British Passport in 2023 | New Blue Passports

For British Citizens in the UK

If you are a British citizen living in the UK, you can apply for a British passport by filling out an application form (which you can obtain from your local Post Office or order a passport form from the helpline) and submitting it to the Passport Office.

When renewing a passport you will need to provide your old passport (unless it is lost or stolen). If this is your first time passport you will need to provide your birth or adoption certificate, you will also need to provide two passport-sized photographs and the appropriate fee. Once your application has been received and approved, you will receive your passport in the post within 6-8 weeks.

For British Citizens Abroad

If you are a British citizen living abroad, you can apply for a British passport by contacting the nearest British Embassy or High Commission. You will need to provide the same documents and photographs as you would if you were applying from the UK, as well as proof of your address abroad.

You will also need to pay the appropriate fee. Once your application has been received and approved, you will receive your passport in the post within 4-6 weeks, however due to recent delays in 2022/2023 this could take up to 8 weeks.

For Foreign Nationals

If you are a foreign national living in the UK, you can apply for a British passport by filling out an application form and submitting it to the Passport Office.

Renewing a passport you will need to provide your old passport (unless it is lost or stolen). If this is your first time passport you will need to provide your birth or adoption certififcate.

You will also need to provide two passport-sized photographs and the appropriate fee. In addition, you will need to provide proof of your immigration status in the UK, such as a valid visa or residence permit.

Once your application has been received and approved, you will receive your passport in the post within 4-6 weeks, however due to recent delays in 2022/2023 this could take up to 8 weeks.

For Foreign Nationals Abroad

If you are a foreign national living abroad, you can apply for a British passport by contacting the nearest British Embassy or High Commission.

You will need to provide the same documents and photographs as you would if you were applying from the UK, as well as proof of your address abroad.

You will also need to provide proof of your immigration status in the country you are applying from, such as a valid visa or residence permit. You will also need to pay the appropriate fee.

Once your application has been received and approved, you will receive your passport in the post within four weeks.

Applying for a British passport can be a complicated process, but with the right documents and information, it is possible to do so from both within the UK and from abroad.

The New Blue British Passport

In 2020, the HM Passport Office began issuing a passport with a blue soft cover and a gold Royal crest on the cover to non-EU citizens, as apposed to the old, burgundy-colored British passport.

This passport contains the holder's personal details and photo, which are printed on a polycarbonate page at the back.

Regardless of nationality and immigration status, any customer may have received one of these passports during the year.

After the UK left the EU at the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020, all customers applying for a new or renewing an existing passport will now be issued the blue (non-EU) british passport.

Urgent appointments for a British Passport

Urgent appointments for a British Passport can only be done from the UK, if you are abroad you can still book an appointment in advance, but will have to return to the UK on the date of the appointment in order to attend one of the 7 national passport offices.

If you would like to book an appointment for the urgent passport services you will need to call the urgent passport appointment line.

When attending the appointment you will need to bring along with you a completed form from your local Post Office, if you are traveling from abroad you will need to ensure that you give yourself enough time to obtain a form and two passport-sized photographs (that will need to be taken within the last 30 days).

You may depending on your circumstances and passport application type, for example lost/stolen passport or child passport require a passport countersigner to fill in and sign the form and the photos, once again if you are travelling from abroad you need to allow time to ask a friend or collegue to do this on your behalf.