According to NAO figures, HM Passport Office reported a £223m shortfall in 2023-24 and a total deficit for the last five years of £916m. Further increasing passport fees would help fill this black hole, it says.
On April 10, the cost of a standard online adult passport application rose from £88.50 to £94.50 – representing an increase of seven per cent – which the Passport Office said was to reduce reliance on taxpayer funding.
It is not known if the latest recommendations will be accepted, but if the cost of a passport application rises by the same amount next year, it would take it to £101 for an adult 10-year renewal (for standard online applications) and £65.80 for under-16s (valid for five years).
Swiss passports are the most expensive in Europe (Photo: Andreas Haas/Getty)
So how does this compare with other countries – would a further, above-inflation price increase make British passports the most expensive in Europe?
An adult passport in Switzerland currently costs Sfr145 (£132) including postage, and Sfr65 (£59) for children.
However, for children it is significantly cheaper than the UK – Dkr181 (£21) for those aged 12-17 and Dkr150 (£18) for under-12s.
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The next most expensive fee is for an Italian passport, currently €116 (£99) for adults. The government has recently made it more difficult to apply for an Italian passport through descent.
However, many European countries allow their citizens to cross Schengen borders using much cheaper ID cards. In Switzerland, these cost Sfr70 (£64) for an adult including postage, while in Denmark they cost Dkr150 (£18).
According to 2021 census data, more than 84 per cent of the population in England and Wales held one passport. However, the rising costs – increasing by almost 25 per cent in the past two years – could price many people out of applying or renewing their documents.
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