To complete a UK passport application, use the online service at GOV.UK wherever possible: it prompts you through each question, generates a document checklist tailored to your situation, and costs less than the paper equivalent. The paper form, called the SE04, is available from Post Offices or by post from the passport advice line, and works as a fallback for people who cannot apply online. Whichever route you take, His Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) needs the same core information about you, your parents, and any previous passport, plus original supporting documents and a compliant photo.
Online or Paper
The online service is the default. It is cheaper, faster to process, and asks only the questions relevant to your circumstances after you say whether you are renewing, replacing, or applying for the first time.
If you use the paper SE04, fill it in using capital letters and black biro only. Other inks or mixed-case handwriting can cause the scanning software to reject the form.1GOV.UK. Guidance for Paper Passport Applications Paper applications take significantly longer to process and cost more than online ones.
One firm rule: if you live outside the UK, the paper SE04 is not available to you and you must apply online.2GOV.UK. Applying for a Passport from Outside the UK
What You’ll Need Before You Start
Whether you fill in the online form or an SE04, the application collects the same core information. Gather these before you begin so you are not hunting for details mid-form:
- Your full legal name, including any previous names and maiden names.
- Your date of birth and the town or city and country where you were born.
- Both parents’ full names, dates of birth, and nationalities at the time of your birth. If they were married, you will also need their marriage date. HMPO uses these details to verify your claim to British nationality, particularly if you were born abroad or are claiming citizenship by descent.
- Your current passport number, issue date, and expiry date, if you are renewing or replacing one.
An adult passport is valid for 10 years from the date of issue.3GOV.UK. Getting Your First Adult Passport A child passport lasts 5 years. Many countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates, so factor that in when deciding when to apply.
Supporting Documents
HMPO needs originals, not photocopies. The list depends on your circumstances, but the common items are:
- A full birth certificate showing your details and your parents’ details. A short-form certificate that lists only your name is not enough.
- Your current or most recent passport, which you must send in if you have one.
- Your naturalisation or registration certificate, if you became British that way rather than by birth.
- Parents’ or grandparents’ birth certificates, sometimes required if you were born outside the UK and are claiming citizenship by descent.
Documents in a language other than English or Welsh need a certified translation. Damaged or illegible originals can cause rejection, so check everything before you post it. If your application arrives missing documents, HMPO will write to you and give you six weeks to send them; miss that deadline and they withdraw the application with no refund.4GOV.UK. Passport Fees Your documents are held securely during processing and returned separately from the new passport, usually by second-class post unless you pay for secure delivery.
Evidence of a Name Change
If your name has changed since your last passport was issued, or since your birth certificate was created, you need to prove the change. HMPO usually asks for two separate pieces of evidence: one showing the change itself and one showing you use the new name for all official purposes.5GOV.UK. Names: Evidence to Change a Name
Some situations only need one document. A marriage or civil partnership certificate on its own is enough when your surname changed on marriage or civil partnership. The same applies if you hold a full Gender Recognition Certificate, or if a child’s birth has been re-registered with a new name. Where you cannot show a paper trail linking your old and new names, you will need a statutory declaration. Changing a child’s name on a passport also requires consent from everyone with parental responsibility.
Photo Requirements
Photos must meet strict technical standards, and the format differs by application route.
Digital Code for Online Applications
For an online application, use a photo booth or photographer that issues a digital passport photo code. Ask for the code option before the photo is taken. You enter the code during the application and HMPO pulls the image directly. The photo must have been taken within the last month, with a plain, light-coloured background and clear contrast between your face and that background.6GOV.UK. Get a Passport Photo
Printed Photos for Paper Applications
Paper applications need two identical printed photos measuring 45mm high by 35mm wide, which is the standard UK photo-booth size. Do not trim down a larger print.7GOV.UK. Get a Passport Photo – Photo Requirements Print on proper photographic paper and keep the prints free of creases, staples, and ink marks.
Whichever format you use, look directly at the camera with a neutral expression and both eyes open. Avoid glasses if you can; if you must wear them, make sure the frames do not cover your eyes and there is no glare. Head coverings are allowed only for religious or medical reasons, and your face must be fully visible from chin to the top of your forehead.
When You Need a Countersignatory
Not every application needs one. You typically need a countersignatory if you are applying for your first passport, your appearance has changed significantly, or the photo in your previous passport is no longer recognisable. The countersignatory confirms your identity and certifies that your photo is a true likeness.
