How to Cancel a UK Passport 2026: Lost, Stolen, or Deceased
Cancelling a UK passport is free in every case. The cost only appears when you replace it. Here is each route and what (if anything) you pay afterwards.
Cancelling a passport: cost in short
Cancelling a UK passport is free - there is no cancellation fee whether the passport is lost, stolen, or belonged to someone who has died. The only cost is replacing a lost or stolen passport, which is charged at the standard renewal fee: £102 online or £115.50 by post from 8 April 2026. Cancelling a deceased person's passport costs nothing and there is nothing to replace.
Which Cancellation Do You Need?
Cancelling a Lost or Stolen Passport
Reporting a UK passport as lost or stolen cancels it. Do this as soon as you realise it is gone, to stop anyone using it for identity fraud. The service is free.
Go to gov.uk/report-a-lost-or-stolen-passport, which opens the loststolenpassport.service.gov.uk service. Cancelling takes a few minutes and costs nothing.
Once cancelled, the passport can never be used again, even if you find it later. Only cancel when you are sure the passport is gone - a found, cancelled passport is dead and you must buy a new one.
Report a theft to the police (call 101 for non-emergencies) and keep the crime reference number. Travel insurers usually require it for any replacement claim.
Apply at gov.uk/apply-renew-passport. A replacement is charged at the standard renewal fee - there is no extra penalty for losing a passport.
What a Replacement Costs After Cancelling
| Service | Adult | Child (under 16) | Processing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard online | £102 | £66.50 | Usually within 3 weeks |
| Standard postal | £115.50 | £80 | Usually within 3 weeks |
| Fast track | £192 | £156.50 | ~1 week |
| Premium same-day | £239.50 | Not available | Same day |
Standard UK passport fees effective 8 April 2026. Confirm at gov.uk/passport-fees.
Unlike a normal renewal, where you keep your old passport while the new one is processed, a cancelled passport leaves you with no travel document. If you have upcoming travel, factor in fast track (~1 week, £192) or Premium same-day (£239.50). See lost passport replacement for the full walkthrough.
Cancelling the Passport of Someone Who Has Died
Report the death to HM Passport Office so the passport is cancelled and cannot be misused. This is free. There are two routes:
The government's Tell Us Once service reports a death to HMPO and other departments at the same time, online or by phone. You do not need to send the passport. The registrar gives you a Tell Us Once reference when you register the death.
If you do not use Tell Us Once, complete a D1 death-notification form and post it to HM Passport Office along with the passport (or the death certificate if the passport is lost or stolen).
You can ask HMPO to return the passport - cancelled and hole-punched, so the family can keep it - or to securely destroy it. There is no charge either way.
Full official guidance: gov.uk - what to do with a passport when the holder has died.