British tourists or Britons living overseas like in Mallorca and the Balearics, who need to renew their passport have been urged to do so this month because passport fees will rise from February 2.
Britons with a passport that needs renewing could save money if they do the application before the end of January. Fees will rise in February for the first time in five years.
According to the British government, it will introduce new passport fees for all applications on 2 February 2023, the first time in 5 years that the cost of applying for a passport has increased.
The proposals, which are subject to Parliamentary scrutiny, will include the following:
The fee for a standard online application made from within the UK will rise from £75.50 to £82.50 for adults and £49 to £53.50 for children.
Postal applications will increase from £85 to £93 for adults and £58.50 to £64 for children.
Priority service fees are being aligned so all customers will pay the same.
The new fees will help the Home Office 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 will also 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. The increase will also help enable the government to continue improving its services.
The new fees include those newly applying or renewing their passport.
Since January last year, over 95% of standard applications have been processed within 10 weeks and customers are advised that they should apply in good time before travelling.
Passport fees are reviewed in line with His Majesty’s Treasury guidance Managing public money.