In addition, as is currently the case, the fee will pay for the costs associated with issuing UK passports and for consular support provided to British nationals abroad.Īs well as ensuring that the process of getting a passport is funded by those who use them, the proposals reflect the differing amounts it costs to process online and postal applications. And in total 250 million people travel across the UK Border each year and this number is increasing, helping to grow our economy. British passport holders already receive a world-class customer experience at the UK Border with 76% of eligible passengers now using ePassport gates which had a record 46.2 million passenger crossings in 2017. This forms part of the ongoing work to modernise and further strengthen the security of the border. These reforms are part of plans by the Home Office to invest £100 million on border security and infrastructure next year. The proposals, which remain subject to Parliamentary approval, would mean the money collected through fees will contribute to the cost of processing British passport holders as they travel in and out of the country, shifting the burden for paying for these services away from the taxpayer – millions of whom do not currently hold passports.
The Home Office has outlined plans to introduce different passport fees for online and postal applications as part of its push to increase the use of online services and its ambition to create a self-sustainable immigration and borders system. The new fee structure applies from 27 March 2018. The passport fee increase has been approved by Parliament.
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