What happens if I urgently need to renew my passport?

The Passport Office is currently advising travellers to allow up 10 weeks for standard applications to be processed, due to the ‘unprecedented levels of demand’ reported in the run-up to summer. But if you can’t wait, there are two ways of receiving an emergency passport, both of which are easier if you’re physically in the UK. The easiest and fastest is via the Online Premium service, which costs £177 for a standard adult passport. Apply and pay online, and you’ll then book an appointment at a passport office — the earliest slots offered are two days from when you apply. At the appointment, you’ll need to produce both your old passport and an additional piece of identification, although someone can do this on your behalf if they have a signed and dated letter from you. You’ll collect the new passport at this appointment.

Alternatively, the Fast Track service takes a week and a standard adult passport costs

£142. Collect a paper application from the post office (this part can’t be done online) and then book and pay for an appointment online. Once this has been booked, complete the form and take it to the appointment, along with all required documents, including two identical photos. The passport will then be sent to your home address.

If you’ve already applied for a passport through the usual, non-urgent service and haven’t yet received it, don’t pay extra for an urgent one — you won’t be refunded and won’t get a passport any earlier. For more information, visit gov.uk