Your questions about passports

Here you’ll find some of the questions we’re asked most frequently about the passport application process. You will now find most of our information about passports on Directgov.

Need a new passport? Find out more on Directgov.

Where is my nearest passport office?

We have seven regional offices around the UK, including one in London. Please make an appointment before you arrive at any of our offices, as they operate on an appointment-only basis.

Check the list for all our regional passport offices.

How long will it take for my passport application to be processed?

If you are applying for a passport for the first time, you are required to attend an interview in a passport office. So if you are a first-time applicant, you should allow six weeks for the return of your passport.

Times for applications to be processed vary depending on which service you choose:

• postal application: IPS aims to return postal applications within three weeks of receiving them
• Check & Send service: available at certain Post Office branches; should take two weeks
• Fast Track service: available by appointment only at passport office counters; this is a guaranteed one-week service
• Premium service: available only for passport renewals and by appointment at passport office counters; this is a guaranteed same-day service.
  Note: Premium service is not available for lost, stolen or damaged passport applications, when a child is applying for their first adult passport, nor when applicants have had a total change of name, ie forename and surname.

When can I apply to renew my passport?

Whenever you need to, but don't leave your passport renewal until the last minute as you can carry up to nine months validity from your old passport to your new one.

How do I find out how my passport application is progressing?

Unless an emergency arises, please allow up to two weeks from the date you sent us your application before contacting us to check progress.

You can find out when to expect your passport by filling in the online application tracker. Alternatively, you can call the passport advice line: 0300 222 0000 (see terms and conditions).

When you contact us to check progress, you will need to tell us your application barcode number. If you applied:

• by post, this is the 10-digit number at the top of the front page of your application form
• using the Post Office Check & Send service or in person at a regional passport office, it is the barcode number on your receipt.

Before you use the tracker or phone the advice line to check progress, make sure you have your application barcode number ready to hand.

What are automated passport control gates - and which airports have them?

Automated passport gates use biometric facial recognition scanners. You simply insert you biometric passport into the reader and then look into the camera and your identity will be checked.

The first facial recognition gates in the UK were installed in 2008 by the UK Border Agency at Manchester and Stansted airports. Read more about this development.

How does the cost of a UK passport compare with the fees charged in other countries?

You can take a look at our 'International passport cost comparisons'. This shows passport charges for 47 countries (in their local currencies) and what kinds of passports and validity they offer. Other UK charges can be found in the passport fees table.

What are the security features of UK passports?

You can see the distinguishing security features of current and previously issued UK passports in 'Basic passport checks'.

Do I have to apply for a new passport if my appearance has changed?

Where there is a permanent and significant change to your face, such that you cannot be identified from your passport photograph, then you must apply for a new passport at your own cost.

This also applies to applicants who have undergone significant facial surgery or trauma, obtained numerous/large facial piercings or tattoos since the issue of their passport.

Where the appearance of a child under the age of 16 has changed due to the aging process alone, they may not be required to apply for a new passport.

Where the applicant has grown a beard or changed their hair colour for example, but can still be identified from the photograph on their passport, then they may not be required to apply for a new passport. Should they wish to apply for a new passport in order that their photograph is more recent or to include temporary changes to their appearance, then they may do so at their own cost.

If you are unclear whether this applies to you, call the passport advice line on 0300 222 0000.

What if I live overseas?

If you live overseas, you should apply to your nearest Regional Passport Processing Centre. The website of the British embassy in your country will provide details of which centre is nearest to you and how to apply.

If you are living in a Crown Dependency or a British Overseas Territory, you should contact the local passport office for information on how to obtain a passport.

When can I get a new style passport?

The new design passport was introduced across the country from October 2010, and will be phased in over a period of several months. Both the new and existing UK passports are secure travel documents. The design of the British passport is changed on a regular basis for security reasons and there are often differing versions of the passport valid at any given time.

The version of the UK passport you receive has no impact on the ability of the passport holder to travel without restriction and to gain entry to overseas countries as a British passport holder.

What is the label in the back of my passport and what should I do with it?

The label is used for quality assurance purposes and allows us to pinpoint where a passport is during the automated production processes. You can peel it off and dispose of it in your household waste.