New price for UK passport from September 2012

Sunday, 2 September 2012 - 5:55pm India News Bulletin Desk

People applying for a UK standard passport from Monday, September 03, 2012 will have to pay £72.50, £5 lower than the previous cost of £77.50. The new price will be effective until March 2015.

The £5 price reduction for a UK passport is introduced after a restructuring programme at IPS (Identity and Passport Service), which brought in savings of £40m in the last financial year to the UK government.

“It is good news that IPS have made savings which will be passed on to the public who use their services,” said Immigration Minister Damian Green.

The IPS staff has brought in savings by delivering a leaner service amid current tough economic times, according to Green. The IPS is responsible for issuing UK passports and for administering the civil registration process in England and Wales. It is an executive agency of the Home Office.

Around 5.4 million UK passports were issued in 2011 alone.

The IPS savings will mean that the majority of passport customers, including children and those who pay extra for a premium or fast track service, will benefit from a fee reduction. Fast Track applicants for both standard UK passport and child UK passport will see a total saving of £9.50 while other applicants such a Premium applicants will see a marginal saving of just £1.50.

Here are the new prices for a UK passport starting September 03, 2012: