HM Passport Office
Issues and renews UK passports and runs the General Register Office for England and Wales.
Home » Passports, ID and records » Apply for or renew a British passport
Apply for or renew a British passport
Apply for a first British passport, renew one or replace a lost or stolen passport through HM Passport Office.
Official links
| Official source | Applies to |
|---|---|
| GOV.UK: apply for or renew a passport www.gov.uk/apply-renew-passport | Whole UK |
| GOV.UK: renew an adult passport www.gov.uk/renew-adult-passport | Whole UK |
| GOV.UK: get your first adult passport www.gov.uk/apply-first-adult-passport | Whole UK |
Who handles it
Step by step
- Choose the right application: first adult passport (16 or over and never had a UK passport), renewal, or replacement if lost, stolen or damaged.
- Apply online with a digital photo and a card; a paper form from the Post Office is also available but slower.
- For a first passport, ask someone who knows you to confirm your identity online when HM Passport Office emails them.
- Send the supporting documents you are asked for. You may be invited to an identity interview.
- Track your application and do not book travel until the new passport arrives.
What you need
- A digital photo that meets the passport photo rules.
- To renew: your old passport, plus any valid passports from other countries.
- For a first passport if born in the UK: your full birth or adoption certificate and, if born on or after 1 January 1983, proof of a parent's British nationality or status.
- If you became British: your naturalisation or registration certificate and the passport you used to come to the UK.
Common mistakes
- Booking travel before the new passport arrives: it will have a different number from the old one.
- Sending photocopies: original documents or official copies of certificates are needed.
- Having a different name or gender on a non-British passport: change that one first so both match.