Passport costs are proposed to increase on 27th March 2018.
Online applications, which are available to all UK-based applicants, will increase from £72.50 to £75.50 for adults and £49 for children. Postal applications will increase by £12.50 to £85 for adults and £58.50 for children.
The proposals, which are subject to Parliamentary approval, would mean the money collected through fees will contribute to the cost of processing British passport holders as they travel in and out of the country, shifting the burden for paying for these services away from the taxpayer.
The Proposals are also likely to encourage the use of the online services.
Minister Caroline Nokes said:
“The passport is an invaluable document that allows millions of British people to travel around the world for business and pleasure.”
“Our priority is to ensure that UK travellers have a secure, effective, and efficient service from the point of application to the time they pass through the UK border and it is only right that we should look at this whole process when setting our fees.”
“These proposals will ensure that those people who don’t travel abroad are not footing the bill for those who do.”
If you decide to renew now, any time left on your old passport will be transferred to your new one up to a maximum of nine months.
It currently takes around three weeks for a new passport to arrive.
The proposals are unrelated to the announcement that the colour of the UK passport will be changing in 2019, which will be delivered at no additional cost.
