Monday 24th July 2006
Fees for the biometric ePassport, the most secure passport ever produced by the UK, were published today, as the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) announced that over a million ePassports have now been issued.
The new fees will come into effect from 5 October 2006. This completes a two-stage fee increase to allow the introduction of the latest generation passport to international standards as well as other anti-fraud measures such as enhanced background checks on applicants and preparations for face-to-face interviews for first-time adult passport applicants.
Home Office Minister Joan Ryan said:
"Over a million British biometric ePassports have now been issued, and from the end of this summer all new British passports will be ePassports, containing a secure chip storing the holder´s personal details and a scan of their photo, as well as other improved security features. This provides enhanced security and reassurance for the holders and is in line with internationally agreed standards aimed at combating the growing threat of fraud and forgery.
"Passport production is paid for through the passport fee. There is a cost to the anti-fraud measures that we are introducing, but we are clear that it is a price that must be paid to protect the integrity of our travel documents and improve the security of our borders.
"We are determined that the British Passport will remain one of the most secure in the world, and a document that can be relied on by British travellers wherever they go."
A standard UK ten-year adult ePassport will cost £66 from 5 October. This compares reasonably to the equivalent fees over ten years for ePassports in other countries (Australia £72, Belgium £96, France £41, Iceland £81, Japan £163, New Zealand £123, Norway £87, Switzerland £219, USA £54). The UK is one of forty countries deploying ePassports. From October ePassport production will be a requirement for countries wishing to remain within the US Visa Waiver Scheme.
Also published today are the final Annual Report and Accounts of the UK Passport Service, which on 1 April 2006 merged with the Home Office Identity Cards Programme to form IPS.
Bernard Herdan, IPS Executive Director of Service Delivery and former UKPS Chief Executive, said:
"This Annual Report sets out another very successful year for the UKPS. At the same time as implementing major anti-fraud initiatives, within the processing of passport applications, the Agency handled record demand while delivering outstanding levels of customer service.
"The Agency met its ten-day turnaround and other key customer service targets, and for the third year in a row topped the independent Comparisat Customer Satisfaction survey, beating organisations such as Amazon, Asda, eBay, Marks and Spencer, and Tesco.
"The strong performance of the UKPS has provided an excellent launch pad for the work that IPS will take forward over the coming years."
The new passport fees that will apply from 5 October (current fee in brackets):
| Postal | Fast Track | Premium | |
| Adult | £66 (£51) | £91 (£77.50) | £108 (£96.50) |
| Child | £45 (£34) | £80 (£70) | £93 (£83) |
NOTES TO EDITORS
