Passports,explained.
An independent guide to applying for, renewing and replacing a UK passport. It links the official GOV.UK pages it draws on, and you always apply through GOV.UK.
Which route do I need?Four toolsin your browser
Nothing you enter is stored or sent.
Route checker
Three questions to the right official route, fee and countersigning rule.
Travel dates calculator
Enter your issue and expiry dates and the trip. Get a pass or fail for the Schengen and 6-month rules.
Nearest passport office
The seven offices for Fast Track and Premium appointments, how to book, and a finder by town or postcode.
Photo checklist
Every GOV.UK photo rule for adults, children and babies, ticked off one by one.
Every guide
- First passportAdult or child: who can apply and what to send.
- RenewingAdult and child renewals, step by step.
- Lost or stolenCancel it, then replace it.
- Photo rulesAn interactive checklist.
- CountersignatoriesWho qualifies, and what they write.
- FeesStandard and urgent, online and paper.
- Fast Track and PremiumWho can use them and what they cost.
- Name changesMarriage, deed poll, gender, appearance.
- Dual nationalityThe basics, and the limits abroad.
- InterviewsWhat GOV.UK says.
Dover Eastern Docks in 1983. Photograph by Ben Brooksbank, CC BY-SA 2.0.
What a standard passport costs
From the UK, 34-page passport. Full table, urgent services and sources.
| Online | Paper | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, valid 10 years | £102 | £115.50 |
| Child, valid 5 years | £66.50 | £80 |
Dover Ferry Terminal from the air. Photograph by Lieven Smits, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick answers
Still stuck? The Passport Adviceline can look at your own application.
Is this site official?
No. GB Passport is an independent guide and is not GOV.UK or HM Passport Office. Apply only on the official GOV.UK service.
Can I book travel before my passport arrives?
GOV.UK says not to. A new or renewed passport has a different number from the old one, so do not book travel until you have it.
How long is a passport valid?
An adult passport is valid for 10 years and a child passport for 5 years.
Does my passport need months left to travel?
It depends on where you go. For the Schengen area GOV.UK says it must be issued less than 10 years before you arrive and expire at least 3 months after you leave. Some countries want 6 months. Use the travel dates calculator.
Do you collect my details?
No. The tools run in your browser and nothing is sent or stored.
Ferry Terminal, Port of Dover. Photograph by habiloid, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Older passports
Burgundy passports, and ones with ‘European Union’ on the cover, can be used until they expire, according to GOV.UK. Before you travel, check your dates with the calculator.
British Dependent Territories (Hong Kong) passports, an archive photograph by Clithering, CC BY-SA 3.0. These are not current UK passports.