Latest news with #PassportOffice
Daily Record
28-05-2025
- Daily Record
How long are passport waiting times ahead of Scottish summer holidays?
Passport application time can vary between person to person and also when you submit your application. Applying for a new passport can be a stressful time, especially if you are due to jet off on holiday soon. The worry of your passport not arriving before you are due to fly can be enough to make you pay extra to guarantee its quick arrival. However, to ease any stress and worry, travellers are urged to check the latest passport rules and guidance and order their new travel document well in advance. Passport application times vary from person to person and depend on what type of document you are applying for and also when you submit your application. First time passports can take longer as you may have to submit extra paperwork and also bank holidays can delay when your application is processed. Guidance offered by says due to processing times in the UK, you'll usually get your passport "within 3 weeks." The Passport Office adds "It may take longer than 3 weeks if we need more information, or we need to interview you. We'll tell you this within 3 weeks." However, there are different turnaround times if you are applying from another country. Whether you are applying from abroad or the UK. The processing time starts from when the passport office receives your documents. Some people may need a passport more urgently in some circumstances when they are due to travel imminently. If you need a passport urgently, You can pay for the service if you think the standard service will take too long. You are required to arrange an appointment at a passport office for an urgent passport. Passport office appointments usually last up to 10 minutes and you can book an appointment up to 3 weeks in advance, reports Liverpool Echo. There are two ways to apply for an urgent passport. They are explained below: 1 day premium The earliest you can get an appointment is 2 days after you apply. You'll need to hand in your old passport at your appointment. Your new passport will be ready to collect from the passport office 4 hours after your appointment. You can only use this service to renew an adult passport. It costs £207.50 (or £219.50 for a 54-page frequent traveller passport). 1 week fast track The earliest you can get an appointment is the next day after you apply. Your new passport will be delivered to you by courier 1 week after your appointment. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. You can use this service to: renew a passport change personal details on your passport (for example your name, place of birth or gender) replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport get a child passport It costs: £166.50 for an adult passport (or £178.50 for a 54-page frequent traveller passport) £135.50 for a child passport (or £147.50 for a 54-page frequent traveller passport) The government say: "You'll be asked some questions to work out what services you're eligible for. You can then book an appointment, apply and pay." You'll need your old passport, a digital photo of yourself and a credit or debit card. This month the government announced that the price of passports will be increasing. This applies to new and replacement ones. The proposals, which are subject to approval by Parliament, will include the following: the fee for a standard online application made from within the UK will rise from £88.50 to £94.50 for adults and £57.50 to £61.50 for children postal applications will increase from £100 to £107 for adults and £69 to £74 for children the fee for a Premium Service (1 day) application made from within in the UK will rise from £207.50 to £222 for adults and £176.50 to £189 for children the fee for a standard online application when applying from overseas for a UK passport will rise from £101 to £108 for adults and £65.50 to £70 for children overseas standard paper applications will increase from £112.50 to £120.50 for adults and £77 to £82.50 for children.
CTV News
25-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Ottawa to cut 800 passport office jobs by end of June, union calls it 'disheartening'
Watch Ottawa plans to cut 800 passport office jobs by June's end. Union president Alisha Kang warns of delays, service impact, and how the union plans to respond.
Wales Online
03-05-2025
- Wales Online
Six month passport rule you need to know before your summer holiday
Six month passport rule you need to know before your summer holiday It could be worth acting sooner rather than later to save you a bigger problem later on when you're at the airport UK border signage is pictured at the passport control in Arrivals in Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport (Image: Getty ) The question as to whether you can travel with a passport which is about to expire likely comes up more than you'd imagine, usually when someone's already booked a trip and finally checks their passport only to realise that it expires in four or five months. It might feel like a small detail, but depending on where you are travelling to, it can be a trip-ending issue (which is definitely best to avoid). The six-month passport rule also isn't universal, but it's widely enforced. Many countries require that your passport be valid for at least six months from the date you arrive, not just until you leave. For money-saving tips, sign up to our Money newsletter here And even if the country itself is more flexible, the airline might still block you from travelling if your passport doesn't meet the rule. For example, countries like Thailand, Egypt, and the UAE are strict about the six-month requirement. The United States also expects UK travellers to have at least six months' validity, but most countries in the Schengen Area (France, Spain, Italy and so on) only require that your passport is valid for three months after your planned date of departure from Europe. Article continues below Post-Brexit, UK passports must also be less than 10 years old when entering the EU, even if they appear to have time left which might catch some people out. It's also not just about the country's border control, because airlines can be fined if they let passengers fly with incorrect documents, so lots of them might have varying rules. The official advice from His Majesty's Passport Office outlines that people should check entry requirements before they travel, and should not assume your passport is valid just because it has not expired yet. If you're within six months of expiry, it is wise to renew. Even countries that allow shorter validity can change their policies at short notice which is why relying on older guidance or informal advice online can be risky. If you're unsure, you should check the entry rules directly on the FCDO website or with the embassy of the country you're visiting. And if in doubt, it might be time to apply for a renewal early. Article continues below It might sound like a minor hassle, but it could be worth acting sooner rather than later to save you a bigger problem later on when you're at the airport and ready to jet off on your adventures. Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice
