How long does a child’s passport take to renew?

Children’s passports expire twice as fast as adults’, can’t borrow leftover time, and tend to be discovered “nearly out of date” the week a holiday is booked. This guide gives you the current official timings and fees, the only urgent option that works for children, and the two validity traps that stop families at the airport.

The key numbers

How long it really takes

HM Passport Office’s current guidance is that you’ll usually get your passport within 3 weeks. Three things to read into that:

• “Usually” is not a promise. It can take longer if the office needs more information, has to check documents, or the photo is rejected. Between 2021 and 2022 the official advice was “allow up to 10 weeks”, and demand still peaks every spring.
• The clock starts when the application is complete — not when you pay. A rejected photo or missing document restarts it.
• You can’t track a guaranteed date, which is why GOV.UK is blunt: do not book travel until you have a valid passport. The new passport also has a different number from the old one, so anything already booked against the old number (ESTA-style travel authorisations, airline advance passenger info) needs updating.

What it costs

Online is cheaper and faster than paper. The Post Office “Check & Send” service costs extra on top of the paper fee.

Renewing — step by step

1. 1
   Check who must applySomeone with parental responsibility applies, and you must give both parents’ details (or say why you can’t). Children who are 16, or turn 16 within 3 weeks, apply for an adult passport instead.
2. 2
   Take the photo before you startA digital photo from a phone is fine if it meets the rules: plain light background, no shadows, nothing covering the face. Babies under 1 don’t need their eyes open; under-6s don’t need a neutral expression or to look straight at the camera — but the rest of the rules still apply, and rejected photos are the top cause of delay.
3. 3
   Apply online at GOV.UKIt takes about 10 minutes. The service asks the countersignatory questions as you go — first passports always need one; renewals sometimes do.
4. 4
   Send the old passportFor a renewal you post the old passport in; it’s cancelled as part of the process, so the child can’t travel on it while you wait.
5. 5
   Wait for the courier — then bookUsually within 3 weeks. Only then confirm flights, and update any travel authorisation that used the old passport number.

The two validity traps

1. “Not expired” isn’t “valid for travel”. Many countries require 3 or 6 months left on the passport on the day you enter — and the EU requires it to be less than 10 years old and valid for at least 3 months after you leave. A child’s passport with 2 months to run is effectively useless for most trips. Our guide to renewing too late before a holiday covers the emergency options.

2. Nothing carries over. Renew a child passport with 4 months left and the new one still runs exactly 5 years from issue — those 4 months are gone. That was also true for adults from 10 September 2018 (before that, up to 9 unused months were added). The lesson is the opposite of what parents assume: renewing a few months early costs you almost nothing, while renewing late can cost you the trip. More in do you lose time renewing early?

If you’re out of time: the 1 week Fast Track

The only urgent service available for a child passport is 1 week Fast Track:

• Book online; the earliest appointment is the next day at a passport office (you attend in person).
• The passport is couriered to you 1 week after the appointment.
• Fee: £156.50 for a child (£170.50 for the 54-page version).
• It covers renewals, changes of details, replacements and first child passports — but you can’t use it from outside the UK.

The 1 Day Premium service (£239.50, ready 4 hours after appointment) is for adult renewals only, so there is no same-day route for children.

First passport vs renewal

A child’s first passport needs the full birth certificate, both parents’ details and a countersignatory; a renewal is usually the old passport plus a new photo. The cost and the timing are the same. We compare the two in child’s first passport vs renewal.

In short

Apply online (£66.50), expect it usually within 3 weeks but plan for longer, and don’t book travel until it arrives. A child passport lasts 5 years, nothing carries over, and most destinations want 3–6 months’ spare validity — so renew around 6 months before expiry. If you’re already too late, the 1 week Fast Track (£156.50) is the only urgent option for children.