How long does it take to renew a UK passport in 2026?

The standard online renewal takes up to 3 weeks from receipt of the old passport, with most completed in 7 to 10 working days. Paper renewals take up to 6 weeks. The Premium service (in-person at a passport office) takes 1 to 2 days and costs extra; the Fast Track service (in-person) takes 1 week and costs extra. The right choice is standard online unless you are traveling within 3 weeks, in which case Premium is the only option for a same-week passport.

Can I renew my UK passport online?

Yes, if your most recent passport was issued when you were 16 or older, you have a digital photo on file, your details have not changed significantly (name, gender, date of birth), and your current passport is not lost or stolen (a lost or stolen passport requires a paper application). The online route at gov.uk takes about 10 minutes, costs £11.50 less than the paper route, and processes in 7 to 10 working days.

How do I get a UK passport urgently?

Book a Premium 1-to-2-day appointment at a passport office through the gov.uk Premium service. You will need to attend in person, bring your old passport, a printed photo, and supporting documents, and pay the standard renewal fee plus the Premium service fee. The total for an adult premium renewal is £155 (online fee £88.50 plus Premium service £66.50) in 2026. The right pick is the Premium service if you are traveling within 3 weeks, and the standard service if you are traveling more than 4 weeks out.

What documents do I need to renew a UK passport?

For a standard online renewal, you do not need to send any documents — the details are linked to your existing passport record and your digital photo on file. For a paper renewal, you need to send your old passport, a printed passport photo, and a completed paper application form. For a name change, you need a marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate, or deed poll. For a child renewal, you need the child's birth certificate and a countersignatory form if the child is under 12.

When should I renew my UK passport?

Renew 9 months before the expiry date, not at expiry. The UK allows entry to most countries for up to 6 months after the passport expiry date, but airlines may refuse boarding if your passport is within 6 months of expiry. The right rule is to renew 9 months before expiry for any international travel in the next 12 months, and to renew 6 months before expiry for any other case. Renewals are valid for 10 years (5 years for under-16s).

UK Passport Renewal Cost 2026: Fees & Times

Q: How much does it cost to renew a UK passport in 2026?

A standard adult UK passport renewal costs £88.50 online or £100 by post in 2026. A child passport (under 16) costs £57.50 online or £69 by post. A 48-page frequent-traveler passport (instead of the standard 34-page) costs an extra £12.50 online or £15 by post. The price has not changed since 2022, and the online discount exists to push people off the more expensive paper channel.

UK passport renewal in 2026 is one of the cheapest and fastest government services, with an online adult renewal at £88.50 and processing in 7 to 10 working days. The right pick for most people is the online route, the right pick for urgent travel is the Premium 1-to-2-day service, and the right rule is to renew 9 months before expiry. Here is the current fee schedule, the processing times for each service, and the step-by-step process for the three renewal routes.

The quick verdict

UK passport renewal in 2026 costs £88.50 for an adult online (the cheapest and fastest standard route), £100 for an adult by post, and £57.50 for a child online. Standard online processing takes 7 to 10 working days, paper takes up to 6 weeks, Premium 1-2 day service costs an extra £66.50 on top, and Fast Track 1-week service costs an extra £30.50. Renew 9 months before expiry, not at expiry, because the UK allows entry to most countries for up to 6 months after the expiry date but airlines refuse boarding within 6 months of expiry. Most people should use the standard online route; only travel within 3 weeks needs Premium, and travel in 2 to 4 weeks needs Fast Track.

2026 UK passport renewal fees

Passport type	Online fee	Paper fee	Processing time
Adult (16+), standard 34-page	£88.50	£100	Up to 3 weeks (typically 7-10 days)
Child (under 16), standard 34-page	£57.50	£69	Up to 3 weeks
Adult, 48-page frequent traveler	£101 (online + £12.50)	£115 (paper + £15)	Same as standard
Premium 1-2 day service (adult, add-on)	+ £66.50	+ £66.50	1-2 working days
Fast Track 1 week (adult, add-on)	+ £30.50	+ £30.50	1 week
Lost or stolen replacement (adult)	£88.50 + £20 admin	£100 + £20 admin	Up to 6 weeks

What changed in 2026

Passport fees in 2026 are unchanged from 2022. The standard adult online fee is £88.50, the paper fee is £100, and the child online fee is £57.50. The Premium and Fast Track add-on fees are also unchanged. The online discount (£11.50 less than paper) is intentional: HM Passport Office wants to push more people off the paper channel, which is more expensive to process and more error-prone. The 48-page frequent-traveler passport (instead of the standard 34-page) costs an extra £12.50 online or £15 by post, and the right pick is the 48-page only if you travel internationally more than 4 to 5 times a year and you fill your passport pages. Two practical changes did happen in 2026: HM Passport Office has been processing online applications faster, with typical turnaround dropping from 10 weeks at the 2022 peak to 7 to 10 working days today, and the digital photo upload tool now accepts phone-camera photos meeting the new automated standards, so most people no longer need a photo booth or pharmacy visit. These changes make the online route meaningfully better than it was in 2023, and they are the reason this guide recommends online as the default.

Step-by-step: standard online renewal

Go to gov.uk/renew-adult-passport and click the green Start now button.
Fill in the form: name, address, contact, and passport details (about 10 minutes).
Upload a new digital photo, or use the one on file if your last passport was issued after 2015 and you look the same. The photo tool on gov.uk walks you through the rules (plain background, neutral expression, no glasses).
Pay £88.50 by debit or credit card (American Express is accepted for online renewals, with no surcharge).
Receive the confirmation email and the address label for sending your old passport.
Send your old passport by Royal Mail Tracked within 2 weeks of submitting the form. Do not book travel until you have the new passport in hand.
New passport arrives in 7 to 10 working days from receipt of the old one.

The whole process from start to finish takes about 3 to 4 weeks. The right time to start is 4 to 5 months before your passport expires.

Paper renewal by post

The right pick only if you cannot use the online route (e.g., name change, lost or stolen passport, child under 12). Download the paper application form from gov.uk, print a passport photo, fill in the form, send the form + photo + old passport to the address on the form. The total cost is £100 for an adult and processing is up to 6 weeks. The paper route is slower, more expensive, and more error-prone than the online route — use it only when the online route is not available to you.

Premium 1-to-2-day service

The right pick for emergency travel within 3 weeks. Book an appointment at a passport office (London, Peterborough, Durham, Glasgow, Belfast, or Liverpool), attend in person with your old passport, a printed photo, and supporting documents, and pick up the new passport 1 to 2 working days later. The total cost is the standard £88.50 fee plus the £66.50 Premium service fee = £155. Book the appointment as soon as you know you need to travel, because slots fill up fast in summer and around school holidays.

Fast Track 1-week service

The middle ground between standard (3 weeks) and Premium (1 to 2 days). Apply online, select Fast Track at checkout, and the new passport is delivered in 1 week for an extra £30.50. The right pick if you are traveling in 2 to 4 weeks and do not want to attend an in-person Premium appointment. Not available for paper applications or first-time adult passports.

How to pick the right service

Use the standard online renewal at £88.50 if you are traveling more than 4 weeks out. Use Fast Track 1-week at £119 total if you are traveling in 2 to 4 weeks. Use Premium 1-to-2-day at £155 total if you are traveling within 3 weeks. Use the paper route at £100 only if you cannot use the online route (name change, lost/stolen, child under 12). Renew 9 months before expiry, not at expiry. The total cost over 10 years is the same whether you renew online or by post (because the renewal fee is the same every 10 years), but the online route is faster and cheaper per renewal.