A child passport renewal starts with a few checks that are easy to overlook: the child’s age, who is making the application, whether their details have changed and whether somebody needs to confirm their identity.
Gather that information before filling in the form. It is much easier to arrange a new photo and speak to a suitable identity confirmer while there is still time, rather than discovering an unfinished step close to a family trip.
This guide covers a child who already has a British passport and is applying from inside the UK. First passports, missing passports and applications made abroad have separate instructions.
Check the Age Category First
British child passports are for children under 16 and are valid for five years. If your child is already 16, or will turn 16 in the next three weeks, follow the adult passport route.
Turning 16 does not automatically cancel a valid child passport. GOV.UK says it can continue to be used until it expires, subject to the requirements for the journey.
Use the official child passport overview to identify the right application type. This is particularly useful if a birthday falls between starting the application and travelling.
Make Sure Renewal Fits the Situation
An ordinary renewal is for an existing passport where the child’s details have not changed. A name change, lost passport or damaged passport needs the relevant process.
Check the document itself before starting. If it is missing, begin with the lost-passport instructions. If the name in the next passport needs to be different, read the change-of-details guidance rather than entering the old name to get through the renewal form.
The official renewal page explains the options and links to the related services.
Who Can Make the Application
Someone with parental responsibility must apply. The application asks for both parents’ details. If you cannot provide the other parent’s details, explain why in the application.
Do not assume the person arranging the holiday is necessarily the person who should make the passport application. Check the parental-responsibility requirement, particularly where guardianship or care arrangements are involved.
Where there is a relevant court order, have it available and follow the instructions. A general website article cannot determine what a particular order allows or replace advice about a dispute.
Prepare the Old Passport and Supporting Documents
For renewal, GOV.UK asks for the child’s old passport, any valid passport they hold from another country and any relevant court orders. For the foreign passport, the guidance allows the physical passport or colour copies of every page, including blank pages.
Set the documents aside for this child’s application. In a family with similar names, it is surprisingly easy to copy a sibling’s passport number or put the wrong book in an envelope.
Use a separate folder or clear label while preparing each application. Check the name and date of birth again before anything is sent.
Arrange a New Photograph
Do not reuse the picture in the current passport. Children can change considerably during five years, and the application needs a recent photo that meets the official requirements.
Choose the photo format for your application method. Online renewal uses a digital image or photo code. A paper application requires two identical printed photographs.
If you use a photo shop, explain that it is for a British passport and say whether you are applying online or on paper. That helps you avoid leaving with prints when you actually need a digital code.
Know the Photo Allowances for Younger Children
The official photo rules allow children under six to look away from the camera or have an expression other than a plain one. Babies under one do not need to have their eyes open.
Other requirements still matter. The child must appear alone, without a toy or dummy, and a supporting hand must stay out of the picture.
Take your time when checking the result. A photo can capture a child’s face nicely while also showing the edge of an adult’s hand or another person in the background.
Arrange Identity Confirmation When It Is Required
For an online renewal where the child is under 12, someone will need to confirm the child’s identity after the application is submitted. HM Passport Office emails that person with instructions; they do not need to sign a printed photo for this online step.
Speak to the person before entering their details. Confirm that they are willing, eligible and able to check their email. An application can be left waiting while a perfectly suitable person is away or unaware that a message is coming.
Choose an Eligible Identity Confirmer
The GOV.UK identity-confirmation guidance sets conditions for the person doing this task. For the domestic online process, they must be at least 18, live in the UK, hold a current UK or Irish passport and work in, or be retired from, a recognised profession.
They must have known the adult making a child’s application for at least two years and know them personally, rather than only through a professional service. The guidance also excludes relatives and people who live with the applicant or are in a relationship with them.
Check the complete official list before choosing somebody. A job title alone does not establish eligibility, and knowing your child at school is not the same as meeting all the conditions concerning the applying adult.
Applying Online
Start from GOV.UK, answer the questions for the child’s circumstances and keep the passport beside you. Review the parent details, delivery information and photograph before paying.
The standard 34-page child passport fee is £66.50 online, checked on 21 October 2026. Have a debit or credit card available and confirm the current price in the application.
After submission, read the instructions about identity confirmation and supporting documents. Paying for the form does not complete those remaining steps.
Applying With a Paper Form
The standard 34-page child passport fee is £80 on paper, checked on 21 October 2026. Use the current application form and its guidance booklet.
The child signs the relevant section if they are 12 or over. A countersignatory is required where the child is under 12 or cannot be recognised from their old passport photograph. Follow the instructions about completing the form and certifying a photograph.
Do not copy the online identity process onto a paper application. The two methods use different instructions, even though they both help HM Passport Office establish who the child is.
If the Child’s Name Has Changed
Use the official child name-change process. The supporting evidence includes the old passport, the name-change document, evidence that the new name is being used and written consent from everyone with parental responsibility.
This is a separate checklist from a routine renewal. Gather the required consent and evidence before assuming the application is ready to send.
If the change concerns another personal detail, such as a date or place of birth, the official page directs you to the Passport Adviceline. Do not try to resolve conflicting records by guessing which detail the form will accept.
Track the Remaining Steps
Keep the application reference, confirmation email and postal receipt together. If you are managing more than one child’s renewal, maintain a separate record for each.
Check whether the identity confirmation has been completed and whether any message asks for further evidence. Use the official tracking guidance for the method you chose.
Once the new passport arrives, check the child’s details carefully before updating travel records. The new passport has a different number.
Plan Travel Around the Actual Passport
Check the destination’s passport-validity requirements for the child as well as for every adult. A family can have several valid-looking passports with very different expiry dates.
GOV.UK advises waiting until there is a valid passport before booking travel. If an urgent service is needed, check the 1 week fast track option. The 1 day premium service is limited to adult renewals.
Do not pay for a second application as a shortcut if one is already underway. Follow HM Passport Office’s advice for the existing case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a child need a new photo for renewal?
Yes. Arrange a new photograph that meets the current rules rather than reusing one from the previous application.
Is a first passport the same as a renewal?
No. A child who has never had a British passport needs the first child passport process, with its own evidence requirements.
What if the child is nearly 16?
The adult route applies from age 16 and during the three weeks before that birthday. Check the official age guidance before starting.
Can I use these fees if the child lives abroad?
No. Use the overseas British passport service for the relevant country, fees and document instructions.
Official Sources
- Child passport eligibility and parental responsibility
- Renewing a child passport
- Who can confirm an identity online
- Printed photo rules and allowances for children
- Changing a child’s passport details
- Passport eligibility and using a valid child passport
Official information checked on 21 October 2026. This is an independent guide; follow HM Passport Office’s instructions for the child’s application.