Standard
3 weeks
- How it arrives
- Usually within 3 weeks of your documents arriving
- Appointment
- None needed
- Adult
- £102 online, £115.50 on paper
- Child
- £66.50 online, £80 on paper
- Change of name
- Yes
- First adult passport
- Yes
Help & advice
How long does it take to get a passport?
A UK passport normally takes up to 3 weeks, and HM Passport Office counts that from the day your documents reach it, not the day you apply. A new passport after a change of name takes the same time, and the 1 week Fast Track service can be quicker.
- Accepted by HM Passport Office
- Accepted, or your money back
When could it arrive?
HM Passport Office’s three services, and how long each takes:
- StandardNormally within 3 weeks, counted from the day your documents reach HM Passport Office; £102 for an adult applying online.
- 1 week Fast TrackDelivered a week after an appointment, which can be the day after you apply. £192 for an adult; not for a first adult passport.
- 1 day PremiumReady 4 hours after an appointment, which can be 2 days after you apply. £239.50; only for renewing an adult passport.
Usually by
- Cost
- Worth knowing
Check on GOV.UK
Timings and fees from GOV.UK, checked October 2026. Do not book travel until you have a valid passport.
When the clock starts
The 3 weeks start when your documents arrive
HM Passport Office counts its processing time from when it receives your documents, not from the day you apply online. If it needs more information, or needs to interview you, it tells you within those 3 weeks.
With a change of name, your current passport goes in with the application and comes back cancelled, so you cannot travel on it in the meantime. Your new passport has a new number, and time left on the old one is not added to it.
Unexpired visas in your old passport may become invalid when your name changes. GOV.UK says to check with the embassy or consulate of the country that issued them.
- You applyOnline, or on a paper form collected from a Check and Send Post Office
- Your documents arriveThe 3 weeks start here
- Within 3 weeksYour passport, or word that it needs more information or an interview
- It comes to youBy courier or Royal Mail, with your documents returned separately
Three services
Standard, Fast Track and Premium
The two faster services need an appointment at a passport office, and neither can be used for a first adult passport.
1 week Fast Track
1 week
- How it arrives
- By courier, a week after your appointment
- Appointment
- As early as the day after you apply
- Adult
- £192
- Child
- £156.50
- Change of name
- Yes
- First adult passport
- No
1 day Premium
4 hours
- How it arrives
- Ready to collect 4 hours after your appointment
- Appointment
- As early as 2 days after you apply
- Adult
- £239.50
- Child
- Not available
- Change of name
- No, renewals only
- First adult passport
- No
From GOV.UK, checked October 2026. What to send for a change of name.
Worth knowing
What can hold it up, and what will not help
An interview
A first adult passport may need an interview to confirm your identity. You are contacted to book it once your application has been processed, and interviews can take place by video.
More information
If HM Passport Office needs anything more from you, it says so within the 3 weeks, and the application can take longer.
Applying twice
If you have already applied, paying for an urgent passport will not get it to you sooner, and each extra application is charged a £34.50 admin fee.
An emergency
For urgent medical treatment, a friend or family member who is seriously ill or has died, or urgent government business, call the Passport Adviceline instead.
Tracking it
Online applications with a reference starting PEX, and Post Office Digital Check and Send ones starting POD, can be tracked online. Paper applications are tracked through the Passport Adviceline.
Visas in the old passport
An unexpired visa may become invalid when you change your name. Check with the embassy or consulate that issued it before you travel.
Questions & answers
More about passport timings
How long does a passport take after a change of name?
The same as any other application. HM Passport Office says you will usually get your passport within 3 weeks of it receiving your documents, and 1 week Fast Track also covers a change of name. What to send.
When do the 3 weeks start?
When HM Passport Office receives your documents, not on the day you apply online. If it needs more information or an interview, it tells you within those 3 weeks.
Can I travel while my passport is being renewed?
Not on that passport. It goes in with your application and comes back cancelled, so plan any trip around the time the new one takes.
Can I book flights before my new passport arrives?
GOV.UK says not to book travel until you have a valid passport, and the name on your booking has to match the passport you travel on. Your new passport also has a new number.
Will visas in my old passport still be valid?
They may not be. A name change can make an unexpired visa in the old passport invalid, GOV.UK warns, so ask the embassy or consulate of the country that issued it before you travel.
Is there a faster way?
Yes, at a higher fee. 1 week Fast Track delivers a week after an appointment and covers a change of name. 1 day Premium is ready 4 hours after an appointment, but only for renewing an adult passport. Neither is available for a first adult passport.
Does time left on my old passport carry over?
No. GOV.UK says you are sent a new 10 year passport, and time left on your old one is not added to it.
Something else? Ask a paralegal and we will answer, usually the same working day.
Ready to change your name?
Apply online in about five minutes. Your Deed Poll is drafted, checked and dispatched the same working day, and guaranteed to be accepted.
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