Getting or renewing a British passport
If you plan to travel aboard you need a passport. If you are a British citizen then the following guide has all of the information you need in order to to get a first passport for you, your child or renew an existing one.
Fees
A standard first adult passport or renewal costs £72.50
A standard first child passport or renewal costs £46
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An adult larger passport costs £85.50, this contains 48 pages compared with the standard which is 32 pages
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Premium renewal services described below have additional costs, see below.
Documentation
Your type of application will affect what documentation you need. Be certain to always provide originals or certified copies if an original is not available.
Photos
The rules for photos have changed recently and you can not take photos, following their guidance, using your smartphone. Additionally many photo booths now will take a photo and allow you to upload them electronically direct to your passport application. Both of these options can save you time.
Applying at the Post Office
For many years the Post Office have offered a Check and Send Service. It isn’t available in every Post Office but they have an easy way to see using the Branch Finder on their site to see which do, make sure you choose the Passport Check & Send service when you search. This provides a way of verifying the form has been completed correctly and that the details and additional documents have been supplied. This service costs an additional £10 on top of the usual fee.
Applying online
The easiest and probably fastest, without paying a premium way to do things. just follow their step by step process.
Applying by post
You can use the paper forms in the same way that you would for the Post Office Check & Send except not pay the premium for it to be verified. Be certain your paperwork is completed correctly to reduce any questions and delay to your application being processed.
Apply in person
Left it until the last minute? Have a change of travel plans? or an urgent need to get a passport then use the premium 1 day or fast track 1 week service.
The 1 day Premium service
This is available at passport offices and more recently introduced as a trial service online. Providing you have all of the supporting documents, a debit or credit card, your old passport and a suitable photo you will usually be able to collect your passport within 4 hours. You cannot use this for your first passport. You cannot use this if your current passport has been lost, stolen or damaged. If the online option is not suitable for you, can you visit in person. Find your nearest passport customer service centre. You pay an additional fee for this service. A standard adult passport starts at £128 if you are using this service.
The 1 week Fast Track service
With this service, your passport will be sent to your home within 1 week of your appointment at one of the passport customer service centres. You pay an additional fee for this service. A standard adult passport starts at £103 if you are using this service.
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