Passport, driving licence and MOT fees

How much are the fees now?

Checked 22 September 2026. Source: HM Passport Office (Home Office). Checked by hand 22 September 2026.

How have the fees moved?

Prices from CPIH, as of 1 August 2026. Source: Office for National Statistics.

What are the fees meant to cover?

Passport fees may be set at or below the cost of the passport service, which the law defines to include consular help abroad and processing British citizens at the border. The Home Office reports that passport income covered 77% of those costs in 2025-26.

DVLA fees are set to recover the cost of each service, with two exceptions where the money goes to the Treasury: vehicle excise duty and personalised registrations.

The MOT fee is a maximum set by DVSA. The test is done by private garages, which keep the fee and may charge less.

• Adult passport, standard 34-page, UK online application: EM to SI 2026/311: passport fees 'can only be set at or below the cost of processing and delivering the services associated with making the application, which includes the cost of processing applications, consular support overseas (including for lost and stolen passports), and the cost of processing British Citizens at UK Borders. Currently, income from passports is below the cost of operating these services.' HMPO fees transparency data (30 June 2026): adult UK online fee £102 vs estimated unit cost £121.66. Home Office ARA 2025-26: passports fee recovery 77% (deficit £201.6m). The fee includes an element funding consular protection overseas (£109.1m of passport consular fees in 2025-26) an
• Adult passport, standard 34-page, UK paper (postal) application: Estimated unit cost for UK postal adult passport £153.98 vs fee £115.50 (HMPO fees transparency data, 30 June 2026). See passport-adult-online for the legal cost ceiling.
• Child (under 16) passport, UK online application: Estimated unit cost £88.22 vs fee £66.50 (HMPO fees transparency data, 30 June 2026).
• Child (under 16) passport, UK paper (postal) application: Estimated unit cost £120.54 vs fee £80 (HMPO fees transparency data, 30 June 2026).

• First provisional driving licence (car, motorcycle, moped) - online: DVLA ARA 2025-26: 'Our financial objective is to recover the full cost of keeping the vehicle and driver registers over the medium-term and fees (where applicable) are set to cover these costs. This objective of cost recovery applies to all streams except cherished transfer transactions and personalised registrations'. Fees are pooled under the Department for Transport (Driver Licensing and Vehicle Registration Fees) Order 2003. 2025-26: fee deficit £23.4m, cost recovery 94%. EM to SI 2014/2580: 'As a result of the efficiency improvements already made, the DVLA's costs have reduced ... The DVLA needs to pass on reductions in costs to their customers by reducing fees.'

• Passport (Fees) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022/660), as amended by the Immigration, Nationality and Passports (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/311); fee-setting power in ss86-87 Immigration Act 2016
• Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999, Sch 3 Pt 1, as amended by the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2014 (SI 2014/2580)
• Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999, Sch 3
• Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 (fee provision not checked)
• Retention/Sale of Registration Marks Regulations (not checked)
• Motor Vehicles (Tests) Regulations 1981, reg 20, as amended by the Motor Vehicles (Tests) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/449)

Who receives the money?

Are the fees fair?