UK passport: How much does it cost to get or renew and what is the 10-year rule?

Air travel is booming again, with more people expected to fly this summer, despite notably higher fares.

But UK holidaymakers travelling to the EU are being warned not to get caught out by the “10-year rule”, which has stopped some passengers from flying.

Some British holidaymakers have been turned away at the airport because their passports are not valid for EU travel.

UK travellers used to be able to carry up to nine months left on an old passport over to a new one. This meant that a passport could be valid for more than 10 years.

But the rules changed after Brexit, and the majority of EU countries no longer accept British passports that were issued more than 10 years before the date of travel. This is known as the “10-year rule”.

To enter those countries now, your UK passport must:

• have been issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the EU country (the “date of issue”)
• be valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave (the “date of expiry”)

If your passport does not meet these requirements, you will be refused entry.

It costs £88.50 to get, renew or replace your passport if you apply online, or £100 for a postal application.

An online application for a child’s passport costs £57.50, or £69 via post.

It costs more if you apply from abroad, or if you require a passport urgently. Passports are free for people born on or before 2 September 1929.

These fees apply to both new passport applications and renewals.

You must renew your passport before you travel if either:

• your passport has expired
• your date of issue was more than 10 years ago (if travelling to countries with the 10-year rule)
• your passport does not have enough time left before it expires

How much time you need on your passport depends on where you are going.

You can check entry requirements for individual countries on the UK government’s website.

You can renew online at HM Passport Office or by filling in a paper application from certain Post Offices.

You’ll need your old passport and any valid passports you hold from a different country.

It should take up to three weeks to renew a passport in the UK, but it can take longer during periods of high demand, such as before school holidays.

To get a passport issued urgently in the UK, you can book an appointment at your nearest passport office, subject to availability. It then takes up to a week to be issued.

You can get more information on the Passport Office website or you can call the helpline on 0300 222 0000. The line is open 08:00 to 20:00, Monday to Friday, and 09:00 to 17:30 on Saturday, Sunday and UK bank holidays.