Nearly a million Brits a year are overpaying for their passports – how to avoid the extra cost

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HUNDREDS of thousands of Brits are making a common passport mistake – leaving them out of pocket.

Passport fees are set to rise this month, with the standard fee rising from £82.50 to £88.50.

AlamyThousands of Brits could be paying more for their passport[/caption]

However, this is only for people applying online.

A recent investigation found that as many as 850,000 people applied for a passport via a paper application last year.

This is set to rise to £100 from £93 – costing more than £10 extra if applying via paper rather than online.

Helen Knapman, news and investigations editor at MoneySavingExpert.com, said: “Our research shows nearly 850,000 people missed out on an estimated £9 million in savings last year because they used a paper form when applying for their passport.

“If you can do it online, or if you can get someone to help, the cheapest way to get a new passport is still to apply directly through Gov.uk.

“[This is] whether it’s your first one, you’re renewing an old one or changing your personal details.”

We’ve explained how to renew your passport here.

The new fees are to be introduced from April 11, with child passports also going up in price.

It is the second-year running that passport fees have been increased.

A study in 2023 found that the UK has the 12th most expensive passport application in the world, sharing the spot with Greece.

And the Sun’s Head of Travel Lisa Minot has warned holidaymakers to check their passports ahead of the holiday season to avoid falling victim to confusing rules.

She said: “Travellers used to be able to roll over up to nine unused months from their old passport onto a new one.

“But post-Brexit, anyone wanting to travel to the EU can no longer rely on those extra months.

“In order to travel to the EU, all passports must be no more than 10 years old on the day you arrive in your European destination.

“And you’ll need at least three months on your passport on the day you head back to the UK.”

AlamyApplying by a paper form will cost you more than £10 extra[/caption]

As many as 100,000 holidaymakers could be turned away at the airport due to having a passport that is more than 10 years old.

Another rule Brits aren’t aware of is needing to have blank pages left in a passport.

Countries like Turkey require at least one fully empty page, while South Africa requires two blank pages.

And here’s a common passport scam catching Brits out too.

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