People who need a new passport ahead of a spring or summer holiday are being urged to apply now. Holidaymakers are being warned to allow 10 weeks for the essential document if they are planning to go abroad.
It seems there has been a spike in passport applications. The Daily Telegraph reports that the Home Office 10-week deadline introduced during the pandemic will remain in place due to an “elevated” and “volatile” demand for travel documents.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman told MPs this week: “Customers should continue to allow 10 weeks. I urge people to apply in good time and not at the last minute."
Read more: Holidaymakers are being warned about passport delays
Those who do apply are in for a shock. The price of a new passport has gone up.
From February 2, the cost of applying for a new British passport rose from £75.50 to £82.50 for adults, and £49 to £53.50 for children. Postal applications for passports has increased from £85 to £93 for adults and £58.50 to £64 for children.
The Government’s web page said of the fee hike: “The new fees will help the Home Office move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation. The Government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications.
“The fees will also 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."
It is the first time in five years that the cost of applying for a passport has increased, the Home Office said, adding that the proposals are subject to parliamentary scrutiny.
Meanwhile, figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show many passports are being lost by the Home Office. The figures shared with the Telegraph showed the number of passports lost was at a five-year high.
The Lib Dem MP for Bath, Wera Hobhouse, told the paper: “These are new heights of incompetence for the Home Office. British travellers who urgently need new passports are being left high and dry by these endless delays.
“With more and more passports going missing each year, it’s no wonder people are fed up with this endless travel chaos. The Home Office needs to step up and take decisive action before more people are let down and lose confidence in these services.”
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