The standard British passport application cost in 2026 is £102 for an adult applying online in the UK, or £115.50 using a paper form. A child passport costs £66.50 online or £80 by paper form. These fees took effect on 8 April 2026 and apply whether you are getting your first passport, renewing, or replacing a lost, stolen or damaged one (GOV.UK passport fees).
This guide sets out every official fee that can make up your British passport application cost: standard, frequent traveller (54-page), urgent, Post Office Check and Send, overseas and delivery charges. Every figure is taken from GOV.UK or the regulations that set the fees.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Fees can change; always confirm on GOV.UK before you pay.
British passport application cost at a glance (UK applications)
| Passport type | Apply online | Paper form |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (16 and over), standard 34-page | £102 | £115.50 |
| Adult (16 and over), 54-page frequent traveller | £116 | £129.50 |
| Child (under 16), standard 34-page | £66.50 | £80 |
| Child (under 16), 54-page frequent traveller | £80.50 | £94 |
| Born on or before 2 September 1929 | Free | Free |
Source: GOV.UK – Passport fees.
Applying online saves £13.50 on every adult and child passport. It is the cheapest way to apply.
Does a first passport cost more than a renewal?
No. A first adult passport, a renewal and a replacement all cost the same. GOV.UK confirms it costs £102 to renew or replace an adult passport online, or £115.50 with a paper form (Renew or replace your adult passport). The fee depends on the passport type and how you apply, not on why you are applying.
The main cost difference for first-time adult applicants is speed, not price: the urgent services are not available for a first adult passport (Get a passport urgently). If you have recently become British through naturalisation, you will pay the standard fee and wait for the standard service.
How much does a child passport cost?
A child (under 16) passport costs £66.50 online or £80 by paper form, rising to £80.50 or £94 for a 54-page passport. The fee is the same for a first child passport and a renewal. A child passport can also be processed through the 1 week Fast Track service for £156.50 (or £170.50 for 54 pages); the 1 day Premium service is for adult renewals only (Get a passport urgently; Get a passport for your child).
Urgent British passport application cost
If you need a passport quickly, the 1 week Fast Track costs £192 for an adult and the 1 day Premium service costs £239.50. Both are booked online and involve an appointment at a passport office.
| Urgent service | Adult 34-page | Adult 54-page | Child 34-page | Child 54-page | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 week Fast Track | £192 | £206 | £156.50 | £170.50 | Renewals, detail changes, lost/stolen/damaged replacements, child passports |
| 1 day Premium | £239.50 | £253.50 | Not available | Not available | Adult renewals only |
Source: GOV.UK – Get a passport urgently.
These urgent fees are the total price, not an add-on to the £102 standard fee.
Two extra charges to avoid:
- £34.50 admin fee if you apply for an urgent passport while a standard application is already in progress. You will not get your passport any sooner.
- £34.50 admin fee if you cancel an urgent appointment less than 48 hours before it. If you miss the appointment altogether, there is no refund.
Neither urgent service can be used for a first adult passport or from outside the UK. If you need to travel urgently for medical treatment, or because a relative or friend is seriously ill or has died, GOV.UK asks you to call the Passport Adviceline instead.
Post Office Check and Send: what it adds to the cost
Check and Send costs £16 on top of the passport fee. Post Office staff check your application before it goes to HM Passport Office, which makes rejection less likely (GOV.UK – Passport Check and Send).
- Digital Check and Send: £16, and the price includes your photo. Staff help you complete the online application.
- Paper Check and Send: £16, plus the paper fee and the cost of your own photos. The Post Office sends your form to HM Passport Office by Special Delivery.
- Free if you qualify for a free passport (born on or before 2 September 1929).
Check and Send fees are only refunded if HM Passport Office writes to say the Post Office made a mistake. A rejected application is not refunded.
Other charges that can add to your British passport application cost
- Secure return of supporting documents: an extra £5 if you want your documents (for example, a birth or naturalisation certificate) returned by secure delivery. Second-class post is free (Passport fees).
- Photos: not included in the passport fee unless you use Digital Check and Send.
- No refunds: you cannot get a refund if you cancel or are found not to be entitled to a passport (Passport fees).
