While holidays are the perfect getaway to get some rest and relaxation, travelling can often be the cause of a lot of stress and anxiety, with passports a common factor in the worries.
Passport renewals have been in high demand ever since the pandemic hit. People didn’t travel for a couple of years, and then suddenly everyone was itching to explore the world again.
As a result, a lot of passports have expired, meaning many of us are currently unable to go on holiday.
If your getaway is coming up and you’re unsure about whether you need to renew you passport, or how to go about it, Kelly Johnston at Avanti Travel Insurance has everything you need to know.
What if my passport doesn’t arrive in time?
If you’ve applied using the standard service and you’re worried that your passport won’t arrive in time for your trip, there are a couple of things you can try.
Call the Passport Adviceline
If you’re travelling in two weeks or less, you can call the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000. Here, you can track the progress of your passport application and request to ‘upgrade’ your application.
If you meet the eligibility criteria, you have the option to ‘upgrade’ your passport application for a fee. This upgrade promises expedited processing within one week, although there is no guarantee.
You’ll also need to provide proof that you’re travelling e.g. pre-booked flight tickets.
You can also contact the Passport Adviceline if you need to travel due to an emergency, such as the serious illness of a friend or family member abroad.
When should I renew my passport?
Always check if your passport is valid before you book your next holiday. It’s just as important as booking flights or a hotel, because if it’s not up to scratch then you won’t be able to go!
You will need to renew your passport if:
- It has expired
- It is over 10 years old
- There is not enough time left on it
How long does it take to renew a UK passport?
The wait time for renewing a UK passport is around 3 weeks. If you need your passport sooner, take a look at the passport fast-track service.
If the passport delays of 2022-23 have taught us anything, it’s to renew your passport as soon as you can. Make sure to check the expiry date and the date it was issued, as you can’t use a passport if it’s over 10 years old.
How much is it to renew a passport in the UK?
For an adult, it costs £82.50 to replace or renew your passport online. It costs a little more – £93 – if you want to do it through the post.
For children under 16, renewing a passport costs £53.50 online and £64 through the post.
New passports and renewals are free of charge for anyone born on or before 2 September 1929.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here