Your first adult UK passport: £102, documents and timing in 2026

If you have never held a British passport before, you apply for a first adult passport — a separate process, not a renewal. You must also use this route if your last UK passport was issued before 1 January 1994, as those older documents cannot be renewed.

What does it cost?

Applying online at GOV.UK costs £102. Using a paper form (available at Post Offices offering Check and Send) is dearer at £115.50. An adult passport is valid for 10 years.

Who can use this route?

You must be a British national, aged 16 or over (or turning 16 within 3 weeks), and have never had a UK passport. If you hold another country's passport, the name and gender on it must match those you want on your British passport; if they differ, change them first.

What about documents and an interview?

A first application is checked more strictly than a renewal. You will need documents proving your identity and your claim to British nationality (such as a birth certificate), and your form and one photo must be signed by a countersignatory — someone in an approved profession who knows you personally. Some first-time applicants are invited to a short in-person interview at the Passport Office. Your photo must meet strict rules: no smiling, a plain light background, taken recently.

How long does it take, and when to book travel?

HM Passport Office does not fix a set time — check the current figure on the website before you apply, as it changes. A first application usually takes longer than a straightforward renewal because of the extra checks. The Passport Office's golden rule: do not book travel until you have your passport in hand. For urgent travel on medical or bereavement grounds there is a separate Passport Adviceline.

Applying for a British passport from abroad works differently, through the overseas service, not this process.