing> to increase YET AGAIN", given that the prices of most things go up each year (as do most salaries)

Yet people still feign shock whenever any thing goes up (despite inflation being A Thing for pretty much every month of our lives)

I guess it's not helped by our media, which knows that it can generate cheap headlines about every single price rise (even when it's something that's not increased for the past year or longer), because it's easy to keep people angry. Maybe in late June they'll have a headline of "Nights Set To Get Darker AGAIN, Experts Blame Solstice"

If people get beyond the simple headlines and spend a moment looking at the reality, adult passport costs less than a pound a month (cheaper for kids, obviously), it's incredibly cheap when you consider what it does (not just allowing you international travel but also as identification domestically etc - especially as we don't have national ID cards)

Can't wait to have exactly the same debate this time next year

 

[87 027]

At the risk of injecting some controversy into the debate, government's proposal for a new digital ID is that it will be free

(Part 6) We expect there to be no direct costs to households from the introduction of the digital ID system, as households will not be charged any fees to create, access or use their digital ID.

However it is also suggested that the new digital ID will be a new form of ID and will not simply be a digitised version of the existing passport or driving licence

(Part 2) Unlike other digital versions of government-issued documents, like the forthcoming Digital Driving Licence, the digital ID will have no direct historical precursor. The government will be issuing eligible applicants with a new digital document, explicitly meant to serve as a standalone and authoritative proof of identity.

(Part 3) The digital ID is being designed as something which people will want to have, rather than something they are forced to get. In all cases, our intention is that it will be acceptable alongside other suitable proofs and not replace other government-issued documents people might already have. For example, the digital ID will not assert entitlement to drive or entitlement to cross borders – which will continue to require a driving licence and passport, respectively.

The full consultation is here for those who want to provide their tuppence-worth

Making public services work for you with your digital identity

This consultation seeks views on a proposed national digital ID system for British and Irish citizens and foreign nationals with permission to be in the UK.

www.gov.uk

 

[AlterEgo]

Digital ID has nothing to do with passports. There is already an extensive thread it on the forum.

Passport prices go up all the time. Not everyone wants or needs one, but if you go abroad once a year it works out about a tenner or so a year. HMPO is one of the better government agencies out there for efficiency too, as I can attest having had to get new passports twice in the last three years, once using the express same day service.

 

[S101]

And you never actually get a 10 year passport, as most countries require at least 6 months left on a passport to enter. So if you're travelling in its last 6 months, you've been short changed, as they no longer add remaining time on to the new one, from your old one!

 

[robbob700]

Depends on the country you are travelling to. Most UK travel is to the EU which requires 3 months left on a passport, and you don't need any extra validity for travel to the USA.

 

[The exile]

My understanding - from a colleague who was a senior official in the Passport Office - is that nowadays the price is calculated to try and cover most of the costs involved. Staff and building costs, as well as the extremely expensive paper which contains all sorts of magic features designed to make it harder to forge or misuse. So it’s an expensive document to make.

It's worth remembering that in many of the countries listed it is also necessary to hold an official ID card - which affects the comparison in two ways. 1 - because everyone has to have the ID - many of the fixed costs associated the administration of passports etc are spread much more widely. 2. The cost of that official ID effectively has to be added to that of the passport. In the case of Germany, for example, anyone applying for a passport at 70€ has also to hold an ID card at 46€ - making the total cost comparable. OK - the whole of the EU is accessible for just that 46€ - the fact that we don't have that option is the result of one referendum decision and, prior to that, a general antipathy to compulsory ID.

 

[Ted633]

And you never actually get a 10 year passport, as most countries require at least 6 months left on a passport to enter. So if you're travelling in its last 6 months, you've been short changed, as they no longer add remaining time on to the new one, from your old one!