They must have known you (or the parent who signed the form, for a child under 16) for at least two years, be a person of good standing or in a recognised profession, and be able to genuinely identify you. They cannot be related to you by birth or marriage, live at your address, or be in a relationship with you.8GOV.UK. Countersigning Passport Applications and Photos
For online applications, they do not sign a photo. HMPO emails them a link; they log in, answer questions about you, and confirm that your photo looks like you.
Fees
Fees depend on age, application route, and passport size. As of early 2026, fees are set to increase on 8 April 2026, so check the GOV.UK fees page if you are applying around that date.9GOV.UK. Passport Fees Current amounts:
- Adult standard 34-page: £94.50 online, £107 paper.
- Adult 54-page frequent traveller: £107.50 online, £120 paper.
- Child standard 34-page: £61.50 online, £74 paper.
- Child 54-page frequent traveller: £74.50 online, £87 paper.
The 54-page version is worth considering if you travel heavily or regularly visit countries that use full visa pages. Otherwise the 34-page passport covers most people.
Fees are generally non-refundable. HMPO is only legally required to refund you where they took a payment they should not have, such as charging someone born before 2 September 1929, who is entitled to a free passport. Outside that, refunds are discretionary and uncommon. The fee covers processing, not the physical book, so you pay even if the application is refused.4GOV.UK. Passport Fees
Submitting and Paying
Online applicants submit and pay through the GOV.UK portal by debit or credit card. You then receive instructions for sending in your supporting documents, usually in a prepaid envelope or to a specific HMPO address.
Paper applicants have two options. The safer route is the Post Office’s Check and Send service, which costs £16 on top of the passport fee.10GOV.UK. Passport Check and Send Service An adviser reviews your form and photos for obvious errors before forwarding the package, which catches mistakes that would otherwise cost weeks. The service also handles payment processing. Alternatively, post everything yourself using a secure method such as Royal Mail Special Delivery, on the understanding that you carry the risk if anything is lost. On the form itself, complete the payment section with valid card details or include a postal order.
If You Need It Faster
HMPO offers two premium tiers, both requiring an in-person appointment booked through the online service.
One-Week Fast Track
Fast Track costs £178 for an adult passport and £145 for a child passport, with £13 added for the 54-page version in either case. It covers renewals, replacements, name changes, and first-time child passports. The earliest appointment slot is the day after you submit your application, and the new passport is couriered to you a week after the appointment.11GOV.UK. Get a Passport Urgently Cancel or reschedule more than 48 hours before the appointment or you pay a £32 administrative fee; miss the appointment and there is no refund.
One-Day Online Premium
Premium costs £222 for a standard adult passport and £235 for the 54-page version. It is only available for adult passport renewals, not first-time applications and not children. Book an appointment at least two days after submitting your application. The appointment takes about 10 minutes; you hand in your old passport and collect the new one four hours later. Someone else can attend on your behalf if they bring your old passport, the application reference number, a signed letter of permission from you, and their own ID.11GOV.UK. Get a Passport Urgently
Applying from Outside the UK
British citizens abroad apply through the same GOV.UK portal, with a few differences. Paper forms are not available. In some countries you must apply in person at a local centre that forwards the application to HMPO in the UK.2GOV.UK. Applying for a Passport from Outside the UK
Additional charges apply on top of the passport fee: standard DHL delivery of the new passport to an international address costs £14.32, returning supporting documents costs another £14.32 where applicable, and a forwarding fee of £16.24 applies in countries where a local centre sends your application on to HMPO.4GOV.UK. Passport Fees Processing times vary by country and are longer than domestic applications, so check the GOV.UK page for your country and allow at least four weeks before contacting HMPO about progress.
After You Apply
HMPO gives you a reference number for tracking progress online, and sends text or email updates as the application moves between stages.
You may be asked to attend a video interview if you have never held a UK passport before or your old one expired a long time ago. HMPO contacts you to book the time; on the day, an email arrives with a link to join the interview online.12GOV.UK. Passport Interviews The interview confirms that the information in your application matches your identity.13GOV.UK. Getting Your First Adult Passport: After You Apply
The new passport arrives by courier or recorded delivery. Your supporting documents come separately, usually by second-class post unless you paid for secure delivery. The passport remains the property of the Crown throughout its life, and HMPO can withdraw or cancel it at any time.