Сonfused about travelling to the EU after Brexit? Find out how to renew a British passport urgently, how long it takes, and what extra rules to be aware of for a trip to Europe.
Urgent British passport renewal FAQs
According to HM Passport Office, processing times can take up to 10 weeks. For those applying from another country, it could take longer.
You can either apply for your new passport online or at a post office. By submitting your form online, you will save £10.50 (a fee for a paper form from a post office), paying £82.50 for an adult, and £53.50 for a child.
Applying by paper form costs £93 for an adult and £64 for a child, with a surcharge for frequent-flyer passports that have extra pages.
The fastest way to renew a passport is to schedule an appointment through the Online Premium service at your nearest passport office. You can only use it to renew an adult passport that was issued after December 31, 2001. The earliest you can get an appointment is two days from when you apply. You’ll receive your new passport right away, at your appointment. The whole thing lasts up to 30 minutes and costs £193.50.
If you don’t mind waiting a week, there’s a slightly cheaper way to renew your passport urgently. With the one-week fast track service, you will have to take documents to the appointment, and your new passport will be sent to you a week after. This costs £155 for an adult and £126 for a child passport.
If you need to travel urgently for medical reasons or if a loved one is seriously ill or has died, call the Passport Adviceline.
British passport rules for travel to Europe
Since Brexit, the rules on passport validity have tightened for Brits visiting Europe. When the UK was in the EU, British passports were valid for travel within the EU up to and including their expiration date. However, since the end of the Brexit transition phase, Britons are now treated as ‘third-country nationals’ with corresponding restrictions on passport issue and expiry dates.
All non-EU nationals wishing to visit or travel within the EU need a passport that is valid for at least three months after the date they intend to leave the EU country they’re visiting. The passport must also be issued within the previous 10 years. All requirements can be checked on the travel page of the EU’s Your Europe site.
How much time you need for your passport depends on the country you’re visiting. Check the entry requirements section of the British government’s travel advice for the country you would like to visit. You may need to renew your British passport before you travel if there’s not enough time left on it.
If you’re travelling to Ireland, you can use your passport as long as it’s valid for the length of your stay.
Some destinations outside the EU enforce a six-month passport rule. Among those countries requiring at least six months left on your passport before arrival are Egypt, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and Singapore.
The EU requires that your passport has at least three months of validity left before it expires at the time you’re planning to travel. For example, if you plan to jet off this July, your passport needs to be valid until October 2023 or later.
Current passport requirements apply to the Schengen Area, which includes most EU countries plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and a few micro-states. Don’t book a trip unless your passport meets the entry requirements for the country you’re going to.
You might be entitled to claim denied boarding compensation. This will be either £220 or £520 per person, depending on the length of the flight. You can also claim associated costs — for example, nonrefundable hotel expenses.
