Price of a British passport set to rise above £100 for the first time - as same-day service set to cost £239.50
The price of British passport is set to rise, with the cost set to break the £100 barrier the first time, the government has announced.
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Under the proposals, the price of an adult passport purchased online will rise from £94.50 to £102.
Passports for children under 16 will now cost £66.50, up from the current price of £61.50.
Announcing the 8 per cent cost increase, the Home Office revealed that an adult passport purchased using their same-day service will now set you back £239.50.
The rise will help it "move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it," according to the government, ensuring the Home Office places less reliance on the taxpayer.
Under the plans, adults applying via post in the UK can expect fees to rise from £107 to £115.50, and £74 to £80 for children.
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There are similar percentage rises in fees for postal applications and those made from overseas.
The changes, which are subject to parliamentary approval, are due to come into force on April 8. They follow increases of 7% in each of the last two years, and 9% in 2023.
Adults submitting paper documents from abroad will now be charged £130 - a figure that's set to rise from £120.50. For children, that cost will see the £82.50 fee rise to £89.
The Home Office said in a statement: “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.”
The passport renewal process can on average take up to three weeks in the UK, with those travelling advised to apply in good time.
However, applications are often known to take longer, especially during periods of high demand such as ahead of school holidays.