Getting a passport for your baby in the UK

The short version

A baby needs their own passport to travel abroad, and in the UK the application is made by someone with parental responsibility. GOV.UK states that a child passport costs £66.50 to apply online and £80 to apply with a paper form from the Post Office, and that it is valid for 5 years. HM Passport Office says you will usually get a passport within 3 weeks, counted from when it receives your documents.

This page covers a first passport for a baby applied for from inside the UK. GOV.UK has different rules if you are applying from outside the UK.

Before you apply: the birth certificate and nationality

The application relies on the birth certificate, so the birth has to be registered first. Our guide to registering a birth in the UK covers the deadlines and who can register. For the passport, GOV.UK asks for the child's full birth certificate, which it describes as the one with the parents' details on it.

GOV.UK is also clear that your child must have British nationality to get a British passport, and that being born in the UK does not settle that on its own. For a baby born in the UK from 1 July 2021 onwards, GOV.UK states the child is a British citizen if, at the birth, at least one parent was either a British citizen or an Irish citizen living in the UK. Otherwise it depends on the parents' immigration status, and GOV.UK's British citizenship checker covers those cases.

What documents do you need for a baby passport?

If you apply online, the service tells you which documents to send once you have submitted. If you apply by post, GOV.UK lists:

• 2 new photos of your baby
• the full birth or adoption certificate
• proof of British nationality, for example a parent's passport details or a parent's birth certificate
• any valid passports from another country that belong to your baby
• any court orders about the child, for example on parental responsibility or residency

Send originals or official copies of certificates. GOV.UK states that photocopies are not accepted, even "certified copies", and laminated documents cannot be sent. Your documents come back by normal post, or by secure delivery for an extra £5.

Who confirms your baby's identity

Online, once you have paid, you ask someone to confirm your child's identity; HM Passport Office emails them and they do it online. GOV.UK says they must be 18 or over, live in the UK, have a current UK or Irish passport, have known the adult making the application for at least 2 years as a friend, neighbour or colleague, and work in or be retired from a recognised profession.

On a paper form, a countersignatory fills in section 10 and certifies one of the photos instead.

Baby passport photo rules

GOV.UK's rules for babies and young children are specific:

• Children under one do not have to have their eyes open.
• Children under 6 do not have to look directly at the camera or have a plain expression.
• Your baby must be on their own in the picture, and must not be holding a toy or using a dummy.
• You can support your baby's head with your hand, but your hand must not be visible in the photo.
• Children under one should lie on a plain light-coloured sheet, with the photo taken from above.

The photo must have been taken in the last month. A digital photo must be at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall and between 50KB and 10MB. GOV.UK notes that photos from a booth or shop, which can give you a code for the online form, are more likely to be approved than one taken on your own device.

Who signs, and the other parent's details

Someone with parental responsibility must apply and sign the form. GOV.UK also requires both parents' details on the application. If you cannot give the other parent's details, you need to say why, for example because you are the only parent named on the birth certificate.

How much does a baby passport cost in the UK?

GOV.UK states that you cannot get a refund if you cancel your application or you are not entitled to a passport, which is another reason to check nationality before you pay.

How long does a baby passport take?

HM Passport Office says you will usually get your passport within 3 weeks. It may take longer if it needs more information or needs to interview you, and it says it will tell you this within 3 weeks. The clock starts when it receives your documents.

If that is too slow, the 1 week Fast Track service can be used to get a child passport. You apply online and book an appointment at a passport office; GOV.UK says the earliest appointment is the day after you apply, and the passport is delivered by courier 1 week after the appointment. The faster 1 day Online Premium service is only for renewing adult passports, so it is not available for a baby.

Do not pay for an urgent service if you have already applied and are waiting. GOV.UK warns that you will not get the passport sooner and will be charged a £34.50 admin fee for each additional application.

Travelling before the passport arrives

GOV.UK's instruction is plain: do not book travel until you have a valid passport. A baby cannot travel abroad on a parent's passport (see can babies travel without a passport?).

If you need to travel urgently for medical treatment, or because a family member is seriously ill or has died, GOV.UK asks you to call the Passport Adviceline rather than use the online urgent service.

Whether an airline will carry a newborn is a separate question from the passport: our guide to when babies can fly covers it, and the travel with a baby checklist helps with the rest.

Families in Northern Ireland may also be entitled to an Irish passport for their baby. The Irish route has different consent and witness rules, set out in our guide to an Irish passport for your baby.

Where to get help

Apply and track your application directly through GOV.UK. For the order in which a new baby's paperwork falls due, use our new baby paperwork deadlines calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a baby passport take in the UK?

HM Passport Office says you will usually get a passport within 3 weeks, counted from when it receives your documents. It can take longer if it needs more information or an interview. The 1 week Fast Track service can be used for a child passport if you cannot wait, at £156.50 for a standard child passport.

How long does a UK baby passport last?

A UK child passport is valid for 5 years, according to GOV.UK. A passport issued to a newborn therefore runs out around the fifth birthday, and each new passport needs a new photo: GOV.UK says you must get one even if your appearance has not changed.

Do my baby's eyes need to be open in the passport photo?

No. GOV.UK states that children under one do not have to have their eyes open, and children under 6 do not have to look directly at the camera. Lay your baby on a plain light-coloured sheet and photograph from above. You can support the head, but your hand must not be visible.

What documents do I need for a baby passport in the UK?

For a paper application, GOV.UK lists 2 new photos, the full birth certificate showing the parents' details, proof of British nationality such as a parent's passport details, any foreign passports the child holds and any relevant court orders. Online applications are told which documents to send after submitting. Photocopies are not accepted.