Travel expert reveals how to save money when applying for your passport
RENEWING your passport is about to get more expensive, with the price going up next week.
Travel experts have revealed some of the ways to make sure you don’t pay more than you need to for your passport.
1. Make sure your passport is valid before booking your holiday
Some countries require you to have at least six months on your passport.
There have been a number of holidaymakers caught out by this rule.
Anyone who gets to the airport will not only be banned from boarding and having to fork out for new flights, but will have to pay for an emergency passport.
This can cost around £142 for a fast renewal – a much pricier option than the standard.
2. Check how many pages are left
Lots of countries also require you to have at least one page blank in your passport, which can be a problem for people who have stamps across all of them.
Turkey and Italy require at least one page empty while South Africa requires two.
Founder of Bounce Cody Candee explained: “If you run out of blank passport pages you will have to renew your passport sooner than your renewal date.
“Be sure to check the requirements of your chosen destination before traveling so that you don’t get caught out.
3. Avoid fake websites
While it may seem obvious to go to the government website when renewing, there are some fake websites that can catch you out.
Cody warned: “These websites attempt to charge users £20 – £100 on top of the official passport fee, by offering additional ‘validation’ services.
When applying for a new passport, be cautious of these types of websites, and be sure only to use trusted sources.
“For example, the Post Office’s Check & Send Service offers in-depth passport application guidance, from specially trained Postmasters.”
4. Apply early
If you don’t have long on your passport and were due to renew it in the next few months, you may want to do it sooner rather than later.
The cost to renew your passport is going up next week – the first price increase in five years.
Cody said: “If you have less than six months validity, we recommend applying for a new passport immediately.
“Not only are processing times currently around ten weeks, but as travel is back on the cards for many following the pandemic, the Home Office is predicting another massive year for renewals.”