From February 2, new passport fees will be introduced for all applications including those who are newly applying or are renewing their passport. The alteration was revealed on the Government’s website, which stated that the increase was necessary to assist the Home Office in “continuing to improve its services.”
A regular online application for an adult made in the UK will cost £75.50 instead of £82.50. Meanwhile, the cost of a child’s passport under identical conditions will increase from £49 to £53.50. Postal applications will also see a hike, from £85 to £93 for adults and £58.50 to £64 for minors.
The Government’s web page announcing the proposals says: “The new fees will help the Home Office move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation.
“The Government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications”.
“The fees will also contribute to 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.”
The cost of applying for a passport has risen for the first time in five years, according to the Home Office.
The news comes on the heels of the unveiling of the world’s most powerful passports for 2023. For the sixth year in a row, Japan was ranked first in the Henley Passport Index’s 2023 rankings. Japanese nationals may currently visit 193 countries without a visa, accounting for 85% of the world’s total. South Korea and Singapore are tied for second position, with Germany and Spain in third place. The United Kingdom remained sixth in 2023, with a score of 187 out of 227 nations in its index.
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