Your UK passport could be invalid even with years left on it | UK | News

HM Passport Office has issued a warning that some people in the UK may unknowingly have an invalid passport.

British citizens need a valid passport for international travel; Adult passports usually last 10 years, and child passports five years.

Currently, a UK passport is priced at £94.50 to apply online or £107 for a paper form, while a child passport is priced at £61.50 online or £74 via a paper form. However, once you receive your passport there is a very important step to verify it and failure to do so will render your passport unusable.

In a recent alert posted on

“Unless your passport says ‘The holder does not need to sign’, you should use a black ballpoint pen. [and] Sign on the owner’s signature line.”

The Gov.uk Guide also explains: “A passport signed upon receipt is not considered a valid travel document until the owner signs it. HM Passport Office tells customers to sign their new passport as soon as they receive it.”

“If the customer makes a mistake when signing (for example, signing the wrong name), the passport may not be valid for travel. Passports issued with a digitally printed signature remain valid until their expiration date.”

Passport holders should not sign in pencil or colored ink, use an unusual signature or mark, or add any extra information that is not part of their regular signature, as this could invalidate the document.

It is also very important not to erase a pencil signature as this could damage the page, and you should never scratch, alter or use correction fluid on the signature.