How long is a child's UK passport valid, and are extra months added?

The short answer

GOV.UK says a UK child passport is valid for 5 years. The current GOV.UK child passport page does not say whether unused time is added to a new passport, so do not plan on extra months without checking.

How long a child passport lasts

The GOV.UK page for child passports states that a child passport is valid for 5 years. Adult passports are not covered by this page.

Current fees

GOV.UK lists the application cost as £66.50 online and £80 using a paper form from the Post Office. It does not give a fixed processing time and tells you to check current processing times on the HM Passport Office services page before applying. For urgent needs it points to the Online Premium and 1 week Fast Track services. It advises you not to book travel until you have a valid passport.

What about extra months?

the official page does not find a statement on the current child passport pages that unused months carry over. An older GOV.UK news item, now withdrawn (published 17 May 2012, withdrawn 16 September 2016), said remaining time on an old passport is added to the new one up to a maximum of nine months. Because that item is withdrawn and its fees and services are out of date, treat the nine-month figure as unconfirmed for 2026.

The passport you receive will show its own expiry date, which is the date that counts when you travel.

UK, US and EU travellers

This page is about UK passports only. The countries you travel to set their own validity requirements, for example some destinations require validity of six months beyond arrival, so check the entry requirements of your destination as well as the passport expiry date.

Rules and fees change, so check the official page before you travel.

Sources: GOV.UK: Get a child passport, GOV.UK: Don't forget the kids' passports (withdrawn news item). Read 5 November 2026. Rules and fees change, so check the official page before you travel.

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