Renewing your passport: US and UK steps, prices and urgent options

To renew a US passport you may be able to do it online or by mail with Form DS-82 if your last passport was issued within the past 15 years; to renew a UK passport you apply online (£102) or on paper (£115.50) with HM Passport Office. In both countries, do not book travel until you hold a valid passport, because many countries require several months of validity and processing times vary.

This guide is based on official government pages read on 12 November 2026: USA.gov (renewing an adult passport), the UK government’s GOV.UK pages on renewing an adult passport and passport fees, and the destination rules published by the U.S. State Department and the UK FCDO. The State Department’s own passport pages (fees, processing times) could not be loaded when I wrote this, so no US dollar fee or processing time is quoted here: use the State Department’s fee calculator and processing-times page. To see whether your destination asks for a passport and what validity, check our travel entry requirements pages.

Renewing a US passport

According to USA.gov (read 12 November 2026), you cannot renew and must apply in person with Form DS-11 if your passport was issued before your 16th birthday, was issued more than 15 years ago, is damaged, lost or stolen, or was issued in a previous name without a legal document proving the name change. An expired passport can be renewed only if it was issued within the last 15 years.

• Online: the State Department’s Online Passport Renewal System is the only authorised place to renew online.
• By mail: you need Form DS-82, a passport photo, the fee and your most recent passport. USA.gov says your old passport is mailed back separately, usually about 4 weeks after the new one arrives. Include name change documents if needed.
• Fees and timing: USA.gov gives no dollar amounts or processing times and refers you to the State Department’s fee calculator and processing-times page. Times and fees vary by time of year.
• Urgent travel: see the State Department’s "get your passport fast" page; extra fees may apply.
• Abroad: contact the nearest US embassy or consulate.

Renewing a UK passport

According to GOV.UK (read 12 November 2026), you must renew your passport before you can travel if it has expired or you do not have enough time left on it. How much time you need depends on the country you are visiting, so check its entry requirements. You need your old passport and any valid passports from another country (a colour photocopy of every page, including blank ones, or the physical passport). If your passport is burgundy or says "European Union" on the cover, you can still use it as long as it is valid for travel.

• Online: £102, with a digital photo, a debit or credit card and your passport.
• Paper form: £115.50. Get a form from a Post Office with a Check and Send service or from the Passport Adviceline; you need 2 new, identical printed photos. You can pay by card or by cheque payable to "HM Passport Office".
• Unexpired visas: send your previous passport with the visa attached; it will be returned to you, and you can use the visa if you carry both passports.
• Delivery: by courier or Royal Mail; the package will not say it contains a passport.
• Tracking: use your application reference number.

UK passport (GOV.UK, read 12 November 2026)	Online	Paper form
Adult (16 and over), standard 34-page	£102	£115.50
Adult, 54-page frequent traveller	£116	£129.50
Child (under 16), standard 34-page	£66.50	£80
Child, 54-page frequent traveller	£80.50	£94

GOV.UK says you cannot get a refund if you cancel your application or are not entitled to a passport. A child passport (under 16) is valid for 5 years according to GOV.UK, and time left on an old child passport is not added to the new one. For US fees, which depend on the type of application, use the State Department’s fee calculator.

How long does it take to get a passport?

Neither GOV.UK’s renewal page nor USA.gov gives a guaranteed time: both send you to the processing-times information published by HM Passport Office and the State Department. Practical advice drawn from them:

• Check your passport’s expiry date as soon as you book a trip, and the validity the destination requires (GOV.UK).
• Do not book travel until you have a valid passport: the new UK passport will not have the same number as the old one (GOV.UK).
• US renewal by mail: your old passport comes back separately, usually about 4 weeks after the new one (USA.gov).
• Some countries and airlines deny entry to US passport holders if the passport expires in less than 6 months (USA.gov); check the destination’s rules.

Urgent passport: when and how?

UK: GOV.UK points to two paid services for urgent needs, Online Premium and 1 week Fast Track; I did not read their fees or conditions, so check the dedicated GOV.UK page. US: USA.gov points to the State Department’s "get your passport fast" page for emergency or urgent travel and expedited processing, with extra fees and times that vary through the year. Abroad, contact your nearest embassy or consulate.

Passport and electronic travel authorisations

For most trips abroad, US and UK citizens need a valid passport, and some destinations also require an electronic authorisation (for example ESTA for UK citizens visiting the US, Canada’s eTA or the UK ETA for US citizens visiting the UK). Always check the destination’s page on the U.S. State Department’s travel.state.gov country pages and the UK FCDO’s GOV.UK foreign travel advice.

Frequently asked questions

Our sources

• USA.gov, Renew an adult passport, read 12 November 2026.
• GOV.UK, Renew or replace your adult passport and Passport fees, read 12 November 2026.
• Our methodology

Updated November 2026.