Applying for a passport
Passport services at Post Office
-
You can apply for your first adult passport with us or renew an adult passport.
You can also apply for your child’s first passport or renew a child’s passport.
We offer Digital Check & Send and Paper Check & Send services for new passport applications and passport renewals. These provide a support service for submitting your passport application, including sending it to HM Passport Office via secure courier.
-
With the Digital Check & Send service our branch teams provide a support service and submit your passport application digitally. This includes taking your photo and sending your documents via secure courier to HM Passport Office.
-
With the Paper Check & Send service our branch teams check your paper passport application for errors, ensuring all necessary documents are included, then send it to HM Passport Office by secure courier.
-
You can apply for your child’s first passport or renew a child’s passport at Post Office.
Someone with parental responsibility for the child must apply for the passport.
You need to give both parents’ details when you apply. If you cannot provide the other parent’s details, you need to say why (for example, you’re the only parent named on the birth certificate or you adopted the child on your own).
-
How much your passport costs will depend on whether:
- You’re an adult or a child
- You apply digitally or using paper forms
- You use one of our Passport Check & Send services
There’s no difference in the HM Passport Office fee for new or renewed passports.
The fee for both the Post Office Digital Check & Send and our Paper Check & Send service is £16.
Here’s a summary of the different fees for passports and Check & Send. Please note the totals don’t include the cost of getting compliant photos taken.
Adult (digital application)
HMPO fee (standard passports): £88.50
Post Office Check & Send fee: £16.00
Total: £104.50
Adult (paper application)
HMPO fee (standard passports): £100.00
Post Office Check & Send fee: £16.00
Total: £116.00
Child (digital application)
HMPO fee (standard passports): £57.50
Post Office Check & Send fee: £16.00
Total: £73.50
Child (paper application)
HMPO fee (standard passports): £69.00
Post Office Check & Send fee: £16.00
Total: £85.00
Your passport application
-
The documents you’ll need depend on whether you’re applying for your first passport, renewing an existing one, replacing one that’s been lost or stolen, or applying or renewing a child’s passport. Please visit the GOV.UK passports page for details of the process involved and documents needed in each case.
-
You must get a new photo when you get a new passport, even if your appearance has not changed, and your photo must have been taken in the last month.
Please follow the rules for passport photos from HM Passport Office to avoid you application being delayed or rejected.
If you’re applying for a passport using a paper form, you’ll need two identical printed photos. If this is a first time application, one photo may need to be countersigned.
If you’re applying for a passport online, you’ll need digital photos. If you’ve had digital photos taken yourself, you can share the photocode. Or Post Office can take and submit digital photos for you with our Digital Check & Send service.
-
For the Digital Check & Send service, you can use the photocode from photos you’ve already had taken or we can take the photo for you. For the Paper Check & Send service, you can use your own compliant photos.
-
If you’re applying for a new adult or child’s passport, your application needs to be countersigned by someone who meets one of the following criteria.
- They’ve known you (or the adult who signed the form if the passport is for a child under 16) for at least two years
- They’re able to identify you, for example a friend, neighbour or colleague (not just someone who knows you professionally)
- They’re “a person of good standing in their community” or work in (or are retired from) a recognised profession
Read the GOV.UK guidance on who can confirm someone’s identity and what counts as a recognised profession. The countersignatory can’t work for HM Passport Office or be a doctor (unless they know you very well, such as a friend).
A countersignature is often not required if you’re renewing a passport. That’s unless your appearance has changed significantly since your previous or most current passport photo was taken.
Renewals, validity and name changes
Passport renewals
-
You can renew an adult passport or child’s passport quickly and easily with Post Office Passport Check & Send services.
With Digital Check & Send, we provide a supported service and submit your application digitally, with no forms to fill in. Or, if you prefer applying with paper forms, we can check they’re all good to send with our Paper Check & Send service.
Use our branch finder tool to find where you can renew your adult or child’s passport.
