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Buy UK Passport: Official Fees, Application Routes & Eligibility
- Posted
- Editor
- Tessa Quinn
- 4 min read
Contents
A UK passport cannot be bought as a product. HM Passport Office issues it only to British citizens for a statutory fee. From 10 April 2025, a standard online adult application costs £102, or £115.50 on paper. A child passport costs £66.50 online or £80 on paper. The first step is to confirm your eligibility on GOV.UK.
What you receive
- A standard 34-page UK passport
- Adults aged 16 and over receive a 34-page passport when applying online for £102 or by paper form for £115.50 from within the UK. Children under 16 receive the same 34-page passport for £66.50 online or £80 by paper form.
- A 54-page frequent traveller passport
- Frequent travellers can receive a 54-page adult passport for £116 online or £129.50 by paper form. A child frequent traveller passport costs £80.50 online or £94 by paper form.
- A Premium Service one-day passport
- Applicants within the UK can receive their passport through the Premium Service, which costs £222 for adults and £189 for children as of 10 April 2025.
- An overseas-issued UK passport
- Applicants living outside the UK receive a standard passport for £108 online or £120.50 by paper form for adults. Children receive the same for £70 online or £82.50 by paper form.
- A passport issued by HM Passport Office
- The passport is issued only by the Home Office and HM Passport Office as the official issuing authorities. Fee proposals require approval by Parliament before taking effect.
UK Passport Application Routes: Fees, Processing Times & Requirements
| Application Route | Fee (from 10 April 2025) | Processing Time | Requirements | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard online adult (16+, 34 pages) – UK applicant | £102 [1][2] | Clarify with HM Passport Office | British citizenship; online application via GOV.UK [1] | Standard page count; not for urgent travel |
| Standard paper adult (16+, 34 pages) – UK applicant | £115.50 [1][2] | Clarify with HM Passport Office | British citizenship; completed paper form [1] | Higher fee than online; standard page count |
| Standard online child (under 16, 34 pages) – UK applicant | £66.50 [1] | Clarify with HM Passport Office | British citizenship; parental consent; online application [1] | Valid until 16th birthday; standard page count |
| Standard paper child (under 16, 34 pages) – UK applicant | £80 [1] | Clarify with HM Passport Office | British citizenship; parental consent; paper form [1] | Higher fee than online; valid until 16th birthday |
| Frequent traveller online adult (16+, 54 pages) – UK applicant | £116 [1] | Clarify with HM Passport Office | British citizenship; online application; justification for extra pages [1] | 54-page book only; not all applicants qualify |
| Frequent traveller paper adult (16+, 54 pages) – UK applicant | £129.50 [1] | Clarify with HM Passport Office | British citizenship; paper form; justification for extra pages [1] | Higher fee than online; 54-page book only |
| Frequent traveller online child (under 16, 54 pages) – UK applicant | £80.50 [1] | Clarify with HM Passport Office | British citizenship; parental consent; online application; justification [1] | Valid until 16th birthday; 54-page book only |
| Frequent traveller paper child (under 16, 54 pages) – UK applicant | £94 [1] | Clarify with HM Passport Office | British citizenship; parental consent; paper form; justification [1] | Higher fee than online; valid until 16th birthday |
| Premium Service (1 day) adult (16+) – UK applicant | £222 [3] | 1 working day [3] | British citizenship; in-person appointment at passport office; existing passport or supporting documents [3] | Appointment availability varies; not available overseas |
| Premium Service (1 day) child (under 16) – UK applicant | £189 [3] | 1 working day [3] | British citizenship; parental consent; in-person appointment; existing passport or supporting documents [3] | Appointment availability varies; not available overseas |
| Standard online adult (16+, 34 pages) – overseas applicant | £108 [3][4] | Clarify with HM Passport Office | British citizenship; online application via GOV.UK; overseas address [3][4] | Standard page count; longer processing than UK applications |
| Standard paper adult (16+, 34 pages) – overseas applicant | £120.50 [3][4] | Clarify with HM Passport Office | British citizenship; paper form; overseas address [3][4] | Higher fee than online; standard page count |
| Standard online child (under 16, 34 pages) – overseas applicant | £70 [3][4] | Clarify with HM Passport Office | British citizenship; parental consent; online application; overseas address [3][4] | Valid until 16th birthday; standard page count |
| Standard paper child (under 16, 34 pages) – overseas applicant | £82.50 [3][4] | Clarify with HM Passport Office | British citizenship; parental consent; paper form; overseas address [3][4] | Higher fee than online; valid until 16th birthday |
How to Get a UK Passport
Check your eligibility and choose your passport type
Confirm you are a British citizen and decide whether you need a standard 34-page passport or a 54-page frequent traveller passport. Fee categories are tied to your date of birth and passport type[1]. The Home Office and HM Passport Office are the issuing authorities[3].
Select your application route and pay the correct fee
Apply online through GOV.UK or use a paper form. A standard online adult passport costs £102, while a paper application costs £115.50[1]. A child passport costs £66.50 online or £80 on paper[1]. A 54-page frequent traveller adult passport costs £116 online or £129.50 on paper[1].
Use Premium Service if you need your passport within one day
The Premium Service (1 day) application made from within the UK costs £222 for adults and £189 for children, effective from 10 April 2025[3]. This is the fastest documented route, but it is only available for applications made from within the UK[3].
Submit your application with the required supporting documents
GOV.UK confirms that it costs £102 to renew or replace an adult passport online, or £115.50 using a paper form[2]. The specific documents required are not detailed in the available sources, so check the current GOV.UK application guidance before submitting.
Wait for processing and receive your passport
The available sources do not specify exact processing times for different channels. The fee changes effective 10 April 2025 were announced on 19 March 2025[3]. Check the official GOV.UK passport service for current processing estimates after you apply.
Verify your passport details upon receipt
Once your passport arrives, check that your personal details, passport type, and validity dates match your application. The statutory basis for fees is the Passport (Fees) Regulations 2022, amended with effect from 10 April 2025[4].
Risks, limitations and guarantees
HM Passport Office does not refund passport fees once an application is submitted. The fee is non-refundable whether your application is approved, refused, or withdrawn. If you pay for Premium Service and your appointment is cancelled by HM Passport Office, you may receive a refund of the premium element only—not the standard passport fee.
Passport fees change by statutory instrument and require Parliamentary approval before taking effect[3]. The most recent increase came into force on 10 April 2025[3]. Fees published on GOV.UK reflect the current statutory rates, but you should check the date of any fee information before paying. Fees paid before a statutory change are not adjusted retrospectively.
Paper applications cost more than online applications for every passport type[1][3]. An adult standard passport costs £115.50 by paper form compared to £102 online[1]. A child standard passport costs £80 by paper form compared to £66.50 online[1]. The paper fee includes handling costs that do not apply to digital submissions.
Premium Service appointments are subject to availability and are not offered at all passport offices or for all applicants[3]. The one-day service costs £222 for adults and £189 for children[3], but it is available only within the UK—not for overseas applicants. If you book an appointment and do not attend, you forfeit the entire fee.
No private seller or agent can legally issue a UK passport. Only HM Passport Office has statutory authority to issue passports[3]. Any offer to sell a passport outside the official application process is unlawful.
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