In addition to all the immigration changes implemented in April 2024, the UK Government also decided to increase passport application fees from 11 April 2024 for the second time in 14 months.
Online passport applications for adults now cost £88.50 (up from £82.50) for a first-time application, renewal or replacement. For postal applications, fees have now increased from £93 to £100. Online passport applications for children now cost £57.50 (up from £53.50), and £69 (previously £64) for applications by post.
If your passport is nearing expiry and you are looking to travel soon, it is important to check if the 10-year rule applies to the country you are planning to visit. In the past, UK passport holders were able to transfer 9 months of the validity left in their previous passport to a newly issued passport and therefore obtain a new passport with the validity of slightly longer than 10 years.
Following Brexit, the majority of EU countries no longer accept UK passports that were issued over 10 years prior to the date of travel (i.e. the 10-year rule) as proof of identity. If you wish to visit such countries, you need to ensure that your passport was issued less than 10 years prior to the date of your arrival to your destination and shall remain valid for at least 3 months after the day of your planned return to the UK. For this reason, it is important to check the expiry date of your passport and the rules for entering the country you are travelling to.
How Gherson can assist
Gherson’s Immigration Team are highly experienced in advising on UK visa matters. If you have any questions arising from this blog, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice, send us an e-mail, or, alternatively, follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to stay-up-to-date.
The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please do not hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.
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