Although my maroon passport has gone through several shades of pain, a few losses, and its chip is long since dead, it’s time to renew my UK Passport.
So, join me in my adventure to get a “Blue” United Kingdom Passport.
How do you renew a UK passport?
There are a few ways you can renew a passport in the UK (and you’re inside the UK)
- Online (normal speed) – It’ll take up to three weeks normally,
- By Post – It’ll take up to three weeks normally, and costs £12.50 more than the online service
- At a Post Office using the Check and Send Service (both digital and postal)
- One-week Fast Track (online application).
- Can be used 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 or get a child’s passport
- One Day Premium Service (online application)
- Adult replacement passports only.
If you’re a first-time passport applicant, the rules are different. See https://www.gov.uk/apply-first-adult-passport
Should you have lost your passport, or something else has happened other than a straight renewal, then you won’t be able to use the same-day service and must rely on the other services. In other words, plan before you hit the book button.
If you’re going to take advantage of the Fast Track and Premium Services, you are required to visit one of the Passport Offices for an interview. These are in:
If you are outside the United Kingdom, there are options, but they do vary, as well as cost more. See https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports.
Costs
Prices have gone up (as usual), as I’ve covered on this blog more than once. Here’s the consolidated price list from HM Passport Office as of March 2026, if you are applying inside the United Kingdom:
Normal applications
| Apply online |
Apply by paper form
|
|
| Adult (16 and over) standard 34-page passport | £94.50 | £107 |
| Adult (16 and over) 54-page frequent traveller passport | £107.50 | £120 |
| Child (under 16) standard 34-page passport | £61.50 | £74 |
| Child (under 16) 54-page frequent traveller passport | £74.50 | £87 |
| Passport for people born on or before 2 September 1929 | Free | Free |
One Week Fast Track
| Apply online |
Apply by paper form
|
|
| Adult (16 and over) standard 34-page passport | £178 | N/A |
| Adult (16 and over) 54-page frequent traveller passport | £191 | N/A |
| Child (under 16) standard 34-page passport | £145 | N/A |
| Child (under 16) 54-page frequent traveller passport | £158 | N/A |
Premium Same Day
| Apply online |
Apply by paper form
|
|
| Adult (16 and over) standard 34-page passport | £222 | N/A |
| Adult (16 and over) 54-page frequent traveller passport | £235 | N/A |
Data – HMPO
https://www.gov.uk/passport-fees
https://www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently
And on the matter of photos
I hate them, but to be honest, I used a Photo-Me machine this time. This generated both a print and a digital photo code that could be uploaded for use by HM Passport Office.
Whilst you can upload a selfie, you are going to have to be very precise, due to the requirements for identity documents.
See https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports… but if you’re not sure, swallow your pride and pay £10 for a Photo-Me print.
Yes. You have to look as unhappy as this. Get used to it.
When you hit OK, you’ll get your photos, as well as a unique code which you put into the Online Application form.
I did.
I still look unhappy as hell in them.
My circumstances
Since I work out in the field during the week (as blogging doesn’t pay for me to be sitting at home), I decided to spend a day getting my new passport via the One Day Premium Service.
This time, instead of heading to London and ExCEL, or other exotic locales such as Peterborough or Newport, I decided to head to Liverpool to get my passport renewed.
With a photo submitted and the fee paid for a 54-page passport (giving the slight cost difference), I was ready to head to Liverpool.
My adventure
My journey starts at New Street Station at 6:45 in the morning. Because I love the early starts, and I had a 10 am appointment. I could have set an appointment for later in the day, but sometimes, it’s best to get things done and dusted.
New Street in the morning
Morning Pret (amazingly, I skipped coffee at this point). I’m on the 7:04 off Platform 4B
I’ll have more in a trip report segment… but here’s something rare at peak time, an empty train heading out of Birmingham New Street.
Thankfully, the train was only slightly delayed, arriving at Liverpool Lime Street Station around three minutes late.
After a couple of diversions, I headed to the HM Passport Office in Liverpool. It’s about a 20-minute walk from Lime Street – and I was stretching it out as I was very early.
It’s important to note that the Passport Offices operate on an appointment-only basis. Thus, you must have an appointment.
For those in an emergency, there is a little leeway in terms of advice.
I made it to the Passport Office and was granted an early interview. Thus, I entered, conducted a security check, and checked in for my appointment.
In all honesty, I had zero time to sit down, as I was called forward within a minute for my appointment.
The passport office normally suggests 10 minutes for an interview – mine took 5 minutes. During that time, my application was checked, and my previous passport was handed over.
It was then clipped in the corner – indicating it is no longer valid for travel. With that done, I was handed a notification slip and asked to return in four hours. Providing there are no issues, the new passport should be ready.
Clipped passport = no longer valid for travel
Whatever you do, don’t lose this slip.
So, what did I do during those two hours? Simply put, this article didn’t write itself. There were also other articles that I’ve been writing in the background whilst I waited. I might have also logged onto the office server to do a few things, too.
But even I get bored sitting on my own in Starbucks. I went for a walk around the city, looping back to High Street and looked at things as the clock ran down.
The River Mesery – in statue form
Looking towards the River Mersey
Town Hall.
At the appointed time, I returned to 101 Old Hall Street (the Passport office).
As collections are in the same general area as interviews, another security check was completed. After handing over my passport slip (which needed to be signed), I was presented with a red envelope.
It was broken open, with my new passport inside. I was asked to check the details and sign it.
It’s “blue” dah dah dee dah dah dah….
With that, my appointment was over, and I enjoyed the rest of the day in Merseyside.
Off into the Birkenhead tunnel and to the Wirral.
Once you’ve got your new passport
If you got your new passport in person, you’ll be asked to sign it in person. But once you’re out of the passport office and in a secure space, make sure you take appropriate photos of the main pages that you need (ie, the photo page) and make sure you have it to hand.
You never know when you need to upload it, or need to refer to get the passport number – especially if you’ve burned your old passport number in your head.
Overall
It isn’t a hard process to get a UK Passport renewal, whether it’s your first time renewal or you have lost count of the times you’ve replaced it.
It’s a straightforward enough process (aided by it moving mostly online), requiring you to read the instructions, get an updated photo which meets The Passport Office’s requirements (and I’d say that’s probably the hardest thing).
Provided there’s no damage to the passport, it’s a quick enough process, and even quicker if you pay out for the Premium Service or One Week Service.
Just budget for everything on top of the passport. Photos, train rides and food add up quickly enough for a day out.
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