How Long Does It Take to Renew a UK Passport in 2026?

TL;DR

Most online UK passport renewals are ready within about three weeks, according to HM Passport Office, although postal applications often take a little longer, and busy periods or additional checks can extend processing times.
There are two urgent options: 1-Week Fast Track gets you a passport about a week after your appointment, and Online Premium can provide a same-day passport for eligible adult renewals.
Standard online renewal costs £102 for adults and £66.50 for children, while postal, Fast Track, and Premium applications cost a bit more.
Applications can take longer when there are problems with photos, missing information, name changes, lost or damaged passports, or additional identity checks. Applying carefully, providing the correct documents, and leaving extra time will help avoid delays.
Child renewals generally take around three weeks, but additional safeguarding and identity checks can make them longer. Parents may need to provide evidence of parental responsibility and consent.
You can track your application online or by phone, depending on how you applied, and you should contact the Passport Adviceline if processing goes noticeably beyond the expected timeframe, particularly if you have upcoming travel.
Plan carefully around travel: standard renewals generally require your current passport to be sent to HMPO, so you shouldn’t rely on it for travel while the application is being processed.

How Long Does It Take to Renew a UK Passport in 2026?

According to HM Passport Office (HMPO), most online renewals are ready within about three weeks, though postal applications usually take longer. If your trip is close, the 1-Week Fast Track service can deliver within seven days, and Online Premium offers a same-day appointment for eligible adult renewals. Timelines can stretch during busy periods or if extra checks are needed. Make sure to use official government websites to avoid scams in the UK.

UK Passport Renewal Processing Times at a Glance

Standard, online: receive in around 3 weeks, and costs £102 for an adult, £66.50 for a child.
Standard, by post: this usually takes longer than online, and costs £115.50 for an adult, £80 for a child.
1-Week Fast Track: takes about 1 week after your appointment, costing £192 for an adult, £156.50 for a child. This cannot be used for a first adult passport.
Online Premium: same day, about 4 hours after your appointment; £239.50; adults only, renewals only.

Fees correct as of September 2026, verified against HM Passport Office’s passport fees page, which are reviewed periodically, so it’s worth checking before you apply.

What Affects UK Passport Renewal Processing Time?

Busy seasons like summer, Christmas, and school holidays can extend processing times due to increased application volume, and bank holidays. Renewals involving name changes, lost passports, damage, or additional identity verification may also take longer.

If you’ve moved to the UK from elsewhere, or you’re here on a time-limited visa such as the Youth Mobility Scheme visa, it’s worth applying a little earlier than you otherwise might, in case any of your supporting documents need extra checking.

A few practical tips can help:

If you’re applying in summer between June and August, at Christmas, or during school holidays in August and June, account for extra time, since HMPO gets more applications then.
Double-check every section before submitting, because missing or unclear information is a common cause of delay.
Use HMPO’s photo guidance. Online submissions check your photo automatically before submitting.
If you’re renewing under a new name, make sure to send the right evidence, like a marriage certificate or deed poll, straight away.
If your provided documents were issued outside the UK, which is common if you’re naturalised or have lived abroad. These checks may take longer, so apply as early as possible. Check out our guide on immigration legal support, in case you run into any issues.

Common Reasons Applications Are Rejected or Delayed

Photo doesn’t meet requirements. Check HMPO’s photo guidance first, and remember that online applications catch some errors automatically, like photo formatting issues.
Missing signature, including documents that require countersignature. Check every signature field, not just your own.
An out-of-date paper form. Download the current version from GOV.UK each time.
Incomplete supporting documents. Check HMPO’s checklist for your application type first.
Payment problems on an online application. Confirm your card details and billing address are current.

In most cases, this only pauses your application while HMPO asks for what’s missing, rather than starting you again from scratch. Make sure to check your own situation with HM Passport Office if you’re unsure.

UK Passport Renewal Fees in 2026

Here’s a full breakdown of what renewing a UK passport costs, based on HM Passport Office’s fees for 2026.

