Passport fees on the rise: UK braces for April hike

The cost of applying for a UK passport is set to go up again in April.

But there’s some good news too: waiting times for passport renewals have dropped from a high of 10 weeks to a more reasonable three weeks.

This is a big improvement from a year ago.

The government says the fee increase is needed to rely less on taxpayer money and to improve service quality.

The higher fees will cover the costs of processing applications, helping Brits abroad, and making things smoother for British citizens at UK borders.

Starting April 11, the fee for a standard online passport application in the UK will go up from £82.50 (€93) to £88.50 (€103) for adults and from £53.50 (€60) to £57.50 (€67) for kids.

Postal applications will also cost more, going from £93 (€105) to £100 (€117) for adults and from £64 (€72) to £69 (€80) for children.

You can choose between a regular 34-page passport or a bigger 54-page one, which is handy for frequent travellers, especially for trips to Europe.

But the government hasn’t said how much the 54-page version will cost now.

Passport fees differ in other European countries.

In France, it’s €86 for adults, and in Italy, it’s €73.50, plus a stamp duty that was scrapped in 2014.

Spain has much lower renewal fees at €30.

UK citizens need to keep an eye on their passport expiry dates post-Brexit.

EU rules now say passports must be valid for at least three months after leaving EU countries.

During the pandemic, waiting times shot up to 10 weeks, but now they’re down to about three weeks.

If you’re planning a summer holiday in July, it’s best to renew your passport by early June to make sure it’s ready in time.

For urgent renewals, you can pay extra for premium services.

The Online Premium service promises your passport back in a day for £193.50 (€226).

Or you can go for the Fast Track service, which delivers passports within a week of your appointment, costing £155 (€181) for adults and £126 (€147) for kids.

It’s not clear yet if these priority service fees will also go up in April.

CLICK HERE to apply for or renew a UK Passport.