If you’ve been thinking about renewing your passport, stop thinking and start doing. From 10th April 2025, UK passport fees are going up again, with an eye-watering 25% increase and just three weeks notice. Because, apparently, the Home Office loves a last-minute surcharge.
In This Post
What’s Changing?
If you thought last year’s increase was bad, buckle up, here’s what you’ll be paying from April:
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- Online applications (UK residents):Adults: £94.50 (up from £88.50)
- Children: £61.50 (up from £57.50)
- Postal applications:Adults: £107 (up from £100)
- Children: £74 (up from £69)
- Premium one-day service:Adults: £222 (up from £207.50)
That’s an extra £5-£15 per passport, depending on the service, because nothing says “bon voyage“ like being charged more to leave the country.
Why Is This Happening?
According to the Home Office, the price hike is all about covering costs, passport processing, border control, and providing consular support overseas (including for lost or stolen passports). And they promise they’re not making a profit.
But let’s look at the trend:
- February 2023: Passport fees increased 9%
- April 2024: Another 7% rise
- April 2025: Up another 25%!
At this rate, we might have to start financing our passports like a car loan.
What People Are Saying
Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO of the Advantage Travel Partnership, summed up what most people are thinking:
It’s another financial hit for travellers and comes at a time when ongoing cost-of-living pressures continue to take their toll. It feels like travellers are continually penalised whenever they choose to travel overseas.
Translation? If you want to explore the world, prepare to pay up.
How Long Does a Passport Take to Process?
The Home Office insists that 99.7% of straightforward applications are processed within three weeks. But let’s be honest, “straightforward” isn’t always a given when dealing with UK bureaucracy.
Final Boarding Call: Renew Now
If your passport expires soon, apply before 10th April to avoid paying extra. That £5-£15 could buy you:
- A cocktail at the airport bar
- A luggage upgrade
- One overpriced airport sandwich
So, unless you’re keen on donating extra cash to the government, get your application in now. before the UK passport fees rises in 2025.
