If your passport is nearing its expiry date, it’s a good idea to start thinking about renewing it – especially if you’ve got exciting travel plans on the horizon. But with renewal costs set to rise from 10 April 2025, there are a few changes you should be aware of.
Read on for an overview of which prices are rising and what the new renewal costs will be.
New passport costs from April 2025 – for UK applications
The fee for a standard online application made from the UK will rise:
- from £88.50 for adults or £57.50 for children
- to £94.50 for adults or £61.50 for children
The fee for a standard postal application made from the UK will rise:
- from £100 for adults and £69 for children
- to £107 for adults and £74 for children
The fee for the fast same day Premium Service for applications made in the UK, will rise:
- from £207.50 for adults and £176.50 for children
- to £222 for adults and £189 for children
New passport costs from April 2025 – for overseas applications
The fee for a standard online application when applying from overseas will rise:
- from £101 for adults and £65.50 for children
- to £108 for adults and £70 for children
The fee for standard paper applications made from overseas will rise:
- from £112.50 for adults and £77 for children
- to £120.50 for adults and £82.50 for children
Why are passport renewal costs going up?
The rising cost of passport renewals is part of the government’s plan to make sure that the service is funded by people who use it, rather than through general taxation. As a result, travellers will see an increase in renewal fees.
Where do passport renewal fees go?
According to GOV.UK, the cost of renewing your passport pays for the costs of:
- processing passport applications
- consular support overseas, including for lost or stolen passports
- processing British citizens at UK borders
When to apply for a passport
GOV.UK advises you to apply for your passport renewal in plenty of time before travelling.
The usual turnaround time for both paper and online applications is three weeks. But times can vary, so planning a little extra time is always advised.
If more information is needed to support your application after you submit it, you may be asked to send more details or even be called to an interview. In turn, this may increase the time it takes to get your new passport.
What happens if your passport is lost or stolen abroad?
In the second half of 2024, UK travellers had a total of 12,684 UK passports lost or stolen overseas. That’s according to data recently obtained by PayingTooMuch from HM Passport Office, under the Freedom of Information Act.
At a cost of £88.50 per passport, that’s a massive £1.1m cost to British travellers unfortunate enough to lose their passport on holiday.
And with additional expenses to each traveller – passport photos, postage to your destination, potential flight cancellations, emergency travel, and rebooking fees – a lost passport can be a steep and painful extra cost to your holiday.
The figures for the number of British passports that were reported as lost and stolen overseas in the second half of 2024, can be found in the table below.
| Month | UK passports lost overseas | UK passports stolen overseas | Total UK passports lost & stolen overseas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul-24 | 1,827 | 645 | 2,472 |
| Aug-24 | 1,802 | 586 | 2,388 |
| Sep-24 | 1,719 | 520 | 2,239 |
| Oct-24 | 1,641 | 482 | 2,123 |
| Nov-24 | 1,498 | 350 | 1,848 |
| Dec-24 | 1,290 | 324 | 1,614 |
| Total | 9,777 | 2,907 | 12,684 |
Make sure you’re covered
Having the right travel insurance means you’ll be covered for some of those costs, making the process of losing your passport on holiday a little less painful.
While policies vary, a good travel insurance policy will cover things like:
- lost passport, money and baggage
- trip interruptions and cancellations
- medical emergency and repatriation cover
- 24/7 medical support from overseas
With PayingTooMuch, you can compare quotes in minutes and get the right cover for your needs.
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