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UK passport fees to cross £100 for the first time under new hike from April 8
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UK passport fees to cross £100 for the first time under new hike from April 8
Apr 08, 2026
- UK passport fee to rise above £100 for the first time.
- New charges will apply to both domestic and overseas applications.
- ETA fee also set to increase by 25 per cent from April 8.
For the first time, the cost of a standard UK passport is set to move beyond £100, as the government plans another round of fee increases from April 8, subject to Parliament’s approval.
The UK passport fee hike will see the price of an online adult application within the UK rise from £94.50 to £102. For children, the fee will go up from £61.50 to £66.50. The increase applies across the board — whether applying online or by post, from within the UK or overseas.
This marks the third consecutive annual rise. Passport fees had already gone up by 9 per cent in 2023 and 7 per cent in 2024, suggesting a steady upward trend in the cost of travel documentation.
More expensive across every route
The increase is not limited to domestic applications. For those applying from outside the UK, a standard online passport will cost £116.50 for adults, up from £108, while children’s applications will rise to £75.50 from £70.
Paper applications from overseas are also becoming pricier, climbing from £120.50 to £130 for adults and from £82.50 to £89 for children. Even postal applications within the UK will see a jump, with adult fees rising from £107 to £115.50 and children’s from £74 to £80.
For those opting for faster processing, the premium one-day service will increase from £222 to £239.50.
Despite the higher costs, applying online remains the cheaper option — around £12.50 less than postal applications — and continues to be the quicker route. According to government data, 99.7 per cent of standard UK applications in 2025 were processed within three weeks where no additional information was required.
Applicants can complete the process online, including renewals and updates, or visit a Post Office for assistance, where staff can help with digital photos and form submission for an added fee.
Not just passports getting pricier
Alongside passport fees, the cost of an Electronic Travel Authorisation is also set to rise. The ETA fee will increase from £16 to £20, marking a 25 per cent jump from April 8.
While existing passports — including older burgundy ones marked ‘European Union’ — will remain valid until expiry, the rising costs may prompt travellers to rethink when and how they apply.
For now, the changes point to a broader pattern — travel documentation is getting more expensive, and the days of sub-£100 UK passports appear to be over.
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