Cost of UK passports to rise for second time in 14 months

The cost of a UK passport will increase again this week for the second time in 14 months.

From Thursday, the price of applying online for a new or renewed adult passport will increase from £82.50 to £88.50 - a 7% rise.

It comes after a 9% rise in February last year.

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Before that increase, passport prices had not increased for five years - an online application for an adult cost £75.50.

The cost of applying for a child's passport online is also going up, from £53.50 to £57.50.

Those applying by post will see the biggest hike, with the price rising from £93 to £100 for an adult passport and from £64 to £69 for a child.

Online and paper applications made from overseas are even more expensive.

In a statement when the price rises were proposed in March, the Home Office said the government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications.

"The new fees will help ensure that income from these applications better meets the cost of delivering passport and associated operations, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation," it said.

"The fees contribute to the cost of processing passport applications, consular support overseas, including for lost or stolen passports, and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders.

"The increase will also help enable the government to continue improving its services."

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The new fees apply to those applying for new passports or renewing their old ones.