How to Apply for a UK Passport (2026 Guide)

To apply for a UK passport, complete the online application at GOV.UK, upload a digital photo that meets the rules, pay the fee by card and send any supporting documents to HM Passport Office. A first adult passport or renewal usually arrives within three weeks if everything is correct.

At a glance

• Who can apply: British nationals — including British citizens, British overseas territories citizens and other British nationality categories who hold the right to a UK passport.
• Current fee — adult (16 and over), standard 34-page passport: £102 online, £115.50 by paper form (correct as at June 2026).
• Current fee — child (under 16), standard 34-page passport: £66.50 online, £80 by paper form (correct as at June 2026).
• Processing time: usually within 3 weeks of HM Passport Office receiving your documents — allow longer at busy times (correct as at June 2026).
• Where to apply: online at GOV.UK, or by paper form picked up from a Post Office.
• Governing authority: HM Passport Office (part of the Home Office).

How a UK passport application works

The process is the same whether it is your first passport, a renewal, a replacement, or an update after a change of name. You confirm your identity and nationality, supply a recent photo, pay the fee and — for some applications — get a countersignatory to vouch for you.

Before you apply — what you need

Are you eligible?

You can hold a UK passport if you are a British national. The most common category is British citizen, but there are others, such as British overseas territories citizen and British national (overseas). Most give you the right to a UK passport. If you are unsure which category applies to you, that is a nationality question rather than a passport question. It is worth getting it confirmed before you pay a fee.

Documents you will need

What you supply depends on whether this is a first application or a renewal.

• First adult passport: your full birth certificate (and often your parents' details or their birth or marriage certificates to back your claim to British nationality), plus a countersignatory. Naturalised or registered British citizens send their certificate of naturalisation or registration.
• Renewal: usually just your current or most recent passport. You normally do not need a countersignatory unless your looks have changed so much that you cannot be recognised from your existing passport.
• Replacement (lost, stolen or damaged): treated like a first application — you will need a countersignatory and may be asked for extra identity documents.

Photo requirements in brief

For an online application you need a digital photo taken within the last month. It must be in colour, in focus, at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, and between 50KB and 10MB. Use a plain light background, with no other people or objects in shot. Face the camera straight on, keep a plain expression with your mouth closed, and remove glasses unless you must wear them. A photo that breaks the rules is one of the most common causes of delay.

Completing your application step by step

1. Start the online service. Go to the GOV.UK "Apply online for a UK passport" service. Choose whether you are applying for yourself or someone else, and whether it is a first passport, renewal, replacement or update.
2. Enter your details. Give your name, date and place of birth, and current address. Answer the nationality questions with care, as getting these wrong is a common cause of delay.
3. Add your photo. Enter the photo code from a booth or shop, or take a photo on your device with someone helping you. The service checks it and flags problems.
4. Get a countersignatory if you need one. First passports, replacements, child renewals for under-12s and any application where your looks have changed must be countersigned. Sort this out early, as chasing a signature slows people down most.
5. Pay the fee. Pay online by debit or credit card. Remember you cannot get a refund if you cancel or turn out not to be entitled.
6. Post your documents. The service tells you what to send and prints a return address. Use a tracked or secure postal option for items such as birth certificates. HMPO returns them by ordinary second-class post unless you pay £5 for secure delivery (correct as at June 2026).

Processing times and tracking

HM Passport Office says you will usually get your passport within three weeks (correct as at June 2026). It can take longer if your application needs more information, your photo fails the checks, or you are asked to attend an interview. HMPO says it will contact you within three weeks if that is the case. Always check the current GOV.UK time before you apply. It changes with demand, and the spring and early-summer travel rush is the busiest time of year.

You can track an application online once it is in the system. If you must travel urgently, paid Online Premium and 1 week Fast Track services exist, plus a route for compassionate cases via the Passport Adviceline.

The most important rule: do not book non-refundable travel until your valid passport is in your hand. A delay is not a reason an airline or tour operator has to refund you.

Name changes and supporting documents

If your name has changed, your application must show an unbroken paper trail from the name on your old passport to the name you want now. This is the "document chain", and a missing link is a classic cause of rejection.

• Marriage or civil partnership: send your marriage or civil partnership certificate.
• Divorce reverting to a previous name: you may need your decree absolute or final order, plus the document that shows the name you are going back to.
• Deed poll or other change: send the deed poll (an enrolled deed poll is the strongest evidence) or statutory declaration.
• A child's name: changing a child's name usually needs the agreement of everyone with parental responsibility, plus the relevant certificate or deed.

For more on updating the name or address on a passport, see our guide on changing your passport name or address, linked below.

Child passport applications

Children need their own passport — they cannot travel on a parent's. A child's standard passport costs £66.50 online or £80 by paper form (correct as at June 2026). It is valid for five years rather than ten. First child passports, and renewals for children aged 11 or under, must be countersigned. Photo rules are relaxed for the very young. Under-sixes do not have to look straight at the camera or keep a plain expression, and babies under one do not need their eyes open. The documents and consent rules for children are different, and we cover them in full in our child passport guide, linked below.

Example: Sarah renewing her passport

The following is a fictional worked example.

Sarah has a holiday booked for early August and notices in mid-June that her passport expires in September. She renews now. She pays £102 by card (correct as at June 2026), posts her old passport tracked, and knows the three-week clock starts only once HMPO receives it. Crucially, she does not book any non-refundable travel until the new passport arrives.

Where to get help

For the official service and the latest fees and times, use the GOV.UK sources listed below, kept up to date by HM Passport Office. You can also reach the HM Passport Office Passport Adviceline for help with an application or an urgent case, and Citizens Advice is a good place to start for free, independent help.

Some applications raise a complex nationality question. You might be unsure whether you are British, or your claim might depend on a parent's or grandparent's status. That goes beyond the standard passport process, and it is worth taking advice on your nationality before you apply.