Adult standard, online: £102 (£116 for the 54-page frequent traveller version)
Adult standard, by post: £115.50 (£129.50)
Child standard, online: £66.50 (£80.50)
Child standard, by post: £80 (£94)
Adult 1-Week Fast Track: £192 (£206)
Child 1-Week Fast Track: £156.50 (£170.50)
Adult Online Premium: £239.50 (£253.50) – adults only
Anyone born on or before 2 September 1929: Free

These figures are correct as of September 2026. Check HM Passport Office’s passport fees page for the current figures before you apply, since these are reviewed from time to time.

Applying online is usually cheaper as well as faster than applying by post, and it’s the only way to use either urgent service. If you’d rather have some in-person support, the Post Office’s Check and Send service checks your documents before they’re sent to HMPO, for an extra fee, but it doesn’t speed up processing itself.

One thing worth knowing before you apply is that passport fees aren’t refunded if your application is refused.

Urgent Passport Renewal Options in the UK

If your trip doesn’t leave room for the standard timeline, HMPO offers two paid, faster services, which are the 1-Week Fast Track and Online Premium, which both need an in-person appointment at a UK passport office (including London, Peterborough, Newport, Liverpool, Durham, Glasgow and Belfast). Book through GOV.UK’s urgent passport service. Also use the regional office locater to find the nearest place to make an appointment.

Online Premium Service: Same-Day Passport Renewal

Apply online and choose Online Premium.
Book your appointment. Usually available from 2 days after you apply, up to 3 weeks ahead.
Attend your local passport office with your old passport and any other requested documents. The appointment takes around 10 minutes.
Collect your new passport about 4 hours later, the same day, as long as your application needs no extra checks.

This service costs £239.50 for a standard adult passport (£253.50 for 54 pages) and only covers adult renewals, but not first-time adult passports. Missing documents may mean rebooking rather than same-day collection. Apply online through gov.uk.

1-Week Fast Track: Passport Renewal in Seven Days

Apply online and choose 1-Week Fast Track.
Book your appointment. The earliest slot is usually the next day, bookable up to 3 weeks ahead.
Attend your appointment with your old passport, if you have one, and any documents relevant to your situation.
Your new passport arrives by courier about a week after your appointment.

Fast Track costs £192 for an adult (£206 for 54 pages) and £156.50 for a child (£170.50). It covers more than Premium, including renewals, name or detail changes, and replacing a lost, stolen or damaged passport, for adults and children alike. If your trip also needs its own entry visa, for a destination like Morocco, say, that application will have to be done separately from your passport renewal.

Choose Premium if you want a same-day passport, and Fast Track if a week suits your plans, you’d rather pay less, or you need a service that also covers children or a lost passport.

Child Passport Renewal: Timelines and What to Expect

Renewing a child’s passport usually takes about the same three weeks as an adult’s. Child passport renewals sometimes require longer processing because identity checks are stricter, and HMPO prioritises safeguarding with additional confirmation steps.

To renew, you’ll generally need:

The child’s most recent passport
A recent digital photo meeting HMPO’s requirements
Consent from everyone with parental responsibility for the child, or evidence of why only one parent’s consent is provided
A countersignature from an eligible professional confirming the child’s identity, for some applications

If you’re the only parent travelling with your child and the other parent isn’t named on the application, it’s worth carrying evidence of your parental responsibility, like a birth certificate showing you as a parent, or a custody order, in case you’re asked for it, both when applying and at the border.

Renewing a Lost, Stolen, or Damaged UK Passport

Standard renewals reference existing government records, while lost or damaged passports trigger additional verification checks to make sure the document belongs to the correct person and hasn’t been misused.

You’ll usually need to provide:

Proof of your identity and current UK address
Details of when and how the passport was lost, stolen or damaged
A police reference number, if it was stolen. especially if this happened abroad
Evidence of any imminent travel, if you’re applying through one of the urgent services

Both the 1-Week Fast Track and Online Premium services remain available if you need to replace a lost, stolen, or damaged passport quickly.

