Inflation, fuel prices, the rise in Air Passenger Duty on flights and extra paperwork costs have all added to the overall price of holidays this year for Britons heading overseas and now those needing a new passport are going to have to pay more from tomorrow, Wednesday, April 8.
According to the Home Office: 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. The first British passports bearing His Majesty King Charles III’s Coat of Arms were issued in December as part of a revamped design.
The 4 nations of the UK are represented through images of 4 UNESCO-protected natural landscapes – Ben Nevis, the Lake District, Three Cliffs Bay, and the Giant’s Causeway. Incorporating the latest anti-forgery technology, it is also the most secure British passport ever produced. This includes cutting-edge holographic and translucent features, making passports easier to verify and even harder to forge or tamper with.
This helps prevent illegal entry by people with no right to be in the UK, delivering on the government’s Plan for Change to secure Britain’s borders. Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Mike Tapp said: “The introduction of His Majesty’s Arms, iconic landscapes, and enhanced security features marks a new era in the history of the British passport. It also demonstrates our commitment to outstanding public service – celebrating British heritage while ensuring our passports remain among the most secure and trusted in the world for years to come.
“The updated passport is the first wholly new design since 2020. It comes as His Majesty’s Passport Office continues to deliver exceptional service to British citizens. In the first 6 months of 2025 over 3.8 million passports were issued, with 99.7% of applications where no further information was required being processed within 3 weeks, above the target of 98.5%.
“People should check their passport’s validity and apply in good time ahead of any planned travel. Passports issued with the Coat of Arms of Queen Elizabeth II remain valid until the expiry date.”
The first modern-style British passport was introduced in 1915, with the first security feature, a watermark, added in 1972. Since then, HM Passport Office has added dozens of further security measures to ensure British passports stay ahead of criminals, including complex patterns that are hard to replicate and features only visible under UV light.