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Passport prices are going up but is it worth renewing early?

Photo of Jacob LewisPhoto of Jacob Lewis
By Jacob Lewis

22 March 20242 min read

View of a hand holding a British passport in an airport

Passport application fees are increasing in the UK on 11 April.

This marks the second consecutive year of price hikes, prompting many to wonder if it's worth renewing their passports early to beat the increase.

Here's a breakdown of how much passport fees are increasing.

Adults

  • Online application: Increasing from £82.50 to £88.50 (a £6.00 increase)
  • Postal application: Increasing from £93.00 to £100.00 (a £7.00 increase)

Children

  • Online application: Increasing from £53.50 to £57.50 (a £4.00 increase)
  • Postal application: Increasing from £64.00 to £69.00 (a £5.00 increase)

Is it financially smart to renew early?

The answer depends entirely on when you were planning on renewing your passport anyway:

  • Adult online passports: You'll save money by renewing before the price hike if you were planning to do so by 17 December of this year. After that point, waiting to renew next year would be cheaper, even with the increased fees.
  • Children's online passports: The break-even point is 14 August. If you were going to renew your child's passport before then, do it now to avoid the higher fees.

If you renew your passport early, any remaining time on your current passport will not be added to the new passport's ten-year validity, which is why you might be throwing money away by renewing too early.

Why are passport fees increasing?

The Home Office states that these fee increases are necessary to ensure that passport services remain self-funded. This means the fees must cover the costs of processing applications, supporting citizens with lost or stolen passports abroad, and processing citizens at UK borders. The government maintains that it does not profit from these fees.

Key takeaways

  • If you were already planning on renewing your or your child's passport this year, it’s probably best to do it before 11 April to save money.
  • If you weren't planning on renewing until next year, it may be slightly more cost-effective to wait, even with the higher fees.
  • Remember, renewing early means sacrificing any remaining time on your current passport.

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