Passports are about to top £100 for the first time — travellers have 21 days to beat the hike

The cost of a passport is about to get even steeper.

Travellers have got just 21 days to apply for a new passport to avoid an incoming price hike, which sees application fees increasing from £94.50 to £102.

Taking effect on April 8 (subject to approval by Parliament), the extra £8.50 represents a nearly 8% rise, more than double the current rate of inflation.

This is the third consecutive annual increase, which means a passport will cost Brits 24% more now, compared to renewing in January 2024.

If you’re renewing your passport via post, the application fees will be even more expensive, increasing from £107 to £115.50 for an adult.

In a hurry? The one-day ‘premium service’ is rising from £222 to £239.50.

Children’s passports aren’t exempt either, going up from £61.50 to £66.50 for online applications, or from £74 to £80 by post.

And finally, expats will be paying more too, with overseas applications rising from £108 to £116.50 for an adult, and from £70 to £75.50 for children.

Why are UK passports getting more expensive?

According to the Home Office, the new fees will help it move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing its reliance on funding from taxation.

It adds the government doesn’t make a profit from the cost of a passport; instead, the money goes towards processing passport applications, consular support overseas (including for lost or stolen passports), and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders.

The Home Office also pointed out that in 2025, 99.7% of standard passport applications from the UK were processed within three weeks, but this is only in cases where no further information was required.

How expensive is a UK passport compared to Europe?

The UK passport is one of the most expensive in Europe, and the new price hike will see it come in at just slightly pricier than Italy, which charges £101.20.

It’s miles more expensive than the likes of Spain (£25.92), Croatia (£36.69), and Norway (£44.73).

It’s also pricier than France, which charges £74.29, and Portugal, which charges £86.39.

The UK isn’t the most expensive though, with a Swiss passport costing £132.61 and a Danish passport costing about £142.54.

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