How do I renew a UK passport in time for a trip?

A passport renewal is a simple online form that goes wrong in a small number of predictable ways. Almost all of the delay in the system is caused by applications that have to be sent back, not by the queue itself, and the parts most likely to be sent back are the photograph and the supporting documents.

Safety

What you'll need

• Your current or most recent passport
• A digital photograph meeting the official rules
• A payment card
• Documents supporting a change of name (optional)

Step by step

1. Check the current published processing time before anything else.It is on GOV.UK and it moves through the year. Compare it with your departure date, then add a substantial margin — the published figure is a guide and it does not include postage at either end.
2. Start on GOV.UK, not on a search result.Several commercial sites sit above the official one in search results and charge a fee on top of the real one for checking a form you can check yourself. The official service is the only one that issues the passport.
3. Get the photograph right first time.This is the single biggest cause of rejection. Plain light background, no shadow behind the head, neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and visible, nothing covering the face, no glare on glasses — and glasses are best removed entirely. A phone photo against a plain wall in even daylight works if you follow the rules exactly.
4. Check the child photo rules separately.Babies and young children have their own allowances but they are still strict. A young baby can have their eyes closed and does not need a neutral expression, but nothing else may appear in the frame — no toys, no supporting hands, no car seat.
5. Have the old passport ready to send.A renewal usually requires the old passport, which means you cannot travel on it while the application is running. Plan around that gap if you have another trip in between.
6. Deal with a name change properly.A marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate or deed poll has to go with the application, and originals are usually required rather than copies. This is the other common cause of an application stalling.
7. Use a tracked or checked postal option for anything you send.Original documents in the ordinary post are a risk that costs very little to remove. Keep the tracking reference.
8. Track the application and respond to anything asked immediately.The clock effectively restarts each time they wait on you. A request for a better photograph answered the same day costs days; answered the following week it costs weeks.
9. Know the urgent options exist and what they cost.There are faster appointment-based services for genuine urgency, at a considerably higher fee and with limited appointment availability. Check what is currently offered on GOV.UK — do not assume one will be available at short notice in the summer.

Tips

• Renew early rather than at the last sensible moment. Remaining validity on the old passport is generally carried over, so early renewal usually costs nothing in time.
• Check the whole household at once — a family trip is only as travel-ready as its shortest-dated passport.
• Keep a note of the passport number, issue date and expiry date somewhere separate. It speeds up almost every travel form.

If it doesn't work

Questions people ask