Child passports: first application vs renewal
A child’s first passport needs more documents and a countersignatory; renewals are simpler. What’s different, the fees, and the timings.
Parents hit this twice per child, five years apart — long enough to forget everything. The two applications look similar but carry different admin loads, and knowing which one you’re facing sets expectations properly.
First passport: the heavy one
- Who applies: someone with parental responsibility, providing their own details plus, in most cases, both parents’ (names, dates of birth; there’s a route if one parent’s details genuinely can’t be provided, but expect questions).
- Countersignatory required: a professional-standing acquaintance of two-plus years confirms the photo is really your child.
- Documents: the child’s full birth certificate does the core work for UK-born children.
- Timing: first passports can take longer than renewals — the identity is being established from scratch. Apply well before any booking, not after.
Renewal: the light(er) one
New photo, online form, £66.50, send the old passport back when asked. Countersigning is normally only needed when the child has changed beyond recognition from the old photo — which, given five years covers ages 2→7 or 9→14, is more common than you’d think. The application will tell you if it’s required.
The five-year trap
The reason child passports cause airport heartbreak isn’t the forms — it’s the cycle. Adult passports run 10 years, children’s 5, siblings’ dates differ, and no renewal letter arrives. The fix is boring and total: every passport in the household, one shared list, one glance before any booking.
In short
First passport: parental responsibility, both parents’ details, countersignatory, generous lead time. Renewal: photo + form + £66.50, countersign only if the photo gap is too big. And whichever it is — passports first, flights second.
Frequently asked questions
Who can be a countersignatory?
Someone who has known the applying parent for at least two years, is a person of ‘good standing’ (a recognised profession or similar), lives in the UK, and isn’t closely related to you or living at your address. They confirm the child’s photo is genuine.
What are the photo rules for babies?
Under-ones don’t need eyes open or a neutral expression, and under-sixes needn’t look straight at the camera — but no visible hands supporting the head, plain light background, no other person in shot. A phone photo taken lying on a white blanket usually works with the online digital-photo check.
My child turns 16 soon — child or adult passport?
If they’re 16, or will turn 16 within 3 weeks, they apply for an adult passport instead. Just under that line, a child renewal still works but will be their last 5-year one.
How early should we renew?
Child passports expire on a 5-year cycle that never matches the adults’ 10-year one, and many destinations want 6 months of validity. Start renewals about 9 months before expiry and check every passport in the house whenever a big trip is booked — the child’s is almost always the shortest-dated.
Sources & last checked
Last checked against official sources: 17 August 2026.