Yes, bit of a pain that. You used to be able to carry over up to 9 months, but that was scrapped in 2018

 

[S101]

Yes, bit of a pain that. You used to be able to carry over up to 9 months, but that was scrapped in 2018

Gets the government more money doesn't it.... (sigh)

 

[stadler]

It's worth remembering that in many of the countries listed it is also necessary to hold an official ID card - which affects the comparison in two ways. 1 - because everyone has to have the ID - many of the fixed costs associated the administration of passports etc are spread much more widely. 2. The cost of that official ID effectively has to be added to that of the passport. In the case of Germany, for example, anyone applying for a passport at 70€ has also to hold an ID card at 46€ - making the total cost comparable. OK - the whole of the EU is accessible for just that 46€ - the fact that we don't have that option is the result of one referendum decision and, prior to that, a general antipathy to compulsory ID.

Are you sure that there actually any countries where having an ID card is mandatory? I know that in many countries it is mandatory to posess a legal form of ID but i have always understood that this meant you could choose to get either a passport or ID card. If you hold a passport then i would have thought that there is no requirement to also get an ID card as well. A passport is basically an alternative to an ID card so surely just a passport alone is sufficient?

 

[BrandanM]

I recently renewed and was surprised to find that the cost of having the photographs taken in a supermarket booth had doubled in just under 10 years, from £5 to £10.

 

[Elwyn]

Gets the government more money doesn't it.... (sigh)

UK Government was perfectly happy to add the unexpired term from the previous passport on to a replacement document. It was the EU that scrapped that:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68658209

 

[S101]

UK Government was perfectly happy to add the unexpired term from the previous passport on to a replacement document. It was the EU that scrapped that:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68658209

So long as we penalise EU countries then......

 

[Oxfordblues]

This is one of the few areas that would benefit from a Tory-style privatisation. Various privately-run passport-issuers would compete on price and/or quality of service. There might be a bargain-basement outfit offering flimsy low-quality passports and a premium operator producing luxury leather-bound passports. You could pay a lot less if you were happy to wait a few weeks or an awful lot more for a guaranteed next-day service. As things stand it's a take-it-or-leave-it monopoly.

 

[stadler]

And you never actually get a 10 year passport, as most countries require at least 6 months left on a passport to enter. So if you're travelling in its last 6 months, you've been short changed, as they no longer add remaining time on to the new one, from your old one!

I have always thought that is such a stupid rule. Surely all that matters is that your passport is valid for your stay. You should even be allowed to travel on the final day of validity if you are going for a day trip. Some countries only require your passport to be valid for your stay so i have no idea why some others have this ridiculous six months validity rule.

 

[S101]

I have always thought that is such a stupid rule. Surely all that matters is that your passport is valid for your stay. You should even be allowed to travel on the final day of validity if you are going for a day trip. Some countries only require your passport to be valid for your stay so i have no idea why some others have this ridiculous six months validity rule.

There isn't a (real) reason for it is there. Its just a way for the EU to project their frustration at us. Bitter and twisted comes to mind. Along with pathetic, pointless, sour grapes..... I'd just like to think that we retaliate in such a pathetic way too, and that the pointless idea is reciprocal. Probably not, as we're scared of the EU.

 

[JamesT]

I have always thought that is such a stupid rule. Surely all that matters is that your passport is valid for your stay. You should even be allowed to travel on the final day of validity if you are going for a day trip. Some countries only require your passport to be valid for your stay so i have no idea why some others have this ridiculous six months validity rule.

Perhaps it’s based on experience? That visitors with short passport expiration dates end up overstaying or having some other immigration irregularities more often than those with longer dates?

 

[John R]

This is one of the few areas that would benefit from a Tory-style privatisation. Various privately-run passport-issuers would compete on price and/or quality of service. There might be a bargain-basement outfit offering flimsy low-quality passports and a premium operator producing luxury leather-bound passports. You could pay a lot less if you were happy to wait a few weeks or an awful lot more for a guaranteed next-day service. As things stand it's a take-it-or-leave-it monopoly.

When you think of some of the disasters that privatisation has resulted in (eg probation and the current debacle around public sector pensions admin ) then I for one am very glad that our passport service isn’t privatised.