You’ve been applying for your passport renewal all wrong – simple way to speed up process and save money
ANYONE gearing up for holiday season is likely dusting of their passport after a couple of years of staying at home thanks to the pandemic.
If it turns out it's time to renew yours, there are some simple ways you could speed up the process and save money at the same time.
Half a million holidaymakers are missing out on savings by applying by post, rather than online.
That's according to (MSE) which found that nearly 4million travellers applied online last year, saving a collective £37million between them.
Filing paperwork might be the way you did it before, but as most things move online, getting a new passport via the internet is likely to be cheaper and easier
To renew an adult passport by post, or update details like your name, will set you back £85.
But do it online and you'll pay just £75.50 and saving yourself £9.50.
The same goes for kids passports, which cost £49 using paperwork sent to the passport office - or £58.50 online.
So if you're a family of four with two adults and two kids, and they all need renewing this year, you could stand to save a nice sum of £38.
You must renew your passport if it has expired before you travel abroad - and if you have lost it you must replace it.
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Some destinations won't let you travel if your passport is about to expire, even if the date hasn't passed yet – you can check the .
It's also best to check the date as early as possible and that you have enough time on it for your chosen destination.
New rules were introduced after the UK left the EU regarding how many months are needed to be on the passport to be able to travel.
Some holidaymakers are unaware and have been turned away at boarding gates.
To renew online visit the .
Doing your renewal online also means that you won't have to wait for your postal application to be delivered to the passport first, so you can speed up the process slightly.
According to MSE the processing time for online and post applications are the same, around five weeks and allow up to 10, but there are other things you can do to make sure you get yours back asap.
It's worth taking note of the photo requirements, as your application can be slowed down if you don't get it right.
You must have a clear, in-focus and in-colour photo taken in the last month - and it must be a new photo from your now-expired passport even if your appearance is still the same.
You should not smile in the photo.
For paper applications you must have two identical 45mmx35mm pictures attached.
Paper forms can be collected at a Post Office with a Check and Send service or by contacting .
However, in cases of emergency there are , which are much more expensive than standard renewals.
You could also speed up the process by using the check and send service from the Post Office - but this will cost you more than the standard renewal.
The service costs £101 if you do it by post or £91.50 online, which is £9.50 cheaper.
The Post Office claim that using this service will help you avoid basic errors and using the standard service instead means you're more than twice as likely to have it delayed because of these mistakes.
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So you might want to use the pricier service if you want to get it asap and avoid delays as much as possible, and you'll still save cash doing that online versus posting the paperwork.
But if you're happy to check everything yourself then you could save even more by doing it yourself, and you'll save a sum doing it online too.
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