You can apply for a first adult British passport if you:

• are a British citizen (or hold another form of British nationality, see below)
• are 16 or over, or will turn 16 within 3 weeks of applying
• have never held a UK passport before

You must also use the "first adult passport" application route if your last UK passport was issued before 1 January 1994, even if you've held a British passport previously.

If you naturalised or registered as a British citizen, you need to have received your certificate of naturalisation or registration from the Home Office first, because you cannot apply for a passport with only proof that your ceremony is booked or that your application was approved. The certificate itself, or the letter HMPO accepts in place of it while the certificate is delayed, is the core evidence of your citizenship for the passport application.

Source: GOV.UK - Apply for your first adult passport

As verified on GOV.UK, the standard 34-page adult passport costs:

• £102 if you apply online
• £115.50 if you apply using a paper form

Applying online is £13.50 cheaper than applying by post. There's also a 54-page "frequent traveller" passport, priced at £116 online / £129.50 by paper, aimed at people who travel very frequently and fill pages quickly. Most first-time applicants don't need it.

Child passport fees are lower (£66.50 online / £80 paper for a standard 34-page child passport) but don't apply to a first adult passport application.

Passport fees are reviewed and changed by HMPO periodically. Treat the figures above as a strong estimate rather than gospel, and confirm the exact current fee on the GOV.UK fees page before you pay.

Source: GOV.UK - Passport fees

GOV.UK does not commit to a fixed number of weeks for a standard first adult passport application on its overview pages: it directs applicants to check current processing timescales on the HMPO services page immediately before applying, because timescales move with application volumes. As a first-time applicant, build in a buffer beyond whatever the standard estimate says: identity verification (including checking your countersignatory's declaration and your naturalisation documents) can take longer for first applications than for simple renewals, where HMPO already holds your data on file.

Do not book travel until you have a valid passport in hand. Your new passport will have a different number from any travel document you've used before, so airlines, visa applications, and travel insurance tied to an old document number won't carry over.

If you have a genuinely urgent need to travel (for example, a family emergency or medical treatment abroad), GOV.UK points applicants to two expedited options:

• Online Premium service: a same-day appointment-based service at a passport office, for people who need to travel very soon
• 1 week Fast Track service: a faster turnaround than the standard service

Both carry a higher fee than the standard application, and eligibility/current pricing should be checked directly on GOV.UK, since access to these services can be limited or paused during high-demand periods. For medical or family emergencies, contact the Passport Adviceline rather than relying on the standard online form.

Source: GOV.UK - Apply for your first adult passport

For a first application after naturalisation or registration, you'll typically need:

• your original certificate of naturalisation or registration (not a photocopy)
• evidence of your identity, such as a driving licence or other photo ID, if requested
• your birth certificate, if you have one and HMPO asks for it
• if you hold a non-British passport, that document's name and gender must match what you want on your British passport, or you'll need to update the non-British document first
• a completed application form (online or paper) and payment

Original documents sent by post are normally returned once your application is processed, but check current guidance on how HMPO wants documents submitted for your chosen application route (online applications typically involve uploading scans/photos of documents rather than posting originals).

Source: GOV.UK - Apply for your first adult passport

Because you have no passport history for HMPO to check you against, a first adult passport application (almost) always needs a countersignatory: someone who confirms your identity is genuinely who you say you are.

Your countersignatory must:

• have known you personally for at least 2 years
• hold a current British or Irish passport
• not be related to you by blood or marriage, in a relationship with you, or living at your address
• be "a person of good standing in their community," or work in (or be retired from) a recognised profession (GOV.UK gives examples of qualifying occupations on its countersigning page)

Your countersignatory needs to write a declaration on the back of one of your photos, sign and date it, and provide their own passport number on your application form. Choose someone early in the process, since finding a suitable countersignatory at the last minute is a common cause of delay for first-time applicants.

Source: GOV.UK - Countersigning passport applications and photos

Whether you apply online or by paper form, your photo must meet HMPO's standard passport photo rules: a plain cream or light grey background, a neutral expression with your mouth closed, no shadows or glare, no head covering (unless worn daily for religious or medical reasons, in which case your face must still be fully visible from chin to forehead), and no other people or objects in the shot.

Online applications generally use a digital photo (a good smartphone photo often works, or you can use a photo booth or professional photographer and upload the image), while paper applications need a printed photo signed by your countersignatory. Passport photo booths and many pharmacies/photo shops in the UK advertise "passport-compliant" digital codes or prints specifically for this purpose. Checking the GOV.UK photo checker before submitting avoids a rejected application and a re-do.

Source: GOV.UK - Apply for your first adult passport

Your certificate of naturalisation or registration is one of the most important documents you'll hold as a new British citizen. Keep it safe:

• You'll need it not just for this passport application but potentially for other future evidence-of-status purposes
• Keep the original somewhere secure and take clear copies (front and back) before you send it anywhere
• If it's lost, replacing it involves a separate Home Office process, distinct from your passport application, and can add significant delay before you can even start your first passport application

Having British nationality does not guarantee you a passport. Passports remain the property of the Crown and can be refused, cancelled, or withdrawn at any time.

You may not get a new passport (or your existing passport may be taken from you) if:

• you're suspected of a serious crime and an arrest warrant has been issued
• a court order stops you having a UK passport or restricts your travel
• you're on bail and your bail conditions mean you cannot leave the UK
• you've previously been brought back to the UK at the government's expense and have not repaid what you owe
• you've received a European Union or United Nations order restricting your travel

A child's passport can also be cancelled or not renewed if there's a court order in place stopping the child from leaving the UK.

Your eligibility and entitlement to a British passport is considered every time you apply, not just the first time.

Source: GOV.UK - British passport eligibility

You can apply for a British passport if you hold one of the following:

• British citizen
• British overseas territories citizen
• British overseas citizen
• British subject
• British national (overseas)
• British protected person

Most people who naturalise or register as adults under the standard routes covered elsewhere on this site become British citizens, which carries the broadest set of passport and travel rights of these categories.

Source: GOV.UK - British passport eligibility