A budget travel expert has urged anyone with a passport to check if it needs renewing in the near future – as the cost is set to change from next month
A budget travel expert has issued a reminder to Brits needing to renew their passports soon, cautioning that they could face a price increase unless they act quickly.
Kylie, who posts on TikTok as @englandandeverywhere, has travelled to 50 countries since 2015 and shares her experiences online. She warned her followers that the rise in passport renewal costs will come into effect from April 10, 2025.
“The cost to renew a UK adult passport is increase by 7%,” she began in her video. “At the moment the renewal price is £88.50, but from April 10, the price will be £94.50.”
Kylie also suggested considering that a passport is generally valid for about nine-and-a-half years, as even though it’s issued for 10 – some countries require some “wiggle room” before the expiry.
Kylie went on to share a “friendly reminder” that unlike the “old red passports”, the new British blue ones are no longer issued for 10 years and nine months. “When you used to renew, they used to give you the spare months until the end of the new passport,” she explained.
“But the EU no longer recognises those months over 10 years – plus, they also require an extra three months’ wiggle room as well. So they have to be 10 years from the issue date minus the three months that they require for entry.”
She concluded her advice by suggesting that if your passport is nearing its expiry date and includes those extra months, it’s wise to renew it now before the price hike. One Brit responded to the tip, saying: “All of my family passports expired about four years ago, need to renew them but can’t afford to book a holiday in school holidays so what’s the point.”
Another added: “This is ridiculous.” However, a third person expressed gratitude: “Bless you. thank you for your advice.”
Meanwhile, another queried: “Am I right in thinking that a passport valid until March 2026 is okay to use in the USA in August? Don’t want to renew yet if so.”
Kylie clarified: “Yep! USA go by the printed date and it just has to be valid for the duration of your stay, so they don’t need additional months either! You’re all good.”
The government’s website indicates that, pending parliamentary approval, the cost for renewing a child’s passport will also increase from £57.50 to £61.50, alongside the rise in adult passport prices. It further states: “Postal applications will increase from £100 to £107 for adults and £69 to £74 for children.”
The rationale behind the new fees, as per the government’s website, is: “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.”