One week passport warning before millions face paying more - how it affects you

25 January 2023 , 13:17

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The cost of a new passport will rise on Thursday February 2 (Image: Getty Images)

Holidaymakers have just one week left to renew their passports before application fees to renew rise by around 9%.

From next Thursday, February 2, the cost to replace your expired passport through a form online increases to £82.50.

This is £7 more than the current cost of £75.50.

For children's passports, the price will also increase from the current £49 to £53.50, which is an increase of £4.50.

To get a new passport through the standard paper form which can be collected at the Post Office, the price will increase by nearly £10 going from £85 now to £83 next week.

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For children, it will rise to £64 from £58.50.

The British passport is currently ranked 5th among global passports, according to the Guide Passport Ranking Index (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

For fast-track passports, which allow you to get your new passport in a week, is rising to £155 for adults and £126 for children.

This is £13 and £4 up respectively from the current price of £142 and £122.

For those who need the quickest turnaround, the premium passport services, which get you a new passport within the same day, are going up by nearly £20 to £193.50.

The same fees apply regardless of whether you're applying for your first passport, renewal or to replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport.

These increases, according to the Passport Office, will “help enable the government to continue improving its services”.

The Home Office, which runs the Passport office, also says the fees will help it move towards a system which meets its costs and reduces its reliance on funding from general taxation.

It also added : "The Government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications."

The Passport Office has not changed its advice on processing times in response to the change in prices however there is a risk that a surge in applications to beat the price rise will put more pressure on the system.

The turnaround time to renew the old burgundy EU passport used to be just two to three weeks in 2019.

Passport warning as prices to increase from today if you want to get a new one

Now, however, you need to allow up to 10 weeks for the turnaround according to an investigation published by the National Audit Office (NAO) in December last year.

The 10-week period is the current target for the Passport office, so you should be aware that it could also take longer so if your passport is expiring in the next three months, the earlier you apply the better.

Ruby Flanagan