Who can apply

You can apply for a first adult passport if all of the following apply:

  • you’re a British national
  • you’re aged 16 or over (or will be in 3 weeks)
  • you’ve never had a UK passport before

You must also apply if your last UK passport was issued before 1 January 1994.

You can use your child passport until it expires, even if you’re over 18.

An adult passport is valid for 10 years.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) and getting a passport

Because of coronavirus, it’s taking longer to issue first adult passports (it usually takes 6 weeks).

You may be able to get a passport urgently to travel for compassionate reasons or work, or to prove your identity.

Do not book travel until you’ve got your passport.

Ways to apply

If you’re in the UK, you can either:

It’s taking longer to process paper applications than online applications at the moment because of coronavirus. Use the online service to get your passport.

There’s a different way to apply if you’re overseas.