Save £12.50 when applying for a new passport by choosing one option
Passport prices went up earlier this year, but opting to apply a certain way will be cheaper than the other
Brits needing a new passport are reminded that applying a certain way will save them £12.50. Using the Government website to get your vital travel document is cheaper than sending off for one by post.
Packing your passport is a necessary part of preparing for a trip abroad. Without one you will be turned away at the airport before you even fly.
It can also be used as a form of identification, similar to a UK driving licence. However, applying for a passport - whether it's your first or a renewal - costs money.
The fee for a passport actually went up recently in the UK. The cost for a standard online application made from within the UK rose from £88.50 to £94.50 for adults and £57.50 to £61.50 for children, on April 10 this year.
If you choose to apply via post this will now cost you £12.50 more than applying online. Postal applications increased from £100 to £107 for adults and £69 to £74 for children in April.
On GOV.UK it says: 'It's £12.50 cheaper to apply for a passport online than by post.'
Applying online
To apply online, visit gov.uk/apply-renew-passport. You will need a digital photo, a credit or debit card for payment, and your old passport if renewing. You'll also need to provide information about your identity and citizenship.
An online application costs £94.50 for adults and £61.50 for children. You can get help with your online application at a Post Office. Staff can:
Take your digital photo
Help you fill in the application online
However, this service costs extra.
To apply via post
You can pick up a paper passport application form from your local Post Office and apply by post. It takes longer to apply by post than online.
You'll need to send off a fully completed application form, supporting documents, two photos, and your fee.
If you need help, Post Office staff can check you've filled in the form correctly - but you'll need to provide your own photos. But this service costs extra. You can pay by cash, or debit or credit card.
Fast-track applications
According to GOV.UK, it typically takes three weeks for either new passport to be processed and delivered.
However, it can take longer if the passport office needs more information. If this is cutting it too close with your holiday, there are two ways to apply for an urgent passport.
GOV.UK says: 'You can pay to get a passport urgently if you think the standard service will take too long.' For both of these options you will need to go to a passport office for an appointment:
One day premium - This service costs £222 (or £235 for a 54-page frequent traveller passport)
One week fast track - £178 for an adult passport (or £191 for a 54-page frequent traveller passport), or £145 for a child passport (or £158 for a 54-page frequent traveller passport).
If your passport is lost, stolen or damaged
If your passport has been lost or stolen, you must cancel it before applying for a replacement. And if your passport is damaged you must replace it.
GOV.UK says: 'You may not be able to travel with it.' HM Passport Office will consider your passport damaged if:
You cannot read any of your details
Any of the pages are ripped, cut or missing
There are holes, cuts or rips in the cover
The cover is coming away
There are stains on the pages (for example, ink or water damage)
Before travelling, you should check the entry requirements for the country you are visiting. If you are visiting an EU country, for example, your passport should be valid for at least three months after the date you intend to leave the EU and it must have been issued within the last 10 years.
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When they overheard the couple "loudly gloating" about their brazen behaviour, they began taking petty revenge, reclining in order to reduce their leg room. Then, as the indignant passenger put it,"Karma took a dump on the gloating couple's lap". Taking to Reddit, the now-vindicated woman revealed: "So here we were settled when this man started walking up the plane. he was a very, very large man, long, long dreadlocks, shoving a baguette in his mouth as he made his way up the aisle. My husband just looked at me and smiled as he realised the only spare seat was that window seat, which would have been next to mine. "Karma took a dump on the gloating couple's lap as the man asked them to move so he could get into his seat. Once settled, he took up a lot of the space, and once in the air, the lady called a hostess down and started having a strop about how we had stolen their seats and that we had refused to move when they boarded." 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