British Passport Application
Expert help with your British passport application, whether it’s your first passport after naturalisation, a child’s passport or a refused or delayed application.
call 0207 100 2525 to speak to a specialist today. Available 24/7
A British passport application is how a British citizen gets a passport. It proves your right to travel, but it doesn’t make you a citizen. If you’ve just been naturalised or registered, or you already hold British citizenship and need a first, child, renewed or replacement passport, this guide covers your British passport application in 2026. It includes the current fees (from £66.50 online), the realistic 3-week timeline, the documents HM Passport Office asks for, who can confirm your identity, and what to do if your British passport application is refused or delayed.
This page is for information only and does not constitute legal advice.
British passport application vs British citizenship: what's the difference?
You must already be a British citizen before you make a British passport application. Citizenship comes first, through birth, descent, registration or naturalisation. The passport only confirms the status the Home Office has already given you.
If you aren’t yet a British citizen, start with the route that applies to you:
- Naturalisation as a British Citizen: if you hold ILR or settled status
- British Citizenship by Descent: through a British parent
- British Citizenship by Birth: children born in the UK
- British Citizenship by Marriage: spouses and civil partners of British citizens
Once you hold a naturalisation or registration certificate, or were born British, everything below applies.
How to make a British passport application: step by step
- Check you’re eligible. You must be a British national. For a first adult passport you must be 16 or over (or turning 16 within 3 weeks) and never have had a UK passport. See who can apply on GOV.UK.
- Choose online or paper. Online costs £102 for an adult; a paper form from a Post Office costs £115.50. Online is cheaper and usually quicker.
- Get a compliant digital photo. Most delays start here. Use a plain light background, a neutral expression and no glasses. Check the passport photo rules.
- Complete the form and pay. Enter your parents’ details (and your grandparents’ if your parents were born after 1982 or outside the UK).
- Arrange identity confirmation. Online applicants nominate someone who confirms your identity online. Paper applicants need a countersignatory to sign the form and a photo.
- Send your original documents. HM Passport Office emails you a list. Processing starts only when your documents arrive.
- Attend an interview if asked. First-time adult applicants may be interviewed by video to confirm their identity.
- Receive your passport and documents. Your passport arrives by courier or recorded delivery. Your supporting documents come back separately.
British passport application fees in 2026
Passport fees rose on 8 April 2026. An adult British passport application now costs £102 online or £115.50 by post (source: GOV.UK passport fees).
| Passport type | Online | By post |
| Adult, 34-page (standard) | £102 | £115.50 |
| Child (under 16), 34-page | £66.50 | £80 |
| Adult, 54-page (frequent traveller) | £116 | £129.50 |
| Child, 54-page (frequent traveller) | £80.50 | £94 |
| Born on or before 2 September 1929 | Free | Free |
Urgent services (source: Get a passport urgently):
| Service | Adult | Child | Who can use it |
| 1 Week Fast Track | £192 (54-page £206) | £156.50 (54-page £170.50) | Renewals, replacements, detail changes, child passports |
| 1 Day Online Premium | £239.50 (54-page £253.50) | Not available | Adult renewals only |
Secure return delivery of documents costs an extra £5. Many sites still quote the pre-April figures (£94.50 for an adult). Those are out of date.
How long does a British passport application take?
HM Passport Office says you’ll usually get your passport within 3 weeks. The clock starts when it receives your documents, not when you submit the form. It can take longer if it needs more information or an interview, and it will tell you within 3 weeks if that’s the case (source: HM Passport Office processing times).
First adult passports can’t be fast-tracked. GOV.UK states that the Fast Track and Premium services aren’t available if you’re applying for a first adult passport, or if you’re outside the UK. Most people reading this page are newly naturalised citizens, so plan around the standard 3-week-plus timeline and don’t book travel until your passport arrives. Your new passport number will also differ from any old one.
For travel because of a medical emergency or a family death, call the Passport Adviceline. You can track your passport application online.
Documents you need for a British passport application
You must send original documents. Photocopies aren’t accepted, and anything not in English or Welsh needs a certified translation (source: documents you need).
| Your situation | Documents for your British passport application |
| Naturalised or registered as a British citizen | Naturalisation or registration certificate and the passport you used to come into the UK (or the foreign passport you’re included on) |
| Born or adopted in the UK before 1 January 1983 | Full birth or adoption certificate |
| Born or adopted in the UK on or after 1 January 1983 | Full birth certificate plus evidence of a parent’s British citizenship (UK birth certificate, naturalisation/registration certificate or British passport) or a parent’s settled status at your birth |
| Born abroad on or after 1 January 1983 to a British parent | Full birth certificate, the passport you entered the UK on, and evidence of a parent’s British nationality |
| Born abroad before 1 January 1983, father born in the UK | Full birth certificate, father’s birth certificate, parents’ marriage certificate, the passport you entered the UK on |
| Renewing or replacing | Your most recent passport, or a police reference if it was lost or stolen |
If you’re relying on your father’s documents, you must also send your parents’ marriage certificate. Online applications tell you exactly which documents apply to you.
