UK Child Passport: How to Apply (Parent's Guide)

At a glance

• Who can apply: someone with parental responsibility for the child (Children Act 1989, s.2 and s.3). Both parents' details are normally needed on the form, even if only one parent is applying.
• Validity: 5 years from the date of issue, regardless of the child's age at the time.
• Cost: a standard 34-page child passport is £66.50 online or £80 by paper form as at the time of writing — check GOV.UK for the current fee before you apply.
• Processing time: HM Passport Office says you'll usually get the passport within 3 weeks of your documents being received, but this can run longer — check GOV.UK before booking travel.
• Identity check: first applications, and renewals for a child aged 11 or under, need a second adult to confirm the child's identity — online, or by countersigning a paper form and photo.
• Photos: children must be photographed alone; babies under 1 don't need their eyes open, and children under 6 don't need to look straight at the camera or hold a neutral expression.
• Renewals with changed details: if your child's name or other personal details have changed since their last passport, you cannot simply renew — you must apply for a new passport instead.

What is a UK child passport?

A UK child passport is issued by HM Passport Office to British citizens aged under 16. It differs from an adult passport in one key respect: it is valid for 5 years, not 10, reflecting how much a child's appearance changes over that period.

Every child needs their own passport to travel internationally — however young they are. It is not possible to add a child to a parent's passport. Whether this is your child's first passport or a renewal, the application must be made by an adult with parental responsibility, and the supporting evidence required is generally more detailed than for an adult passport, because HM Passport Office needs to establish both the child's identity and their entitlement to British citizenship.

This guide covers applications made from within the UK. There are different rules and forms if you're applying from outside the UK.

Who can apply: parental responsibility explained

Only a person with parental responsibility for the child can apply for or sign a child's passport application. Under section 3 of the Children Act 1989, parental responsibility means "all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which by law a parent of a child has in relation to the child and his property" — in practice, the legal authority to make decisions about the child's upbringing, including applying for official documents like a passport.

Under section 2 of the Children Act 1989:

• If the child's parents were married (or in a civil partnership) to each other at the time of the birth, both parents automatically have parental responsibility.
• If the parents were not married or in a civil partnership at the time of the birth, the mother automatically has parental responsibility. The father acquires it separately — most commonly by being registered as the child's father on the birth certificate, by making a formal parental responsibility agreement with the mother, or by court order.
• More than one person can hold parental responsibility for the same child at the same time, and each person with parental responsibility can generally act alone in meeting it.

On the application form, you'll normally be asked for both parents' details, even if only one of you is completing and signing it. If you cannot provide the other parent's details — for example, you're the only parent named on the birth certificate, or you adopted the child alone — you need to explain why.

If parents disagree about the application

Having parental responsibility does not, on its own, give either parent a right to veto a passport application made by the other, but GOV.UK's guidance on parental responsibility is clear that major decisions about a child require the agreement, in writing, of everyone who holds parental responsibility. Where parents genuinely cannot agree — for example, one parent fears the other intends to take the child abroad permanently — the route is to the family court: either parent can apply for a Specific Issue Order or a Prohibited Steps Order, asking a judge to decide or to prevent a step (such as issuing a passport or removing the child from the UK) going ahead. These disputes are genuinely fact-sensitive, and speaking to a legal adviser early, before matters escalate, is usually worthwhile.

Applying for your child's first passport

If your child has never had a British passport, you apply for a first child passport. Your child must have British nationality to be eligible — where that is not straightforward (for example, birth abroad or a parent's own nationality history is complex), check GOV.UK's current guidance on types of British nationality before you start.

You can apply online or by paper form:

| | Apply online | Apply by paper form | |---|---|---| | Standard 34-page passport | £66.50 | £80 | | 54-page frequent-traveller passport | £80.50 | £94 |

(Figures as at the time of writing — verify the current fee at GOV.UK passport fees before you apply, as these are reviewed periodically. Faster services, such as the Online Premium or 1 Week Fast Track, cost significantly more.)

Applying online

To apply online you'll need a digital photo of your child, the supporting documents (you'll be told exactly which ones during the application), and a debit or credit card. After you submit and pay, you must ask another adult to confirm your child's identity online — HM Passport Office emails that person instructions, and they confirm the identity digitally rather than signing a printed photo. Read GOV.UK's guidance on who can confirm identity online before you choose who to ask — they must be 18 or over, live in the UK, hold a current UK or Irish passport, have known the applying adult for at least 2 years, and work in (or be retired from) a recognised profession.

Applying by paper form

Paper forms are available from a Post Office offering the Check and Send service, or by contacting the Passport Adviceline. The adult with parental responsibility must sign the form, and a child aged 12 to 15 must sign it too. You'll also need a countersignatory — someone who has known you for at least 2 years, is not a relative or partner, and holds a current British or Irish passport — to sign the form and certify one of the two printed photos. See our guide on countersigning a passport application for exactly who qualifies and what they need to write.

Documents you'll need

If you apply by post, GOV.UK asks for:

• 2 printed photos of your child that meet the official rules
• the child's full birth or adoption certificate (the version showing the parents' details)
• proof that your child has British nationality — for example a British registration certificate, or the parents' own passport or birth certificate details
• any valid foreign passports the child already holds
• any court orders relating to the child, such as ones describing parental responsibility or residency arrangements

Documents must be originals or official certificates — photocopies are not accepted, even "certified copies," and laminated documents cannot be sent. If a document isn't in English or Welsh, send a certified translation alongside the original.