-
You can renew your child’s passport with Post Office if your child is under 16, you don’t need the passport urgently, and you have access to an email address or mobile phone number.
You’ll need:
- Your child’s current passport (the actual document, not a photocopy)
- Any valid passports your child has from a different country (the actual document or a colour photocopy of all pages, including the blanks ones)
- Any court orders relating to the child (eg describing parental responsibility or residency arrangements)
- Digital or printed photos of your child
-
If you need to renew your passport and have more than four weeks before you travel, pick up an application form from your local Post Office or use our online Passport Check & Send process.
If you need your passport more urgently, then read the Government’s official passport advice to find out more on soon to expire passports.
-
To complete a Digital Check & Send renewal you’ll need:
- Your existing or old, undamaged passport
- A UK mobile number and/or email address
- Your address in the UK
- Full payment for your application. This includes the £16.00 Digital Check & Send fee and the HMPO fee for your passport itself
Passport validity and changing your details
-
The best way to find out if your passport is valid for travel to certain countries is to check the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice.
Choose the country you’re visiting, before clicking on ‘Entry requirements’ and scrolling down to ‘Passport validity’.
-
If any of the following change, you’ll need a new passport to travel abroad or prove your identity:
- Your name
- Your gender
- Your appearance, (if you can’t be recognised from your passport photo any more)
You can find out how the process for changing passport details works on GOV.UK
You can also check the process involved and document needed if you need to change your details due to:
After you’ve applied
-
Please allow sufficient time for HM Passport Office to process your application and post your passport to you.
Processing times differ if you’re applying from the UK or another country, and potentially due to other factors.
-
HM Passport Office will text or email you at each stage of the application process. They’ll tell you when:
- Your passport renewal application has been received
- Your old passport has been received
- Your application has been approved
- Your new passport is on its way
If you’ve used our Digital Check & Send service you can also review status updates using the reference on your receipt. Remember to keep it safe.
-
For any issues, refer to the Post Office help and support page or contact HM Passport Office directly for guidance and assistance.
Lost, stolen or damaged passports
What to do
-
If you need to travel urgently or within six weeks you can apply for an emergency travel document.
If you don’t need to travel urgently or within six weeks you can apply using the government website.
-
You can report a stolen passport online.
Stolen passports should also be reported to the police. You can report a stolen passport by telephoning 101 in the UK or report the theft to the local police if you’re abroad.
Ask for a written police report as you may need to provide this to the British Embassy when applying for a new passport. You may also need it to claim for the expense involved in changing your travel plans with your travel insurer.
-
Please allow sufficient time for HM Passport Office to process your application and post your passport to you. You can check the typical processing times on GOV.UK.
If you still have time and haven’t already booked travel, the best option is to pick up an application form from your local Post Office branch or use our supported application service, Passport Check & Send.
Damaged passport
-
HM Passport Office classes a passport as damaged if:
- Details are indecipherable
- The laminate has lifted enough to allow the possibility of photo substitution
- There’s discolouration of the bio-data page
- There’s chemical or ink spillage on any page
- There are missing or detached pages
- The chip or antenna shows through the end paper on the back cover for the new style e-passports
- The chip has been identified as damaged after investigation
Getting a replacement
-
Please check the advice on GOV.UK about what to do if you need a passport urgently.
-
If you lose your passport before your trip or even while you're away, your travel insurance policy provider may be able to help you with some of your costs.
If you're not already insured, consider our travel insurance to help keep you protected on your travels.
-
If you’re replacing a lost or stolen passport and your child is under 12 years of age, you’ll need to provide details of someone who can confirm your identities. This person will be emailed and asked to confirm you and your child’s identity.
Make sure you check with them before starting the application to confirm they’re happy to be contacted.
The person must have known you personally for at least two years, must not be related to you, in a relationship with you, or living at the same address as you or the applicant. They must be 18 or older, have a current UK passport, and live in the UK. We’ll need their name and email address.