UK Passport Fee Increase, 11 April 2025
The first of two consecutive April increases. Adult online renewal rose from GBP 82.50 to GBP 94.50, a 14.5 percent jump and the largest single rise since 2018. Full breakdown below.
Historical reference page
The April 2025 rates were superseded by the 8 April 2026 increase. If you are applying now, use the current 2026 schedule at uk-passport-renewal-cost-2026 or gov.uk/passport-fees. This page covers the 2025 change for users researching the older event.
Every Tier Compared: Pre-2025, April 2025, April 2026
| Service | Pre-2025 | 11 April 2025 | 8 April 2026 | 2025 change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult online | £82.50 | £94.50 | £102 | +£12 (+14.5%) |
| Adult postal | £93 | £107 | £115.50 | +£14 (+15.1%) |
| Fast track adult | £142 | £155 | £166.50 | +£13 (+9.2%) |
| Premium same-day | £193.50 | £222 | £239.50 | +£28.50 (+14.7%) |
| Child online | £53.50 | £61.50 | £66.50 | +£8 (+15.0%) |
| Child postal | £64 | £74 | £80 | +£10 (+15.6%) |
Source: HMPO published fee schedules; pre-2025 rates last updated by the Identity and Passport Service in 2018.
Why the April 2025 Increase Happened
The 11 April 2025 fees were set by amendment to the Consular Fees Order and the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations. The Home Office and HM Passport Office cited three reasons in the explanatory memorandum that accompanied the statutory instrument:
- Cost recovery. HMPO operates on a cost-recovery model. The 2024 review concluded the previous schedule (last updated in 2018) no longer covered processing, security printing, and biometric chip costs after seven years of inflation.
- Funding HMPO operations. The Home Office stated the new fees were necessary to fund frontline passport processing and reduce the call on general taxation. Around 96 percent of HMPO funding comes from passport fees rather than tax revenue.
- Service standards. Maintaining the 10-week service standard required investment in throughput capacity. The fee increase was framed as funding the staffing levels needed to meet that target without slipping.
The increase was not universally welcomed. Consumer rights groups noted UK passport renewal had become one of the more expensive in the OECD. The Home Office position was that the previous fees had been held below cost for several years and the 2025 adjustment was a one-time catch-up. The further 2026 increase pushed the total two-year rise to roughly 23 percent.
Submission Date Determines the Fee You Paid
One of the most common 2025 confusion points: which fee applies if your application straddled the 11 April cutover. HMPO policy is simple but worth restating:
The submission date rule
The fee is fixed at the moment you submit and pay. If you submitted on or before 10 April 2025 (pre-cutover), you paid the pre-2025 rate of GBP 82.50 adult online even if your passport did not arrive until June. If you submitted on 11 April 2025 or later, you paid GBP 94.50.
In the days immediately before the cutover, GOV.UK saw a small spike in adult renewal submissions from people trying to lock in the old rate. The pattern was modest but visible. The same pattern repeated in early April 2026 ahead of the second increase.
What the 2025 Rate Did Not Change
The 11 April 2025 statutory instrument changed fees, not process. Several things that renewers often expect to change with a fee increase did not:
- Processing times. The 10-week service standard remained. Off-peak (November to February) actual turnarounds stayed at 3 to 4 weeks. Peak season (July, August) still ran to the full 10.
- 10-year validity for adults, 5-year for children. No change. You did not get more years for the higher fee.
- The 9-month early-renewal carry-over. Up to 9 months of unused validity continued to roll into the new passport.
- Photo standards and the photo-checker app. Unchanged. DIY photos via the gov.uk app remained free.
- The seven UK passport offices and their fast-track / premium availability. Same offices, same booking process via gov.uk/book-a-passport-appointment.
The 2025 to 2026 Two-Year Rise in Context
Looking at adult online renewal across the two consecutive increases shows the compounding effect:
An adult who renewed in March 2025 paid GBP 82.50. The same renewal in May 2025 cost GBP 94.50. In May 2026, GBP 102. Two consecutive April increases added GBP 19.50 (24 percent) to the adult online rate over 13 months.
If You Are Looking Back at a 2025 Application
A handful of practical scenarios worth flagging if you are revisiting a 2025 application now:
- Refund requests. HMPO does not refund the difference between old and new rates. If you submitted on 10 April 2025 at GBP 82.50, that fee is final. The increase was widely advertised in February and March 2025, so most submissions in the run-up to 11 April were voluntary.
- Receipts and records. HMPO sends an email confirmation showing the fee paid and the date of submission. Keep that for tax / business expense purposes if your renewal was work-related.
- Passport still valid. A 10-year passport issued in 2025 is valid until 2035. You are unaffected by the 2026 increase until your next renewal.