On April 11 2024, British passport application fees in the rose by 7%. This marks the second increase in 14 months. This follows a 9 per cent prise rise in February 2023. Both online and postal application fees have risen.
For adults:
Passports are free for people born on or before 2 September 1929.
For children:
The online application fee for a children’s passport has increased from £53.50 to £57.50.
A standard postal application fee for a children passport has increased from £64 to £69.
| Passport type | Online | Post |
| Adult 34 page standard passport | £88.50 | £100 |
| Adult 54 page frequent traveller passport | £100.50 | £112 |
| Child 34 page standard passport | £57.50 | £69 |
| Child 54 page frequent traveller passport | £69.50 | £81 |
| Adult born on or before 2 September 1929 | FREE | FREE |
The British passport fee increase has faced criticism due to its “spectacularly bad timing” given the strain that the cost of living crisis has placed on the British public. Further, newly naturalised applicants would have experienced steep visa fees and costs, much of which have recently increased. British Passport application fees are even higher if you apply from overseas or require a passport urgently.
The passport application process in the UK is no stranger to criticism. Delays caused by the pandemic, between January 2022 and September 2022, saw 360,000 customers waiting over 10 weeks to get their passports. The 10 delay week continued in 2023 and parts of 2024. HM Passport Office has now stated that British passports will be processed within 3 weeks unless additional checks are required.
The government argues that it does not profit from passport applications and insist that the latest rise is necessary to ensure that income from these applications better meets the cost of delivering passport and associated operations, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation. It is worth noting that UK revenue receipts are centrally allocated. Individuals government departments do not retain the funds that it raises. This means that the Treasury will collect all British passport receipts and decide the proportion to be given to HM Passport Office to enhance services.
How do British passport application and renewal fees compare to other nations across the world?
The most expensive passport fees in the world are as follows:
Australia £192
Mexico £142
Sweden £126
Switzerland £117
Italy £113
USA £109
New Zealand £107
Chile £106
Canada £104
Japan £96
Turkey £92
UK £88.50
Greece £84
Passport fees across the globe for standard adult passports:
Standard Adult passport:
Spain £28
Luxembourg £50
Spain £28
Pakistan £45
Ghana £30.60
Jamaican £75
South Africa £25.39
Written by Mya Alghali
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