A British passport allows you to travel internationally using one of the world’s most widely recognised travel documents, re-enter the UK freely without immigration requirements, and access consular support abroad. For people who have just completed naturalisation or registration as a British citizen, applying for a passport is often the first thing they want to do. If this is your first British Passport Application, it can be a daunting process requiring a lot of documentation and lengthy processing times.
Passport applications are handled by His Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO), not the Home Office. Most straightforward applications are processed online and are relatively simple to complete. However, first-time British passport applications, applications for children, cases involving complex name changes, and applications following naturalisation can sometimes require more documentation or take longer to process. We advise on the full process and can assist where complications arise.
You can contact us through the Reeds Solicitors contact page on our website, by calling 0333 240 7373, or by emailing [email protected].
Most British passport applications are straightforward, but some are not. First-time applications after naturalisation or registration, applications involving complex name histories, lost or damaged passports, applications for children where parental responsibility needs to be evidenced, and applications from overseas can all involve complications that make the process harder than expected.
At Reeds Solicitors, we advise on the full process and can assist where complications arise. We often advise clients on passport applications as part of a broader immigration and nationality service, helping them move through naturalisation or registration and then into their first British passport.
Our clients can expect:
- First-time passport advice after naturalisation or registration
After completing naturalisation or registration, many clients want to apply for a British passport as soon as possible. We advise on exactly what documentation is needed, how to organise the application, and what to expect from the HMPO process. We make sure clients are ready to submit a complete application without unnecessary delay.
- Assistance with complex applications
Where passport applications involve complications, such as inconsistencies between documents, name changes, missing birth certificates, or queries raised by HMPO, we advise on how to resolve them. HMPO examiners sometimes ask for additional documentation or raise queries during the checking process, and knowing how to respond can save significant time.
- Child passport applications
Applications for child passports require evidence of parental responsibility. Depending on the circumstances, HMPO may seek information regarding other persons with parental responsibility or request additional evidence where there is a dispute concerning a child’s application.
- Overseas applications
British citizens living outside the UK can apply for a British passport through HMPO’s overseas service or through a British consulate or embassy. Processing times from overseas are generally longer, and the documentation requirements can differ. We advise clients based abroad on how to manage the process.
- Integrated nationality and passport service
For clients who are going through naturalisation or registration with us, we provide joined-up advice through the entire process: from the initial eligibility assessment through to the naturalisation application, the citizenship ceremony, and the first British passport application. Clients who have completed their immigration journey with us can move through each stage efficiently and with confidence.
Getting Legal Help
Whether you are applying for your first British passport following naturalisation or dealing with a more complex application, our immigration team at Reeds Solicitors can advise and assist.
You can contact us through the Reeds Solicitors contact page on our website, by calling 0333 240 7373, or by emailing [email protected].
Contact:
[email protected]
British Passport Application Solicitor: More Information
Any British citizen can apply for a British passport. This includes British citizens by birth, by descent, by naturalisation, and by registration. You do not need to be resident in the UK to hold a British passport, and the passport can be obtained and renewed from overseas as well as from within the UK.
There is no legal requirement to hold a British passport, but in practice, it is the most straightforward way to prove your citizenship when travelling internationally, entering the UK, or dealing with matters that require evidence of nationality.
If you are applying for a British passport for the first time, you will typically need to provide your naturalisation or registration certificate (if you became British through one of those routes), your previous passports if you hold any, your birth certificate, and proof of any name changes. You will also need a digital passport photo if applying online. For online first-time applications, HMPO may ask a person who knows you to confirm your identity digitally as part of an online application
They receive an email link from HMPO and respond online to confirm who you are. They do not sign a physical photograph. If you are applying by paper form rather than online, the traditional counter signatory process applies instead.
Renewal applications are generally simpler. If you are renewing an expired or expiring passport and your personal details have not changed, you can do so online by uploading a new digital passport photo and providing your existing passport details. HMPO targets a processing time of around three weeks for most online applications, however this can vary. This countdown begins from the date HMPO receives your physical supporting documents (such as your current passport or certificates), not from the date you submit the online form.
Applications from overseas are handled differently and may need to be submitted through a British consulate or HMPO’s overseas application service. Processing times from overseas are generally longer. If you hold dual nationality and are applying from outside the UK, you will also need to include a full colour photocopy of every page of your non-British passport alongside your application.
From 8th April 2026, the fees for a British passport are as follows:
- Adult passport (16 and over) – £102 for an online application or £115.50 for a paper application.
- Frequent traveller passport – £116 online and £129.50 by post.
- Child passport (under 16) – £66.50 online or £80 by post.
- Child frequent traveller passport – £80.50 online or £94 by post.
- People born on or before 2nd September 1929 can apply for a British passport free of charge.
There is no additional fee for biometric enrolment as part of a standard passport application. Priority and fast-track services are available at an additional cost for applicants who need their passports more quickly.
Most people apply online through the gov.uk passport application service. The online service guides you through each step: providing your personal details, uploading a digital passport photo, paying the fee, and arranging for your old passport to be sent to HMPO if required.
Applications can also be made by paper form, collected from most Post Office branches. The Post Office also offers a Check and Send service, which checks your application for obvious errors before it is posted. There is a small additional fee for this service.
For urgent applications, HMPO offers a one-week fast track service and a same-day premium service. Both require appointments at designated passport offices. The fast track service costs £166.50 for an adult standard passport, and the premium service costs £239.50
Frequently Asked Questions
You can apply online through the gov.uk passport application service or by paper form from a Post Office. First-time applicants need to provide their birth certificate, proof of British citizenship (such as a naturalisation or registration certificate if you became British through one of those routes), proof of any name changes, a passport photo, and details of a counter-signatory if required. The online application guides you through each step.
From 8th April 2026, the fee for a standard adult passport is £102 online or £115.50 by post. The fee for a standard child passport is £66.50 online or £80 by post. A 54-page frequent traveller passport costs £116 online or £129.50 by post for adults. People born on or before 2nd September 1929 can apply for free.
Most online applications within the UK are processed in around three weeks. Paper applications can take longer. Overseas applications can take several months. HMPO offers faster services at additional cost: the one-week fast track service and a same-day premium service are available for applications made in person at designated passport offices.
Yes. British citizens living abroad can apply through HMPO’s overseas application service or through a British consulate or embassy. Processing times from overseas are generally longer, and the documentation requirements may differ from domestic applications.
A counter-signatory is required in certain situations, including most first-time adult applications, where you cannot provide a previous UK passport. The person confirming your identity must meet HMPO’s eligibility requirements and be able to verify your identity. The precise requirements depend on the type of application being made
Your counter signatory must either work in (or be retired from) a recognised profession or be ‘a person of good standing in their community’.
Where there is a disagreement between those with parental responsibility, or concerns about a child’s travel arrangements, HMPO may request further information and, in some cases, the matter may require determination by the Family Court.
When you renew your passport, you are usually asked to send your old passport to HMPO. It will be cancelled and returned to you. If your old passport contains valid visas you still need, you should mention this during the application process, as HMPO may be able to return the old passport alongside your new one.
A standard British passport is valid for ten years for adults and five years for children. Passports issued to children last for five years because the Home Office requires the photograph to remain a recent likeness. After expiry, a renewal application is needed.
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