Every UK resident will require a passport for international travel. According to Government guidelines, you can apply for a British passport if you’re a British citizen, a British overseas territories citizen, a British overseas citizen, a British subject, a British national (overseas), or a British protected person.
The HM Passport Office is in charge of issuing these documents, with the current average waiting time being three weeks or less. Fees are typically charged for renewing an existing passport or applying for a new one.
At present, a standard adult passport, applicable for those aged 16 and above, costs £94.50 when applied for online, or £107 when using the paper form.
Frequent travellers may prefer a 54-page passport instead of the standard 34-page one, which costs £107.50 online, or £120 via the form.
A standard child’s passport is priced at £61.50 or £74, while a frequent traveller child’s passport costs £74.50 or £87 when applying online or through the paper form, respectively, reports Bristol Post.
If you were born on or before a specific date, you are eligible for a free passport.
To obtain a new British passport or renew your existing one for free, you must have been born on or before 2 September 1929. You can also avail of the Post Office Check and Send service for free and receive free secure delivery.
However, the government advises that fees must be paid for urgent passport applications or for obtaining a frequent traveller passport.
This follows as British passport holders have been receiving urgent alerts from HM Passport Office.
In a text, they urge people to follow a link. They write: “Remember to check that your passport is valid for the country you are travelling to.”
They add that you need to “check the entry requirements” listing their website. Following the link takes you to the Foreign travel advice page. Listing a series of destinations, the page is there to help people get “advice and warnings about travel abroad, including entry requirements, safety and security, health risks and legal differences.”
Two popular destinations are Spain and France. In their travel advice, they note that both popular countries follow Schengen area rules.
This means that your passport must:
- Have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive – if you renewed your passport before October 1, 2018, it may have a date of issue that is more than 10 years ago
- Have an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (the expiry date does not need to be within 10 years of the date of issue)
However, places like Canada have different requirements. The Foreign Office warns: “To enter Canada, your passport must be valid for the length of your planned stay.
“If you’re travelling through another country on your way to or from Canada, check the entry requirements for that country. Many countries will only allow entry if you have at least 6 months’ validity remaining on your passport.”
