Travelling inevitably costs a pretty penny, and no matter how much you plan or budget, there are always niggly hidden costs that you haven’t accounted for. Airlines cover extra baggage costs until right before you pay for your flight, and there are always increased fees in peak travel times; plus, there are certain destinations that charge tourist tax on top of accommodation fees.
This year, the UK government’s Spring Budget introduced even more costs and taxes that have a direct impact on travellers – most significantly, an increase in Air Passenger Duty (APD) tax, meaning that passengers will need to pay more on UK outbound flights. Not to mention the plans for Europe’s tourist visa (Etias) that will be introduced in 2025, meaning non-EU travellers will have to pay a fee before entering.
Now, the cost of UK passports has risen for the second time in 14 months. In February 2023, the government increased the cost of passports by 9 per cent for the first time in five years, bringing the total for a standard adult online application from £75.50 to £82.50.
On Thursday 11 April 2024, the Home Office hiked up the price once again. This time, the fee is increasing by 7 per cent, with different costs for adults versus children, and depending on whether you apply online or by post. That means that adults applying by post will be faced with a £100 fee – more than £15 more than it cost at the beginning of 2023.
Guy Hobbs, a travel expert at Which?, told The Guardian that the increases might shock travellers renewing their passports. “While these latest price rises may well reflect rising production or processing costs, the UK passport is now amongst the priciest in Europe – and travellers due to renew will likely be shocked by how much these little blue books now cost,” he says. Below, we’ve outlined how much each passport costs. For more information, check gov.uk.
How much does it cost to buy a UK passport?
- Adult online application: £88.50
- Child online application: £57.50
- Adult postal application: £100
- Child postal application: £69
- Passports are free for people born on or before 2 September 1929