WIREDGOV

New Passport fees announced

News Release issued by the Government News Network on 07 July 2009

Maintaining passport security and delivering a high quality service to customers is the driving force behind a fee increase of £5.50 for a standard passport, the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) announced today.

The IPS and FCO intend to introduce an increase in the price of a ten year adult passport from £72 to £77.50 in the first passport fee rise for passport services in the UK since 2007. There will also be a rise of £3 to the cost of a child’s passport to £49. The increase will take effect from 3 September following final approval by the Privy Council tomorrow (8 July).

In order to reduce the impact on holidaymakers during the high season, the Identity and Passport Service will wait until September to bring in the rise.

The decision to increase passport fees follows a decline in passport applications experienced during these difficult economic times. The rise will ensure the IPS is able to continue to deliver the service its customers have come to expect and which generated a customer satisfaction rating of 97 per cent in its most recent polls. The rise will also ensure the IPS is able to continue to deliver the security enhancements to passports to which it is committed.

The adult passport will continue to be issued for free to applicants born on or before 2 September 1929. This maintains the Government’s ongoing commitment to those individuals.

Home Office Minister Phil Woolas, said:

“The British Passport is a gold standard in identity documents and it is vital that we ensure it remains so. Since the last fee increase in 2007 the Identity and Passport Service has issued almost eight million first generation ePassports, containing secure chips holding an individual’s passport details and facial biometric.

“The announcement today of a fee increase of £5.50 on the ten year adult passport to £77.50 will help ensure that the Identity and Passport Service is able to maintain the high standards in customer service and document security British citizens have come to expect.

”I am also pleased to be able to reassure people that those born on or before 2 September 1929, who lived through World War II, will continue to receive free passports. I think it is entirely right that those who endured these times to guarantee our liberty and security should be given the privilege of free passports.”
James Hall, Chief Executive of the Identity and Passport Service, said:

“The Identity and Passport Service has been able to freeze passport fees since October 2007 due to efficiency savings despite the delivery of a new generation of passport. This year demand has fallen and we must ensure this lost revenue doesn’t affect our ability to deliver a quality product and excellent customer service.

"We are determined to do everything we can to minimise the impact on our customers and have already put in place a wide range of measures to cut costs. These include the restructure of the Glasgow Passport office, which saved £2 million per year; a reduction of 200 posts through natural wastage; and savings of more than £5 million on our contracts with private sector suppliers.

“However we were still faced with an increase in net costs that risked undermining our high standards of integrity and customer service. The increase in fees will ensure that the service customers have rightly come to expect can be maintained.”

The proposed new fees are:

Post Fast Track (FT) Premium
(1 week) (same day)

Adult First £77.50 (5.50) N/A N/A

Adult Replacement £77.50 (5.50) £112.50 (15.50) N/A

Adult Renewal £77.50 (5.50) £112.50 (15.50) £129.50 (15.50)

Child First £49.00 (3.00) £96.50 (15.50) N/A

Child Renewal £49.00 (3.00) £96.50 (15.50) £109.50 (15.50)

Jumbo (48 page) £90.50 (5.50) £120.50 (15.50) £138.50 (15.50)

(Increase in brackets).

An increase of 50p has also been announced today to cover the cost of consular assistance services provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) abroad. This is included in the table above.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. A consular premium is charged on passports issued in both the UK and overseas to cover the cost of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) providing consular assistance. In the UK the income is collected on behalf of the FCO by the IPS.

2. For more information about passport fees visit www.direct.gov.uk/passports

3. For media enquiries relating to the Identity and Passport Service call the Home Office news desk on 020 7035 3535.