Overview
- HM Passport Office considers passports damaged if details are unreadable, pages are torn or missing, the cover is holed or detaching, or pages are stained
- Online renewals cost £94.50 for adults (£61.50 for children) and typically take three weeks, while postal applications carry a £107 fee plus extra Post Office charges
- Urgent services by appointment include a one-week fast track (£178 for adults, £145 for children) and a one-day premium service (£222 for adults)
- Travellers are warned not to book flights until they have their renewed passport number, since new documents carry different numbers
- Child passports last five years and must meet Schengen rules, with issue dates within ten years of arrival and expiry at least three months after departure