SCOTTISH holidaymakers have been warned that the cost of passports is set to increase within weeks.
UK Government ministers are understood to have approved a seven per cent rise in the price of renewing this vital identification document.
The price to secure a passport is set to rise in the next three weeks[/caption]
The cost renew a passport will increase by seven per cent[/caption]
The cost of applying for a new passport online will increase by £6, rising from £88.50 to £94.50 for adults and from £69 to £74 for children.
For postal applications, fees will jump from £100 to £107 for adults and from £69 to £74 for under-16s.
The premium one-day turnaround service, designed for those in urgent need of a travel document, will see prices soar to £222 from £207.50 for adults, and to £189 from £176.50 for children.
This above-inflation hike marks the third increase in passport fees in just over two years.
Last April, the cost of passports rose by seven per cent, following a significant nine per cent increase in February 2023.
Ministers are expected to confirm the new prices, which are set to come into effect on April 10—just three weeks away.
The announcement is likely to trigger a surge in passport applications from travellers nearing the ten-year expiry date of their current documents.
Most UK passports are valid for ten years, but many countries—particularly those in the EU—require travellers to have at least six months of validity remaining on their passports to be allowed entry.
The Home Office has consistently maintained that it does not make a profit from passport sales, stating that price increases are necessary to offset rising manufacturing and processing costs.
The cost of holidays continues to climb for Scots, with airlines raising ticket prices to keep pace with rising fuel costs.
Meanwhile, jet-setters have also had to contend with anti-tourist protests in Spanish party destinations such as Ibiza, where locals have voiced frustration over the impact of tourism on their communities.
How much will a passport cost from April 10?
HOW much each passport renewal increase by:
Standard adult online: £88.50 to £94.50
Standard child online: £57.50 to £61.50
Standard adult postal: £100 to £107
Standard child postal: £69 to £74
Premium adult: £207.50 to £222
Premium child: £176.50 to £189
Online adult from overseas: £101 to £108
Online child from overseas: £65.50 to £70
Postal adult from overseas: £112.50 to £120.50
Postal child from overseas: £77 to £82.50
