BRITS who need a new passport are being urged to apply today unless they want to pay more.
Passport applications are going up from Thursday – the first time in five years.
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Standard online applications are going up from £75.50 to £82.50, an increase of £7.
New passports for children will also increase from £49 to £53.50.
This means a family of four could be forced to pay an extra £23 if they need to update all of their passports – paying £272 rather than £249.
Applying in person through the Post Office is more expensive than online, but prices for this are also going up.
This will rise from £85 now to £93 and £58.50 to £64 for children.
Overseas standard paper applications will increase from £95.50 to £104.50 for adults and £65.50 to £71.50 for children
The Home Office says the new fees will help “move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it”.
If you have less than six months left on your passport, you should apply right now,
Founder of Bounce Cody Candee said: “Not only are processing times currently around ten weeks, but as travel is back on the cards for many following the pandemic, the Home Office is predicting another massive year for renewals.”
Anyone with a holiday planned for February half term are unlikely to get their passport back if they need a new one.
If you applied yesterday, you may not get it back until the first week of April.
Speaking to MPs last month, the Permanent Secretary at the Home Office Matthew Rycroft, said they would “need to be ready for next year to be even busier” when it came to passport renewals.
Rycroft added: “Now would be a very good time for anybody listening [to renew their passports]” and warned that there could be “an extra million” applications than normal in only the first half of next year.
And while it may seem obvious to go to the government website when renewing, there are some fake websites that can catch you out.
Cody warned: “These websites attempt to charge users £20 – £100 on top of the official passport fee, by offering additional ‘validation’ services.”
Here is how to get a fast-track passport renewal.
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