This is your official warning that there is just one more week to renew your passport before fees go up – thank us later.
From next week, the cost to replace your document will rise by approximately 9%.
People will have to pay £82.50 to replace an expired passport through an online form – a £7 increase from the current price of £75.50.
Getting a new passport for a child will also increase by £4.50, from £49 to £53.50.
Meanwhile, postal applications will increase from £85 to £93 for adults and £58.50 to £64 for children.
Overseas standard paper applications will go up from £95.50 to £104.50 for adults and £65.50 to £71.50 for children.
The increased fees will apply to both new passport applications and renewals, and will come into force from Thursday, February 2.
It is the first time in five years that the UK has increased the fee of applying for a passport.
The Home Office has said the change will help reduce the reliance on taxpayers’ money to improve the service, which has been plagued by lengthy delays.
A statement says it will help ‘move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it’.
When the UK was part of the EU, renewing a passport used to be just two to three weeks in 2019.
But since January last year, more than 95% of standard applications have been processed within 10 weeks.
Customers are urged to apply months in advance before travelling.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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