The government has announced a price increase on passports by at least 17% from March.
This will increase the cost of mail ordering passports for adults or children by £12.50. This is a 17% increase for adult rates, and a 27% increase for children. However, the cost of online applications will only go up by £3. This will leave the new costs at £85 for adults and £75.50 for children through the post. It will also be £49 per online order.
This change will take place on March 27th, 2018.
The Home Office said that this measure is to increase funding to border patrol, and the printing of more passports. This is part of a government plan to invest £100 million on border security and infrastructure in the next year. Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes stated that “Our priority is to ensure that UK travellers have a secure, effective and efficient service from the point of application to the time they pass through the UK border and it is only right that we should look at this whole process when setting out fees.”
Those paying online would still be paying less than they would in 2009, after that 2012’s passport fee decrease.
