Passport fees to rise again this week as government insists it doesn't profit

The latest 7% rise follows a 9% increase in February 2023, meaning a standard online application made from within the UK will rise to £88.50 for adults and £57.50 for children. Postal applications for adults will reach the £100 mark for the first time, an increase of £7, while those for children will cost £69.

The Home Office said: “The government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications,” adding the fees meant there was less reliance on funding the scheme through general taxation.

Overseas applicants pay extra, with a standard online application rising to £101 for adults and £65.50 for children. A paper application when applying from overseas will increase to £112.50 for adults and £77 for children.

The same fees apply to passport renewals. The Home Office said: “The fees 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.”

It added passport applications from within the UK “will usually” be issued within three weeks.