Passport Fees (Hansard, 16 February 1998)

§ Lord Williams of Mostyn

The Privy Council has approved an Order in Council, the Consular Fees Order 1998, which gives authority for an increase in passport fees on 26 March. The fee for a standard 32-page passport will increase from £18 to £21 and for a 48-page passport from £27 to £31. The fee for amending an existing passport will increase from £5 to £11, to reflect the economic cost. The cost of a separate passport for children will be £11 for a passport valid for five years. An additional charge of £10 will be introduced for those making applications in person in the United Kingdom and for applications made abroad to reflect the greater cost of providing these services. The fee for a collective passport, for organised trips for schools and youth groups, will remain unchanged at £40.

This is the first general increase in passport fees since November 1992 and for the over 80 per cent. of applicants who apply by post is in line with the level of inflation for the period. In relation to the cost of travel abroad, a fee of £21 for a standard 10-year passport still represents very good value for money.