Daily Record
01-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
'Do not' plea issued to anyone with a passport by Martin Lewis' MSE team
Martin Lewis' team of experts found that thousands of people overpaid when it came time to renew their passports As the summer holiday season approaches, many of us will be dusting off our travel documents and checking the validity of our passports. While renewing a passport is a straightforward task, Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert team says thousands are still overspending during the process. You can apply online quickly and easily with the website - but there's a more expensive alternative. If you can't, or don't, use the online application form, you can send off for a new passport via the postal service, but it means shelling out more than necessary. A check made by Martin Lewis' team revealed that over 360,000 people last year did not save money when renewing their passports. The figures were obtained through a Freedom of Information request to the Passport Office, which gave a breakdown of applications in digital and physical forms during 2024. The investigation found that the majority of UK passport applications were made online, with over seven million people utilising the web-based service. However, thousands still paid 'more than required' by opting for a postal application. By submitting their application online instead of filling out and posting paper forms to the Passport Office, individuals could save £12.50. Although it may seem like a small saving, given the increase in passport prices in April, saving money where possible is generally best, reports the Mirror. Petar Lekarski, assistant news and investigations editor at said: "Don't get your passport by post." He added: "I had to renew my passport earlier this year and was dreading the faff, but I was pleasantly surprised by how quick and easy the online process was. "I'm clearly not alone. Our research shows more and more people are choosing the online route over a paper form, collectively saving millions in the process. If you can do so, or if you can get someone to help you, applying for your passport directly through is the way to go." The quickest and least expensive method to obtain your documents is via online application. As of April 10, adults over 16 will be charged £94.50 for each standard 34-page passport application, suitable for most who don't fly frequently, or £107.50 for a larger 54-page 'frequent traveller' passport. Children under 16 will incur lower fees for their passports, at a standard cost of £51.50 and a rate of £74.50 for those who travel often. Those born on or before September 2, 1929, are eligible for a free passport, whether applying online on the Government's website or by mail. However, it is important to note that free passports do not exclude expedited processing charges for urgent applications. It's also worth remembering that UK passports last 10 years for adults and five years for children, meaning if your passport was issued in 2015, it's time to check its expiry date. You'll usually get your passport within three weeks, according to the Passport Office. It may take longer than three weeks if they need more information or need to interview you.
Glasgow Times
01-05-2025
- Glasgow Times
Martin Lewis warning - don't get your passport by post
In his Money Saving Expert newsletter this week, it says: "Don't renew your passport by post - 360,000 paid more than they needed to last year." It links to a post on the website, which gives more detail: "If your passport is due for renewal, apply online if you can – it'll save you £12.50. "More than 7 million Brits did just that last year – but over 360,000 missed out on savings by using a paper form instead, can reveal." Most applications are made online – but 100,000s still apply by post. Of the 7,020,102 submitted directly to Passport Office last year, 221,663 were paper forms sent by post, while the Post Office 'Check & Send' service saw 143,268 out of 431,385 applications sent the more expensive way. How much does it cost to renew a UK passport? Passport application costs vary for the standard (up to three weeks), fast-track (one-week), and premium (same day) services. They rose by up to £14.50 earlier this month. Here are the current fees: (Image: How about a fast track passport application? There are two ways to apply for an urgent passport, and different fees for each. One day premium passport service The earliest you can get an appointment is two days after you apply. There are Passport Customer Service Centres in: Belfast Durham Glasgow Liverpool London Newport Peterborough You'll need to hand in your old passport at your appointment. Your new passport will be ready to collect from the passport office four hours after your appointment. You can only use this service to renew an adult passport. It costs £222 (or £235 for a 54-page frequent traveller passport). One week fast track passport service The earliest you can get an appointment is the next day after you apply. Your new passport will be delivered to you by courier one week after your appointment. You can use this service to: renew a passport change personal details on your passport (for example your name, place of birth or gender) replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport get a child passport It costs: £178 for an adult passport (or £191 for a 54-page frequent traveller passport) £145 for a child passport (or £158 for a 54-page frequent traveller passport) Recommended reading: Who gets a free UK passport? If you were born on or before 2 September 1929, you can get or renew a British passport for free if you're a British national and you were born on or before 2 September 1929. You can also use the Post Office Check and Send service for free and get free secure delivery. You must pay a fee if you need to get a passport urgently or if you want a frequent traveller passport.
