British passport prices are set to rise from 8 April 2026, according to a Home Office announcement introducing the measure. Fees will increase by around eight percent, taking the cost of a standard British adult passport to over £100 (around €115, at today’s exchange rate) for the first time.
The proposals, still subject to parliamentary approval, are intended to “help the Home Office to continue to move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation,” a press statement said.
The fee for processing a standard online application will go from £94.50 to £102 for adults (aged 16 and over) and from £61.50 to £66.50 for children. It costs more to send a postal application, with postal fees rising from £107 to £115.50 for adults and from £74 to £80 for children.
For those applying from overseas, the fee for a standard online application is set to increase from £108 to £116.50 for adults, and from £70 to £75.50 for children. Again, dealing in paperwork from abroad costs more: up from £120.50 to £130 for adults and £82.50 to £89 for children.
Passports: these are the facts 👆 #Travel #UKtravel #Passport pic.twitter.com/XXmwziF03m
— GOV.UK (@GOVUK) April 4, 2025
Anyone requiring an expedited UK service will have to cough up for a premium, one-day application, rising from £222 to £239.50.
It is not the first time in recent years that passport prices have been raised in the UK. The current proposal for an eight percent rise comes on top of a seven percent increment in both 2025 and 2024, and an uptick of nine percent in 2023.
@itzjustla 21 days until price rise for passports ✈️ #passport #uk #homeoffice ♬ original sound – Itzjustla✨
With the price of passports set to break the £100 mark if the proposals are approved by parliament, there could be a rush to get applications in before the increase comes into force on 8 April. Normally, new passports take an average of three weeks to organise, leaving only a small window for those looking to save money, while those simply needing a new passport could face longer waiting times if there is a surge in applications.
What’s more, the change coincides with a controversial measure introduced on 25 February 2026 that affects British citizens who are holders of two or more passports from different countries. They could now be refused entry to the UK without a British passport or a new digital certificate of entitlement to attach to their second passport.
British and Irish dual nationals – make sure your British or Irish passport is valid.
— UK Visas & Immigration Official (@UKVIgovuk) February 10, 2026
Travel with this document when visiting the UK or with a valid certificate of entitlement.
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The shift in immigration policy means that people who have never before had to apply for a British passport or entitlement certificate must now try to obtain one at short notice if they want to travel to the UK. Certificates of entitlement are currently priced at £589.
As all these calendars, costs, and legal factors create the perfect conditions for a run on passports, the government advises the public “that they should apply in good time before travelling.”
Some commentators have suggested that adding to the cost of summer holidays will not be well received by hard-pressed families amid a cost-of-living crisis. However, the Home Office statement emphasised that “The government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications,” explaining that the charge goes towards funding the cost “of processing passport applications, consular support overseas, including for lost or stolen passports, and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders.”