If your child's name doesn't match their birth certificate

Where the name on the application differs from the one on the birth certificate, you'll need to send a signed and dated letter from everyone with parental responsibility confirming the change and agreeing to the new passport, a deed poll, and at least one piece of evidence showing the new name in use — for example NHS records, child benefit correspondence, or school records.

Renewing a child's passport

Renewal is generally simpler than a first application, but two things catch parents out. First, if your child's name or any other personal detail has changed since the last passport was issued, you cannot renew — you must apply for a new passport instead, following the first-application route above. Second, time left on the old passport is never carried over to the new one, so renewing early doesn't extend the total period of validity.

To renew, you'll need the child's old passport, any valid foreign passports (a colour photocopy of every page, including blank ones, or the physical passport), and any relevant court orders. It costs £66.50 online or £80 by post (verify the current fee at GOV.UK).

If your child is 11 or under, you'll need identity confirmation in the same way as a first application — online confirmation if you apply online, or countersigning if you apply by post. If your child is 12 to 15, they sign section 6 of a paper form themselves, and countersigning is only needed if they can no longer be recognised from their existing passport photo.

Passport photo rules for children and babies

Every application needs a photo that meets the official specification, whether digital (at least 600 x 750 pixels, taken within the last month) or printed. The photo must be in colour, unaltered by software, taken against a plain light-coloured background, and show no other objects or people.

For children specifically, GOV.UK relaxes some of the adult rules:

• Children under 6 do not have to look directly at the camera or hold a neutral expression.
• Babies under 1 do not need their eyes open. You can support their head with your hand, but the hand must not be visible in the photo. Babies should lie on a plain, light-coloured sheet with the photo taken from above.
• All children, including babies, must be photographed alone in the frame — no toys, dummies, or another person's hands should be visible.

See our dedicated guide on passport photo rules for the full technical specification, including the printed-photo requirements if you're applying by post.

Worked example: photographing a newborn for their first passport

Priya and Dan, a fictional couple, want to apply for their six-week-old daughter's first passport ahead of a family trip. Because their daughter can't yet hold her head up, they lie her on a plain white sheet on the floor and photograph her from directly above, in good natural light, with no toys or dummy in shot. Dan supports the back of her head with his hand out of frame entirely — not just tucked behind her, but genuinely outside the photo. Her eyes are closed, which is allowed for a baby under 1. They avoid shadows across her face and check the digital photo meets the minimum pixel dimensions before uploading it during the online application. Because this is a first application, they also need to ask a family friend — who has known them for over two years and holds a valid British passport — to confirm their daughter's identity online once the application is submitted.

Processing times and getting your passport

HM Passport Office advises that you'll usually get your passport within 3 weeks of your documents being received — not from the date you submit the application. It can take longer if HM Passport Office needs more information or an interview, and you'll be told this within the 3-week window. Postal applications generally take longer than online ones because of the extra time for documents to travel by post. If you need a passport more urgently, check GOV.UK for the current Online Premium and 1 Week Fast Track services, which cost more.

Do not book travel until the passport has arrived. A new child passport will not carry the same passport number as any previous one, and there's no guaranteed way to speed up a delayed application short of the paid urgent services. Processing times are reviewed and can lengthen during peak periods such as the run-up to school holidays, so always check GOV.UK's current estimate before you apply or commit to travel dates.

Common mistakes that delay child passport applications

• Photos that don't meet the rules. This is one of the most common reasons an application is paused — shadows, incorrect background, a visible supporting hand, or an out-of-date photo.
• Missing or incomplete parent details. Leaving a parent's details off the form without explaining why can hold up the application.
• Sending photocopies or laminated documents. HM Passport Office needs originals or official certificates; photocopies, including "certified copies," are refused.
• Not accounting for a name mismatch. If the name on the application doesn't match the birth certificate, missing evidence of the name change will stall the application.
• Booking travel before the passport arrives. Given the passport will have a new number and processing times can extend, booking too early risks a costly reschedule.
• Assuming an existing passport can simply be renewed after a name or detail change. It can't — a new application, with the fuller evidence that involves, is required instead.

What to do next

1. Confirm your child's eligibility and gather the basics. Check your child holds British nationality and locate their full birth or adoption certificate.
2. Establish who has parental responsibility and agree who will apply — if there's any disagreement, address it before starting the application, since it can't be issued without either agreement or a court order resolving the dispute.
3. Get a compliant photo using the current GOV.UK specification, adjusted for your child's age.
4. Choose online or paper and gather the specific supporting documents each route requires.
5. Arrange your identity confirmer or countersignatory in advance, since a delay on their part can delay the whole application.
6. Check the current fee and processing time on GOV.UK immediately before applying, and don't book travel until the passport is in hand.

This guide provides general information about applying for a UK child passport under the law and administrative process of England and Wales. It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for advice tailored to your specific circumstances — particularly where parents disagree about an application or a child's nationality history is complex. Passport fees, processing times, and application requirements are set and reviewed by HM Passport Office and are subject to change; always check GOV.UK for the current position before you apply.

Last reviewed: August 2026 by a non-practising solicitor · Next review due: August 2027 or on GOV.UK guidance change.