British passport application cost from abroad
British nationals applying from outside the UK pay higher fees: £116.50 online or £130 by paper for an adult, and £75.50 online or £89 by paper for a child. These rose on 8 April 2026 (GOV.UK news: New fees for passport applications).
| Overseas application | Online | Paper |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, standard | £116.50 | £130 |
| Child, standard | £75.50 | £89 |
| Frequent traveller (54-page) | £130.50 | £144 |
Sources: GOV.UK news story; Explanatory Memorandum to SI 2026/311 (54-page figures).
Overseas applicants also pay courier charges. Under the 2026 Regulations, overseas delivery and document-return charges were set at a standard £14.32, and the charge for forwarding a postal application at £16.24. Applicants overseas cannot use Fast Track or Premium, and HM Passport Office guidance says you cannot avoid the higher overseas fee by applying through the UK service (Explanatory Memorandum, para 5.24; Overseas passport applications).
How the British passport application cost changed on 8 April 2026
Passport fees rose by about 8% on 8 April 2026 under The Immigration, Nationality and Passports (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/311).
| Fee | Before 8 April 2026 | From 8 April 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, online (UK) | £94.50 | £102 |
| Adult, paper (UK) | £107 | £115.50 |
| Child, online (UK) | £61.50 | £66.50 |
| Child, paper (UK) | £74 | £80 |
| Adult 54-page, online (UK) | £107.50 | £116 |
| Adult 54-page, paper (UK) | £120 | £129.50 |
| 1 week Fast Track (adult / child) | £178 / £145 | £192 / £156.50 |
| 1 day Premium (adult) | £222 | £239.50 |
| Overseas adult (online / paper) | £108 / £120.50 | £116.50 / £130 |
| Overseas child (online / paper) | £70 / £82.50 | £75.50 / £89 |
Sources: GOV.UK news story, 18 March 2026; Explanatory Memorandum, paras 5.21–5.22.
If a website still quotes £94.50 for an adult passport, it is out of date.
Why the fee went up
The Home Office says passport fees are set to recover costs and that it makes no profit from them. Fees cover processing applications, consular help abroad (including for lost and stolen passports) and processing British citizens at UK borders (GOV.UK news story). Its own transparency data shows the fee is still below cost: an adult online application costs £102 but has an estimated unit cost of £121.66 (UK passport fees transparency data, 30 June 2026).
What you will actually pay: worked examples
| Scenario | How it adds up | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, first passport or renewal, online | £102 | £102 |
| Adult, online, documents returned by secure delivery | £102 + £5 | £107 |
| Adult, paper form via Post Office paper Check and Send | £115.50 + £16 (+ your photos) | £131.50 + photos |
| Family of two adults and two children, online | (2 × £102) + (2 × £66.50) | £337 |
| Adult renewal, 1 day Premium, 54-page | £253.50 | £253.50 |
| Child, 1 week Fast Track | £156.50 | £156.50 |
All figures from GOV.UK passport fees, Get a passport urgently and Passport Check and Send.
How to pay the passport fee
| How you apply | Debit or credit card | Cheque or postal order | Cash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Yes | No | No |
| By post | Yes (on the form in the pack) | Payable to ‘HM Passport Office’ | No |
| Post Office Check and Send | Yes | Postal order only, payable to ‘Post Office Ltd’ | Yes |
Source: GOV.UK – Passport fees. If paying by cheque or postal order, write the application barcode numbers on the back.
Is the cost worth it if you apply late?
The cheapest British passport application cost is only available if you leave enough time. HM Passport Office says you will usually get your passport within 3 weeks, counted from when it receives your documents (HM Passport Office – About our services). In 2025, 99.7% of standard UK applications that needed no further information were processed within 3 weeks (GOV.UK news story).
Applying early is the simplest way to avoid paying £192 or £239.50 for an urgent service, especially as first adult applicants cannot fast-track at all. Do not book travel until your new passport arrives.
Does a solicitor add to the cost?
You do not need a solicitor to apply for a British passport, and the HM Passport Office fee is the same either way. Legal help is useful where your application is not straightforward: a first passport after naturalisation or registration, documents that do not match, a child whose British status depends on a parent’s status at birth, or an application that has been delayed or refused.
Adam Bernard Solicitors’ fee for a British passport application is £350–£500 (VAT charged where applicable), as listed on our immigration fees page. The government fee is paid by you directly to HM Passport Office.
If your entitlement to a passport depends on how you became British, our guides to British citizenship by descent and British citizenship by birth explain the evidence HM Passport Office expects. Book a free consultation or call 0207 100 2525.
