The Government of the United Kingdom has decided to introduce new fees for renewing British passports starting from February 2 of this year.
Through a statement issued last Wednesday, January 11, the Government emphasized that this is the first modification of its sort in five years and that the cost of applying for a passport has increased, VisaGuide.World reports.
According to the Government, the changes include increasing the fees for a standard UK-made online application from £75.50 to £82.50 for adults and £49 to £53.50 for children. The fees for postal applications will become more expensive, too, from £85 to £93 for adults and £58.50 to £64 for children.
At the same time, the government wants to make priority service fees approximates so that all customers pay the same fees.
The Government also pointed out that the new charges will help the Home Office cover its costs through those who use it, reducing confidence in general tax funding. In this regard, the Government clarified that it does not benefit from the cost of passport applications.
It also points out that the fees would contribute further to the cost of processing passport applications, overseas consular support, including lost or stolen passports, and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders.
“The fees will also contribute to the cost of processing passport applications, consular support overseas, including for lost or stolen passports, and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders. The increase will also help enable the Government to continue improving its services,” the statement of the UK government reads.
In January of last year, over 95 per cent of standard applications were processed within ten weeks, and customers are advised to apply in good time before traveling in order to avoid any unwanted delays.
According to the VisaGuide Passport Index, as of January this year, the UK passport is ranked 22nd most powerful in the world. As a result, this means that UK citizens can travel visa-free to 148 countries worldwide, while 39 permit entry with a visa on arrival for British citizens and eight with an e-visa. UK passport holders must first apply for a visa to enter the rest of the world countries.
Meanwhile, in the following countries, UK citizens can enter without a passport with just an identity card are:
Mayotte
Réunion
Countries such as Angola, Azerbaijan, Benin, Djibouti, India, Kenya, Myanmar, and Suriname issue e-visas to UK passport holders.
The post UK Passport Renewal Fees to Increase From February 2023 appeared first on VisaGuide.World.
