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Checklist

Apply for a first adult passport

United Kingdom citizens

Vibistic last checked the official guidance behind this checklist on 2026-09-20.

What changed

Updated 2026-08-02

Initial content for a UK first adult passport application, verified live against gov.uk/apply-first-adult-passport. Vibistic clarification

Preparing for: Me

Each traveler's checked steps and document readiness are tracked separately here to help you prepare. Depending on official guidance, each traveler may need a separate application, fee, or evidence: check the relevant official guidance for each person. Tracking preparation here does not change how any application is actually handled.

Print blank checklist

"Print or save as PDF" includes your current checked-off progress. "Print blank checklist" opens a copy with nothing checked, for sharing. Check "Print all travelers" above (when tracking more than one) to include everyone in either option.

Fee and timing

Official application fee: £102: First adult passport (online)

Source: Apply First Adult Passport· Open Government Licence v3.0 · last verified 2026-08-02 · Check the live official figure

Earliest you can apply: No published minimum notice period.
Published processing time: Check current processing times before you apply — GOV.UK doesn't commit to a fixed number of weeks.

Source: Apply First Adult Passport· Open Government Licence v3.0 · last verified 2026-08-02 · Check the live official figure

Report a problem with this fee/timing information

Information you'll need to apply

A worksheet for what the official online application is likely to ask for, so you can have it ready before you start: this isn't the application form itself, and nothing you note here is saved or sent anywhere.

You'll be asked for this

A digital photo of you
Someone who can confirm your identity
A credit or debit card to pay the fee

Depending on your circumstances, you might also need this

A non-British passport, if you have dual nationality

Source: Apply First Adult Passport · Open Government Licence v3.0

Documents to prepare

0 of 9 preparation items resolved

Documents: 0/4 · Application steps: 0/5

Required
1. A digital photoRequired
  Form: Digital image
  apply-online · Report a problem
Conditional
1. Your full birth certificate (or adoption certificate)Conditional
  Only if you were born or adopted in the UK. If you were born outside the UK, you need a different document set (e.g. a naturalisation/registration certificate) — see GOV.UK's own page for your specific circumstances. Original documents only — photocopies are not accepted.
  Form: Original document
  you-were-born-or-adopted-in-the-uk · Report a problem
2. Evidence of a parent's UK status at the time of your birthConditional
  Only if you were born on or after 1 January 1983 in the UK.
  One of: a parent's full UK birth certificate, a Home Office naturalisation/registration certificate, a British passport belonging to a parent that was valid when you were born, or evidence of a parent's immigration status at that time.
  Form: Original document
  on-or-after-1-january-1983 · Report a problem
3. A certified translation of any non-English/Welsh documentsConditional
  Only if any of your documents are not in English or Welsh.
  Form: Certified translation
  what-documents-you-need-to-apply · Report a problem

Steps

Check how long it will take before you apply
Do not book travel until you have your passport.
Go →
Source: Apply First Adult Passport · Open Government Licence v3.0 · Report a problem
Gather your original supporting documents
Photocopies aren't accepted. If you don't have your original certificates, order an official copy first.
Go →
Source: Apply First Adult Passport · Open Government Licence v3.0 · Report a problem
Apply online
Costs £102. You'll need a digital photo, someone to confirm your identity, your supporting documents, and a credit or debit card.
Go →
Source: Apply First Adult Passport · Open Government Licence v3.0 · Report a problem
Ask someone to confirm your identity
After you've paid and submitted, the person you named will get an email from HM Passport Office explaining what to do — they confirm your identity online, no signed printed photo needed.
Go →
Source: Apply First Adult Passport · Open Government Licence v3.0 · Report a problem
Attend an interview, if you're asked to
You may need an interview to confirm your identity — you'll be contacted after your application is processed to book it. Video interviews happen online.
Source: Apply First Adult Passport · Open Government Licence v3.0 · Report a problem

Eligibility context

Who this covers

You can apply for a first adult passport if you're a British national, aged 16 or over (or turning 16 within 3 weeks), and have never held a UK passport before. You must also apply this way if your last UK passport was issued before 1 January 1994.

Source: Apply First Adult Passport · Open Government Licence v3.0

If you've had a child passport

You can keep using your child passport until it expires, even once you turn 18.

Source: Apply First Adult Passport · Open Government Licence v3.0

Passport validity

An adult passport is valid for 10 years.

Source: Apply First Adult Passport · Open Government Licence v3.0

Dual nationality

If you hold a non-British passport too, the name and gender on it must match what you want on your British passport — if they differ, you need to change the non-British passport first.

Source: Apply First Adult Passport · Open Government Licence v3.0

This checklist covers applying online

You can also apply for a first adult passport with a paper form — it costs £115.50, and needs a filled-in form, 2 identical printed photos, and a countersignatory rather than online identity confirmation. This checklist only covers the online route; if you need the paper route, see GOV.UK directly.

Source: Apply First Adult Passport · Open Government Licence v3.0

Glossary

Plain-language explanations of terms used elsewhere on this page. These explain what a term means: they don't change what it means, and they're not a personalized assessment of your situation.

Countersignatory: Someone who signs your paper passport application and one of your printed photos to vouch for your identity — needed for some paper applications, including a first adult passport, but not for the online route.
More detail on Countersignatory
Your countersignatory must have known you for at least 2 years and be able to identify you — a friend, neighbour, or colleague works, as long as they're a person of good standing in their community or in a recognised profession. They can't be a relative, a partner, or someone who lives at your address. By signing, they're confirming they've known you that long, that you are who you claim to be, and that the information on your form is true.
Source: Countersigning Passport Applications· Open Government Licence v3.0 · last verified 2026-08-02
Certified translation: A translation of a document that isn't in English or Welsh, where the translator has written a signed statement confirming it's a true and accurate translation of the original.
More detail on Certified translation
For a certified translation, the translator writes on the translation itself that it's "a true and accurate translation of the original document," along with the date, their full name, and their contact details. This is GOV.UK's own certifying-a-translation process — a more specific version of the general document-certification process (signed and dated by a professional or someone well-respected in your community) that covers certified copies more broadly.
Source: Certifying A Document· Open Government Licence v3.0 · last verified 2026-08-02

Apply for a first adult passport

What changed

Fee and timing

Information you'll need to apply

You'll be asked for this

Depending on your circumstances, you might also need this

Documents to prepare

Required

Conditional

Steps