UK Passport Renewal Cost 2026
Year-stamped reference for every UK passport fee in 2026. Five service tiers, two age brackets, plus the cost of photos, courier delivery, and the early-renewal carry-over rule.
2026 in one sentence
UK adult passport renewal in 2026 costs £102 online or £115.50 by post. Children pay £66.50 online (£80 postal). Both fees rose roughly 8 percent on 8 April 2026.
Full 2026 Fee Table (All Tiers, All Ages)
Every HMPO service in 2026. Online, postal, fast track, premium same-day, plus the overseas surcharge applied to applications submitted from outside the UK.
| Service | Adult (16+) | Child (under 16) | Processing | How to apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard online | £102 | £66.50 | Up to 10 weeks | gov.uk/renew-adult-passport |
| Standard postal | £115.50 | £80 | Up to 10 weeks | Paper form from Post Office |
| Fast track | £166.50 | £135.50 | ~1 week | gov.uk + passport office appointment |
| Premium same-day | £239.50 | Not available | 4 hours | gov.uk + passport office appointment |
| Overseas online | £116.50 | £75.50 | Up to 10 weeks | gov.uk/overseas-passports |
| Overseas postal | £130 | £89 | Up to 10 weeks | British Embassy / High Commission |
Source: HMPO published fee schedule effective 8 April 2026. Confirm at gov.uk/passport-fees.
What Actually Changed on 8 April 2026
The 2026 increase was the second consecutive April fee rise. The 2025 change went from a pre-2025 schedule (adult online GBP 88.50) to GBP 94.50. The 2026 change pushed that to GBP 102. So an adult renewer paying online has seen the fee rise by roughly 15 percent over two years.
| Service | Pre-2025 | April 2025 | April 2026 | Two-year rise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult online | £82.50 | £94.50 | £102 | +£19.50 (+23.6%) |
| Adult postal | £93 | £107 | £115.50 | +£22.50 (+24.2%) |
| Fast track adult | £142 | £155 | £166.50 | +£24.50 (+17.3%) |
| Premium adult | £193.50 | £222 | £239.50 | +£46 (+23.8%) |
| Child online | £53.50 | £61.50 | £66.50 | +£13 (+24.3%) |
Pre-2025 rates from the HMPO 2018 to 2024 fee schedule (last 2018 increase). See our April 2025 fee increase guide for the statutory instrument detail.
The Hidden Add-Ons (What the Headline Fee Misses)
The GBP 102 headline is the renewal fee. Most renewers also pay for a photo, and some pay courier delivery for the secure return of their old passport. Build the total cost like this:
Standard online cheapest route
- Renewal fee: £102
- DIY photo (GOV.UK app): £0
- Courier delivery (standard): £0
- Total: £102
Typical online with booth photo
- Renewal fee: £102
- Photo booth: £10
- Courier delivery (standard): £0
- Total: £112
Fast track adult
- Fast track fee: £166.50
- Photo (taken by photographer or booth): £10
- Travel to office (return): typically £10 to £50
- Total: ~£190 all in
Premium same-day adult
- Premium fee: £239.50
- Photo: £10
- Last-minute travel to office: £20 to £100
- Total: ~£270 all in
2026 Family Cost Scenarios
Most renewals are not single-applicant. Here are the most common family combinations at 2026 rates, all assuming online application and DIY photos.
| Scenario | Adults | Children | 2026 total | vs 2024 cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo adult | 1 | 0 | £102 | +£19.50 |
| Couple, no kids | 2 | 0 | £204 | +£39 |
| Family of 3 (2 adult, 1 child) | 2 | 1 | £270.50 | +£52 |
| Family of 4 (2 adult, 2 child) | 2 | 2 | £337 | +£65 |
| Family of 5 (2 adult, 3 child) | 2 | 3 | £403.50 | +£78 |
| Single parent + 2 children | 1 | 2 | £235 | +£45.50 |
Per-applicant: adult GBP 102, child GBP 66.50. Use the free family cost calculator on the homepage for non-standard combinations.
When to Renew in 2026 (Not Just How Much)
UK passports can be renewed at any point, but the calculus changes with how close you are to expiry. Three timing rules to know in 2026:
9-month early carry-over
Up to nine months of unused validity on your current passport carries over to your new 10-year passport. Renew when your current document has 8 months and 29 days left, and your new passport is valid for 10 years and (nearly) 9 months. Same GBP 102 fee.
EU 6-month rule
Most EU member states require UK passports to have at least 6 months of validity remaining on the date you leave the EU. Effectively this means renewing roughly 9 months before expiry to avoid the risk of being turned away at the gate. The FCDO publishes country-specific advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.
10-week service window
HMPO recommends applying at least 10 weeks before any planned travel. In off-peak months (January, February, November, December) the actual turnaround is typically 3 to 4 weeks, but the 10-week buffer is the safe planning horizon.
Five Ways to Pay Less in 2026
Online is structurally cheaper than the paper form. Processing time is identical. The GBP 13.50 difference (GBP 102 vs GBP 115.50) was widened in the 2025 fee change to push more applications online.
Photograph yourself on your phone, run the image through the gov.uk photo checker as part of the online application. No booth, no photographer. The checker rejects bad photos before you submit.
Several websites charge a surcharge on top of the HMPO fee for assistance with the application. There is no real assistance offered: the form is the same, the fee is the same, the wait is the same. Apply directly at gov.uk/renew-adult-passport.
November, December, January, and February see turnarounds of 3 to 4 weeks. July and August can stretch to the full 10. You pay the same fee but save the cost of fast-track if your situation drifts.
Photos, identity documents, and certificates can be reused across family applications in the same trip. The fee is per-passport, but the time cost of preparing the application is largely fixed.
2026 Costs by Specific Scenario
Quick links to the dedicated guides for the most common 2026 renewal situations.
Fast Track GBP 166.50
Around 1 week, passport office appointment
Premium GBP 239.50
4-hour collect, adults only
Child GBP 66.50
Under 16, 5-year validity
Baby Passport
First passport for newborns and under 3s
Teen Passport
The 16th-birthday cost transition
Over 60 Renewal
Same fee as everyone else
1 Week Renewal
Fast track decision tree
Damaged Replacement
Same fee, slightly different process
Second Passport
GBP 102, HMPO approval required
Post-Marriage Rename
Marriage cert + new passport
From Abroad GBP 116.50
Online overseas surcharge
BNO Passport
Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas)