Families hoping to get away for the Easter holidays are being reminded to check, double check and triple-check their passports before they travel and renew them as soon as possible if needs be. The standard wait time for a new document stands at 10 weeks and as of February 2, the cost will increase too.
The Government revealed that the cost of an adult passport will rise from £86 to £94 with children’s passports and postal applications becoming more expensive too. It is the first time in five years that the Home Office has increased the cost of applying for a passport.
Following record wait times last year, as thousands renewed passports that had expired during the pandemic, the Home Office also announced that the average wait time would be increased from three weeks to 10.
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Passport wait times
If you are applying through the non-urgent system, the Home Office advises people that the wait time for a new passport is at least 10 weeks. If you are applying from overseas, turnaround times will vary, but expect to wait longer than 10 weeks.
There are two urgent services to get your passport quicker - a premium service and a fast-track option. The premium service is the most expensive but is the quickest.
You will fill in your application and pay online before booking an appointment online. The earliest you can get an appointment is two days from when you apply, but you’ll get your new passport at your appointment.
The one-week fast-track service cannot be done online, instead, you will need to get a paper application form from a Post Office and book an appointment at your nearest Passport Office, such as the one in Durham. You’ll need to bring some supporting evidence with you as well as copies of your photograph and the application form.
Cost of renewing your passport
Global Health Insurance Card
Families heading to Europe on their next holiday are also advised to apply for their free Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) as these can also take weeks to arrive. The GHIC replaced the EHIC after the UK left the European Union. Travellers are also advised to still book travel insurance.
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