Renewing a UK adult passport online costs £102 and usually takes about three weeks. You apply through GOV.UK, upload a digital photo, pay by debit or credit card, and send in your old passport. A paper form costs £115.50. If you need your passport urgently, a one-week Fast Track service costs £192 and a one-day Premium service costs £239.50. GOV.UK's renewal page is the only official place to start an application.

Passport fees rose on 8 April 2026, so guides quoting the old £94.50 online fee are out of date. This guide sets out the current fees, the step-by-step renewal process, how long each service takes, and what to do if your passport is lost, stolen or damaged.

How much does it cost to renew a UK passport in 2026?

The fee depends on how you apply and whether you need the standard or an urgent service. The fees below are those in force since 8 April 2026, as published by GOV.UK and confirmed by HM Passport Office fee tables.

There is no renewal discount: a completely new passport book is issued every time, with a new passport number. An adult passport is valid for 10 years and a child passport for five years. Applying online is always cheaper than using a paper form, and the fees are the same whether you are renewing, applying for the first time, or replacing a damaged passport.

How to renew your passport online

Renewing online takes around 10 to 15 minutes if you have everything ready. You will need a digital photo that meets the passport photo rules, a debit or credit card, and your current passport. The online service is available on GOV.UK in English and Welsh.

First, go to the GOV.UK renewal service and confirm you are renewing an adult passport. Upload your digital photo, enter your details, and pay the £102 fee. You will then be told how to send your old passport to HM Passport Office. Your new passport will have a different number from the old one, so do not book travel until it arrives.

If you prefer a paper form, you can get one from a Post Office that offers the Check and Send service, or by calling the Passport Adviceline. The paper fee is £115.50 for an adult, and you will need two new, identical printed photos of yourself.

How long does a UK passport renewal take?

HM Passport Office says you will usually get your passport within three weeks on the standard service. That is a typical timeframe, not a guarantee: applications that need extra identity checks, an interview, or documents that have to be posted and returned will take longer, and demand is heaviest in the spring. GOV.UK advises checking the current processing time before you apply, and not booking travel until you have a valid passport in your hand.

Send your old passport to HM Passport Office promptly after applying online, because the three weeks run from when your documents are received. Your new passport is sent by courier or Royal Mail, and will either be posted through your letterbox, handed to you if you are home, or left with a card explaining how to collect it.

What if I need a passport urgently?

HM Passport Office runs two faster services, both of which need an in-person appointment at a passport office. The one-week Fast Track service costs £192 for an adult passport. You can book an appointment from the day after you apply, and the new passport is delivered by courier one week after that appointment.

The one-day Premium service costs £239.50 for a standard adult passport and is only available for renewing an adult passport, not for first applications, child passports, or replacements for lost or stolen passports. The earliest appointment is two days after you apply, and the passport is ready to collect in person about four hours after the appointment.

What about travel to Europe?

Check the entry requirements of the country you are visiting before you travel, because the time you need left on your passport depends on the destination. UK foreign travel advice states that for Schengen countries such as Spain and France, your passport must have an expiry date at least three months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area. You must renew your passport before you can travel if it has expired or does not have enough time left on it.

Old burgundy passports, and passports with "European Union" on the cover, can still be used as long as they are valid for travel. If your previous passport contains a visa that has not expired, send it with your application; it will be returned to you, and you can still use the visa if you carry both passports.

Lost, stolen or damaged passports

If your passport has been lost or stolen, you must cancel it before applying for a replacement. If it is damaged, you must replace it, and you may not be able to travel with it. HM Passport Office treats a passport as damaged if your details cannot be read, pages are ripped, cut or missing, the cover is coming away, or there are holes, cuts, rips or stains on the pages.

Replacing a lost or stolen passport online costs £102, the same as a renewal, but you will need to ask someone to confirm your identity online. If you need to attend an interview, video interviews take place online and you will be contacted after your application has been processed. You can track your application on GOV.UK using your application reference number.

Frequently asked questions

Can I renew my passport before it expires? Yes. You can renew at any point, and you do not need to wait until the expiry date. Your new passport will be valid for 10 years from its issue date.

Do I keep my old passport while I wait? No. After applying online you must send your old passport to HM Passport Office, and you cannot travel on it while your renewal is being processed.

Will my new passport have the same number? No. Every renewal issues a new passport book with a new number, so update any bookings, visas or trusted-traveller records that hold your old number.

Can someone else apply for me? You can get help with the form, and paper applications need a countersignatory to confirm your identity. For a lost or stolen passport replaced online, someone must confirm your identity online as part of the process.

Fees and timescales in this guide are those published by GOV.UK and HM Passport Office for applications made in the UK from 8 April 2026. Fees change, so always confirm the current fee on GOV.UK before you apply, and only apply through the official GOV.UK service.