Every child needs their own passport to travel abroad, including newborn babies, and applying for one is a little different from an adult passport. From photos of wriggly babies to shorter validity, there are a few things parents need to know. This guide explains how to apply for a child passport and how long it lasts. Always check the current requirements and fees on GOV.UK before applying, as these can change.
Every child needs their own passport
In the UK, every child must have their own passport to travel internationally, from newborn babies upwards. It is no longer possible to add a child to a parent's passport, so each child needs an individual document in their own name. This applies however young the child is, which surprises some new parents. Our guide on whether babies and children need their own passport covers this in detail. The key point is that there is no shortcut: every child travels on their own passport.
How long a child passport lasts
A child's passport is valid for a shorter period than an adult's, typically five years rather than ten. This shorter validity reflects how much children's appearances change as they grow. It does mean child passports need renewing more often, and it is easy to be caught out by one expiring sooner than expected. Keeping track of the expiry date is important, as is remembering that destinations may require several months' validity beyond a trip, so a child's passport can effectively need renewing well before its expiry date.
Who can apply
An application for a child passport must be made by a person with parental responsibility, such as a parent or guardian, rather than by the child. The adult completes the application on the child's behalf, providing the necessary details and declarations. There may be requirements around consent and confirming the child's identity. Knowing that a responsible adult must make and sign off the application, and that certain consents may be needed, helps the process go smoothly, particularly in families where circumstances are more complicated.
How to apply
You can usually apply for a child's passport online through the official GOV.UK service, or by post using a paper form. The online route is generally cheaper and more convenient, guiding you through each step, including uploading a digital photo. For a first child passport, additional documents to confirm the child's identity and your parental responsibility are typically required. Following the official process and providing everything requested ensures the application is complete. Our guide on how much a UK passport costs and how to renew it covers the routes.
The photo requirements
Children's passport photos must meet the same strict standards as adults', which can be challenging for babies and young children. The photo needs the correct size, background, lighting and a neutral expression, with no toys or other people in shot, and for babies, no dummies or hands visible. Babies can lie on a plain background for the photo. Because a rejected photo is a common cause of delay, taking extra care to get a compliant photo of a child, and using the official photo checker, is well worth the effort.
What you need to apply
To apply for a child's passport, you generally need the child's birth certificate or other identity documents, details of the parents, a compliant photo, and your payment. First applications require more documentation than renewals to establish the child's identity and your parental responsibility. Requirements can vary depending on circumstances, such as where a child was born. Checking exactly what is needed for your situation on GOV.UK before you start, and gathering it in advance, avoids delays caused by missing documents partway through the application.
The cost
A child's passport costs less than an adult's, with lower fees for both online and postal applications, and online being the cheaper option. As with adult passports, the fees change periodically, so the figures should always be confirmed on the official service before applying. Our guide on UK passport costs and renewal has more on fees. Factoring in the cost of each child's passport, and remembering they need renewing more often than adult ones, helps families budget for travel over the years.
How long it takes
Child passport applications take time to process, and like adult ones the official guidance is to allow plenty of time, with child and first-time applications sometimes taking longer than straightforward adult renewals. Our guide on how long it takes to renew a UK passport covers timescales. Applying well ahead of any planned travel, rather than close to a trip, is essential, as you cannot rely on a quick turnaround and a child cannot travel without their valid passport in hand.
Renewing a child passport
Because child passports last only around five years, they need renewing more frequently than adult ones, and renewals are often more straightforward than first applications. Keeping an eye on the expiry date, and renewing in good time before a trip that requires extra validity, avoids last-minute stress. It is easy to assume a child's passport is fine when it actually expires sooner than expected or lacks the validity a destination requires. Checking and renewing early keeps family travel plans on track without unwelcome surprises.
Tips for applying for children
A few tips make applying for a child's passport easier: get the photo right first time using the official checker, gather all required documents before starting, apply well ahead of any travel, and keep a note of expiry dates for future renewals. For families with several children, staggered expiry dates can mean passports falling due in different years, so a shared record helps. Planning ahead and being organised turns what can feel like a fiddly process into a straightforward one, ensuring every child is ready to travel.
Travelling with a child who has a different surname
If a child's surname differs from the accompanying adult's, perhaps after a parent's name change or in a blended family, some destinations may ask for evidence of the relationship, such as a birth certificate, and occasionally consent from another parent. This is more about smooth travel than the passport application itself, but it is worth preparing for. Our guide on travelling after a name change covers related issues. Carrying supporting documents when surnames differ helps avoid awkward questions at the border when travelling with children.
Keep the passport safe and noted
Once a child's passport arrives, keep it somewhere safe and make a note of its expiry date, as children's passports expire sooner than adults' and are easy to overlook. Storing all the family's passports together, with a record of when each expires, makes planning future trips far easier. Checking these dates well before booking travel avoids the unwelcome discovery that a child's passport has expired or lacks the validity a destination requires. A little organisation now saves a last-minute scramble before a future family holiday.
In short
Every child, including babies, needs their own UK passport, applied for by a parent or guardian, as children can no longer be added to a parent's passport. Child passports last around five years, so they need renewing more often than adult ones, and the photo rules are just as strict. Apply online for lower cost, gather the required documents, get the photo right, and apply well ahead of travel. Always check current fees and requirements on GOV.UK.
Find more family travel advice in our Passports & Travel Documents guides.