-
More on this Topic
Is your driving licence valid?
One of the cheapest ways to spend abroad
Get an ESTA for US travel
Lock in a top rate before you go away
Has your airline changed your flight time?
Including rates, where to use them and how to sell them back
Tip Email
FREE Weekly MoneySaving email
For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes simply sign up today - it’s spam free!
Passport Renewal Tips
The cheapest way to get a passport and how to avoid copycat sites
Updated 3 May 2022
With standard passports taking more than 10 weeks to be processed, if you're going away in summer you need to apply NOW to get your passport issued or renewed in time. We've the cheapest way to apply, how to get one quicker, and how to avoid shyster sites charging extra for 'checking' services.
Tip Email
FREE Weekly MoneySaving email
For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes simply sign up today - it’s spam free!
You may need at least six months left on your passport to travel
Don’t assume if your passport is valid for the duration of your stay, everything is fine. Countries have a variety of rules about how long you need left, and how old the passport can be. Since Brexit, this includes most EU countries too.
If you fall foul of these, you could be refused entry – we've heard one story of a family's four-year-old girl being refused entry to Turkey because she had less than two months left on her passport.
Here's our list of 40 common destinations' passport rules:
| DESTINATION | PASSPORT VALIDITY |
Australia |
- Valid for the whole duration of your stay. No additional period required. |
| Austria | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Barbados | - Valid for the whole duration of your stay. No additional period required. |
| Belgium | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Bulgaria | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Canada | - Valid for the whole duration of your stay. No additional period required. |
| Croatia | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Republic of Cyprus | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Czech Republic | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Denmark | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Egypt | - Valid for at least six months from the day you enter. |
| Estonia | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Finland | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| France | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Germany | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Gibraltar | - Valid for the whole duration of your stay. No additional period required. |
| Greece | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Hungary | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Iceland | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| India | - Valid for at least 180 days on the day you enter. |
| Ireland | - Passport not required for British nationals travelling from the UK. Yet immigration officers check the ID of passengers arriving by air and may ask for proof of nationality, so it's best to take your passport. - If using a passport, it should be valid for the whole duration of your stay. |
| Italy | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Latvia | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Lithuania | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Luxembourg | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Malta | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Netherlands | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Norway | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Poland | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Portugal | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Romania | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Slovakia | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Slovenia | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Spain | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Sweden | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Switzerland | - Less than 10 years old on the day you enter. - Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. |
| Thailand | - Valid for at least six months from the day you enter. - Non-damaged passport with no pages missing. |
| Turkey | - Valid for at least six months from the day you enter. - A full blank page for the entry and exit stamps. |
| United Arab Emirates | - Valid for at least six months from the day you enter. - If transiting (and not passing through immigration) your passport must be valid for at least three months. |
| USA | - Valid for the whole duration of your stay. No additional period required. |
Rules for travellers on a full 'British Citizen' passport from the UK. Last checked on Tue 3 May
Country not listed? For a full list of destinations' entry requirements, see Gov.uk
It's cheapest to apply for a passport online
The only site you'll ever need to go to is the Gov.uk website. It has options for getting your first passport, renewing an old one or getting one for your child.
You can apply online, which is the cheapest option, or by paper at the Post Office. The table below has all the passport services you can choose from (for all types, you can pay £10 extra for a 50-page jumbo passport).
Passports can take 10 weeks or more to be processed, so apply early
The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on travel, with many delaying passport renewal applications until they want to go away. The Passport Office is warning that renewing can take up to 10 weeks for both online and postal applications – much longer than the usual three weeks pre-pandemic – and we've heard tales of it taking much longer, with reports of lost documents, or delivery delays too.
For the week ending 29 April 2022, the Passport Office said typical processing times for online applications were 10 weeks with the 'vast majority' of applications turned around in this time. Yet this can change quickly, so it's best to apply now if you're hoping to go away in the summer months.
If you need a passport urgently, you'll need to book an appointment at a passport office and pay online. Alternatively, call the Passport Office on 0300 222 0000 to book an appointment and pay.
| Passport type | Time taken for passport issue | Online price |
Price by post |
| Adult | 10 weeks | £75.50 | £85 |
| Adult 'Fast-track' | One week after appointment | £142 | - |
| Adult 'Premium' (1) | At the appointment | £177 | - |
| Child | 10 weeks | £49 | £58.50 |
| Child 'Fast-track' | One week after appointment | £122 | - |
(1) There's no child equivalent one-day service
Got a burgundy passport? Newly-issued UK passports have a blue cover, but you DON'T need to get a new passport straightaway – you can keep using your burgundy passport until it's due for renewal. The blue passports will only be issued when you renew or apply for a new passport.
Tip Email
FREE Weekly MoneySaving email
For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes simply sign up today - it’s spam free!
Beware copycat sites that charge extra on top of official fees
More than 300 people in our shyster sites poll were caught by one of several sites that look like the official Government site for passports, but charge people £20-£100 on top of the official passport fee. Many are just expensive form-filling services, though some also offer a 'checking' service.
If you do need help, the Post Office's Check & Send service ensures you've included the correct documents, that your photos don't breach any of the restrictions and that you've filled in the forms correctly. It'll also send your application by special delivery. It costs £16 on top of the passport fee.
It's very difficult getting a refund, but it's not impossible
The sad thing is that these sites are legal. They're offering a service, some similar to the Post Office's Check & Send, it's just that they're charging up to 10 times more for it.
Saying that, if you or someone you know has been caught, it's well worth writing to the shyster site (speed is of the essence so emailing is probably best), saying that they want to cancel their contract and get a refund. Beware calling their expensive phone lines though – they typically charge £1.50/min. We've written a template letter to help. Please let us know how you get on.
You can also report the incident to the Competition and Markets Authority or Trading Standards by calling the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0345 404 0506.
MoneySaver ShinyDoc managed to get a refund: "I renewed two passports using this service [a shyster site]! But I noticed almost immediately and asked for a full refund, which I received about 24 hours later. The full amount was credited back to the account I supplied."
See our Shyster Sites guide for more information about how to go about getting a refund if you've been misled by passport sites, ESTA sites, GHIC/EHIC sites and more.
Have your say! Have you been caught by a shyster site? Join the forum discussion to share your experience, especially if you got your money back.
Tip Email
FREE Weekly MoneySaving email
For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes simply sign up today - it’s spam free!
Spotted out of date info/broken links? Email: brokenlink@moneysavingexpert.com
-
Provident confirms payouts for borrowers – but they'll get back less than 10% of what they're owed
5 July 2022![]()
Provident borrowers who were mis-sold loans they couldn't afford will receive refunds of some of the interest and fees they were charged this July, it's been confirmed. But they'll get back less than 10% of what they're owed. -
Funeral plan provider Safe Hands has gone into administration – what to do now if you have a prepaid plan with Safe Hands or others
5 July 2022![]()
Safe Hands, a prepaid funeral plan provider, has fallen into administration leaving thousands of customers worried about what to do next and concerns growing that other companies will follow suit. Here's what it means for you, as well as information on providers to beware buying plans from presently. -
Coronavirus travel rights
4 July 2022![]()
We've the latest on the testing and self-isolation rules for travellers visiting popular destinations abroad, plus full refund and insurance rights for overseas and UK travel. -
MSE Exclusive: Households in Great Britain due £150 million in council tax refunds – check NOW to see if you're one of the 862,000 due a payout
3 July 2022![]()
Households are being urged to check NOW if they are one of the 862,000 due a refund of overpaid council tax, with an investigation by MoneySavingExpert.com showing residents in England, Scotland and Wales could claim back a total of just over £150 million. -
Virgin launches fee-free train booking app and you can earn points to redeem at Greggs and more - here's how it works
1 July 2022![]()
Virgin has launched a free app that allows rail passengers to book trains directly, without a booking fee. Users can also earn points on spending to redeem on Virgin experiences, Greggs sausage rolls and more.
-
Martin Lewis: The one thing everyone aged over 66 needs to know
17 June 2022![]()
It is a national tragedy that getting on for a million pensioners, many of whom have been paying into the system for years, are missing out on a critical boost to their income. It's called pension credit, and this year it also means you get an extra £650 to help with energy bills. -
Martin Lewis: What I asked the Chancellor to do when I spoke to him on Monday...
26 May 2022![]()
With the announcement of the Government's energy cost of living plans due out at lunchtime. I thought I'd speedily bash out a note down of what (from memory) I'd asked the Chancellor for when we spoke on Monday - and the other general suggestions I've been making. -
Martin Lewis: Got a cash ISA? You should probably ditch it
24 May 2022![]()
Press the rewind button and go way back to April 2015... Possibly on the telly in the corner of your living room, I was on-air at the time urging savers as usual to use their new tax-free cash ISA allowance – because 'money was nicer in an ISA'. But things changed in 2016. -
Martin Lewis: 'UO is just as important as UX: A tip for anyone developing their website or app'
6 May 2022![]()
I set up MoneySavingExpert.com nearly 20 years ago – when arguably the modern web was still in its infancy. With an abundance of self-belief (something I had too much of then, as I realise now) I decided not to read any books, or follow prevailing wisdom on how a site should operate – and just do it my way.
MSE tools & calculators
Clever ways to calculate your finances
