The new rules could affect anyone with a passport that was issued in the 2000s or beyond – before when the UK made the switch from burgundy to navy blue colours
Burgundy passport holders are being encouraged to double-check their travel documents as new regulations are set to come into place from Thursday. Passport costs are on the rise from April 10 – the price for a fast-track premium service will climb to a whopping £222.
Travel experts are warning holidaymakers to ensure that their passports aren’t over 10 years old or within the last six months of validity. While navy passports have only been issued in the latter part of the 2010s and are unlikely to need renewal just yet, their older burgundy counterparts are more at risk of needing renewal.
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The current online renewal fees stand at £88.50 for individuals 16 and over, while children’s renewals come with a £57.50 price tag. However, post-April 10, these prices are due to increase to £94.50 for adults and £61.50 for kids.
If you’re looking to jump the queue with a premium fast-track renewal, you’ll currently be set back £207.50, but brace yourself: that figure is going up to £222.
For those with less than ten months left on their passport, it might be prudent to get ahead of the game and renew now. A government spokesperson said: “The new fees will help the Home Office to continue to move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation.
“The government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications.
“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.”
The fee for a standard online passport application made within the UK is set to increase from £88.50 to £94.50 for adults and from £57.50 to £61.50 for children.
Postal applications will also see a rise, going from £100 to £107 for adults and £69 to £74 for children, , reports Birmingham Live.
The cost of a Premium Service (1 day) application will jump from £207.50 to £222 for adults and £176.50 to £189 for children.
In addition, the fee for a standard online application when applying from overseas for a UK passport will rise from £101 to £108 for adults.
Fees for children’s applications from overseas will also increase, going from £65.50 to £70. Meanwhile, overseas standard paper applications will see a hike from £112.50 to £120.50 for adults and £77 to £82.50 for children.