If you’re already abroad when your passport is lost or stolen, applying for a new passport in the same way isn’t possible. In this situation, contact the nearest British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate about an emergency travel document instead, which is a temporary document that lets you travel home or onward while your full passport application is sorted out. If you need to send or receive money to pay for your renewal, you can send money from a credit card or to a debit card, if needed.

Once you’re sorted for onward travel, it’s worth checking other requirements for your destination too, like whether you’ll be driving in a right-hand-drive country.

How to Track Your UK Passport Renewal Application

You can track your application’s progress, and how you do this depends on how you applied.

Online, with a digital photo: track your application straight away using your reference number, which starts with ‘PEX’, through HMPO’s online tracking service.
Post Office Check and Send: track online in the same way once your documents have reached HMPO; your reference number starts with ‘POD’.
Paper form: call the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000, select option 1, then enter the 10-digit barcode from your application form or the 9-digit number from your receipt.

Your tracker will move through a few general stages, like your application being received, then processed, then a decision made and your passport sent out.

If your application is taking noticeably longer than the standard timeline, especially with travel booked, check your tracker first. If you’re still concerned, the Passport Adviceline is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm, and weekends and bank holidays, 9am to 5.30pm.

Frequently Asked Questions: UK Passport Renewal

How long does it take to renew a UK passport?

Most online renewals are ready within about three weeks, according to HM Passport Office, though postal applications take longer. Need it sooner? Fast Track and Online Premium offer faster turnarounds for an extra fee. Busy periods or extra checks can extend any of these timelines.

How much does it cost to renew a UK passport?

A standard adult renewal costs £102 online or £115.50 by post; a child’s costs £66.50 online or £80 by post, per 2026 HMPO fees. Fast Track and Online Premium cost more, reflecting their faster turnaround. Fees aren’t refunded if your application is refused.

Can I travel while my passport is being renewed?

No. Whether you have a current passport or the 10-year rule applies, once the process starts, you send your current passport to HMPO unless you’re using an urgent service, so you won’t have a valid one until your new passport arrives. Plan travel around your expected renewal date, with some buffer for delays.

What’s the fastest way to renew a UK passport?

Online Premium is fastest, offering a same-day passport after an in-person appointment, though it’s limited to adult renewals. Fast Track is a slightly slower, more flexible alternative, covering renewals, name changes, and lost or stolen replacements for adults and children.

How long does a child’s passport renewal take?

A child’s renewal usually takes around the same three weeks as an adult’s, though it can run longer, since HMPO carries out extra safeguarding checks to confirm proper parental consent. Applying a little earlier gives you a nice buffer.

What if my passport renewal is taking longer than expected?

Check your tracker first for an updated status. If it’s noticeably longer than the standard timeline and you’re still concerned, especially with travel booked, contact the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000 for an update.

Do I need to send my old passport when renewing?

Yes, in most cases, as part of a standard renewal. It’s returned afterwards but is no longer valid for travel. Using Fast Track or Online Premium instead? You bring it to your in-person appointment.

Key Takeaways: UK Passport Renewal Time in 2026

Most online passport renewals are ready within about three weeks, according to HM Passport Office, and postal applications generally take longer.
The 1-Week Fast Track service (from £156.50 for a child, £192 for an adult) delivers a passport by courier about a week after your appointment.
The Online Premium service (£239.50) offers a same-day passport for eligible adult renewals only.
Child passport renewals follow a similar timeline to adult ones but can take longer because of extra safeguarding checks.
Passport fees aren’t refunded if your application is refused, so it’s worth getting your photo and documents right before you apply.

Renewing a passport is one small but important part of settling into life in the UK or planning your next trip to see family. Whether you’re renewing well ahead of a holiday or sorting an urgent trip abroad, the right service is usually there if you plan a little ahead. If you’re also keeping an eye on your UK residence permit, it’s worth checking both documents’ expiry dates together. Once your passport’s sorted, Remitly is here if you need to send money home while you travel or resettle.

Last reviewed: September 2026