Identity confirmation and countersignatories
Every first adult British passport application needs someone to vouch for you. Online, they confirm your identity digitally. On paper, they countersign the form and a photo (source: countersigning rules).
The person must:
- have known you personally for at least 2 years
- hold a current British or Irish passport if they live in the UK (abroad: British, Irish, EU, US or Commonwealth)
- work in a recognised profession or be a person of good standing in their community
- not be related to you by birth or marriage, be in a relationship with you, or live at your address
A paper countersignature is also needed for first child passports, lost, stolen or damaged replacements, renewals for children aged 11 or under, and renewals where your appearance has changed significantly.
Dual nationals: what your British passport application must match
If you hold another nationality, the name and gender on your non-British passport must match what you put on your British passport application. If they differ, change the foreign passport first.
This matters more now. Since the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation became fully enforced in 2026, dual British citizens can’t use an ETA. To travel to the UK they need a valid UK or Irish passport or a certificate of entitlement (see the ETA guide for dual citizens). Get your British passport application in well before you travel.
Child British passport applications
A child British passport application must be made by someone with parental responsibility. It costs £66.50 online, and the passport is valid for 5 years. You’ll need both parents’ details, or a reason you can’t give them. Children born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983 need evidence that a parent was British or settled when they were born, which is where British Citizenship by Birth and child registration issues often come up. See Get a child passport.
Making a British passport application from abroad
British nationals overseas use the separate overseas service. Fees and timelines differ, and urgent services aren’t available. Allow extra time for couriering original documents and certified translations. See Overseas passport applications.
Common mistakes that delay a British passport application
- A photo that fails the current rules (shadows, glasses, the wrong background)
- Names that don’t match across the naturalisation certificate, the foreign passport and the British passport application
- An identity confirmer or countersignatory who hasn’t known you for 2 years or doesn’t qualify
- Sending photocopies instead of originals, or untranslated documents
- Paying for Fast Track or Premium on a first adult application. It isn’t available, and a duplicate application costs a £34.50 admin fee.
- Booking flights before the passport arrives
What to do if your British passport application is refused or delayed
A refused British passport application is not a citizenship refusal. It usually means HM Passport Office isn’t satisfied about your identity or your evidence of nationality. Common causes are details that can’t be verified, inconsistencies between documents, questions about how citizenship was acquired, and (rarely) security concerns. There’s no tribunal appeal. You respond by giving further evidence, asking for a review or, where the decision is unlawful, by judicial review.
If your citizenship status is the real question, for example if you were born abroad to a British parent, it may be quicker to confirm your status first through British Citizenship by Descent.
How our solicitors help with your British passport application
Adam Bernard Solicitors’ SRA-regulated immigration team handles British passport applications from our High Holborn and Upton Park offices for:
- newly naturalised and registered citizens applying for a first adult passport
- dual nationals with name or gender mismatches
- children with complex parentage or birth-before-settlement issues
- refused, delayed or interview-stage applications
We check every document against HM Passport Office requirements before you submit, and we’ll tell you plainly whether an urgent service is open to you before you pay for one.
Book a free consultation or call 0207 100 0505 (High Holborn) / 0207 100 2525 (Upton Park).
British passport application FAQs
Do I need to be a British citizen before I make a British passport application?
How long does a first British passport application take?
Can I fast-track my first adult British passport?
How much does a British passport application cost in 2026?
Do I need a countersignatory if I apply online?
What documents do I need after naturalisation?
Can I travel on my other passport while my British passport application is processed?
What happens if my British passport application is refused?
Request to book a Free Consultation
Our Clients Share Their Success Stories.
Good service 👍 👌 many thanks for the great service you have provided to us. Our visa got approved just within 2 weeks only because of your hardwork and subject matter expertise. I am very thankful to you
For me, it was the attitude towards the job the lawyers displayed. Totally unmatched. I've been in and out of law firms because of the divorce with my wife and other related issues but Adam Bernard Solicitors was it for me guys. The best!
I want to thank Adam Benard team, they really helped me in my process of purchasing a property, their team are listen and respond to their customers fast. I really love your service, thanks alot.
Adam Bernard team helped me to purchase the best property for the best amount of time for the best money i have . i personally love dealing with them and i thank the team for all the efforts they made to make the task better .
