How to avoid the pricey new passport fees as new application costs hit record high
FOR the first time ever, renewing a British passport is set to cost more than £100.
That makes it one of the most expensive in the world – so if you want to avoid the rising costs, here’s how you can do it.
From April 8, 2026, the fee to renew a passport online for adults will rise from £94.50 to £102.
The standard fee for children will see a £5 increase, from £61.50 to £66.50.
Postal applications will go up from £107 to £115.50 for adults and £74 to £80 for kids.
The charge for a next-day premium service made from within the UK will rise from £222 to £239.50.
The Home Office said that the price increase is to “move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation.”.
If you need to update your passport, but don’t want to pay the increased fees, there are a few ways to avoid them.
First of all, apply before April 8, 2026 so your renewal will cost the current rate of £94.50.
Second, don’t apply for a renewal by post as this will increase the fee by £13.50.
And if you’re trying to avoid high costs, apply with ample time and don’t opt for next-day premium service as this hikes up the price by over £100 compared to online renewal.
The Home Office say that 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.”
It also added that last year 99.7 per cent of applications last year that needed no further information were processed in under three weeks.
Those who still have a burgundy passport need to check the expiry date on their passports, as Brits are still being caught out.
You’ll need to have the passport renewed exactly six months before the expiry date to make sure you can still travel.
For example, if your passport was issued in June 2016, but your expiry date says September 2026, that expiry is incorrect.
Instead, your passport will expire 10 years past the start date – making the real expiry June 2026.
If travelling to the EU, your passport must be less than 10 years old.
It must also be valid for at least three months after the day you plan to return home.
For more on passport rules – here’s everything you need to know for travelling in 2026.
And check this new rule that was enforced in February 2026 affecting dual national citizens.