Foreign Office Minister, Gillian Merron, has announced changes to consular services and visa fees which will take effect from 9 April 2009.

Read the statement

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has recently undertaken a review of the fees charged for visa and consular services, both in the UK and Overseas. On 18 March 2009 Her Majesty in Council approved the Consular Fees Order 2009. This revokes and replaces the Consular Fees Order 2008. The Government is today announcing changes to the consular fees to be charged under this Order with effect from 9 April 2009.

Fees for passport applications made in the United Kingdom remain at current levels whereas the fees for passport applications made abroad including applications for temporary and emergency passports have increased. A new Emergency Travel Document is also being introduced during 2009-10 and is priced at £89. This is a more secure and internationally acceptable document than the emergency and temporary passports currently used and is correspondingly more expensive. Most travel insurance policies permit recovery of expenditure incurred in relation to the loss of a passport and all British Nationals should ensure their policy includes this form of cover.

The  fees for both standard and premium legalisation services have increased in line with inflation, and a new fee of £37 is to be introduced for legalisation services requested overseas, where the processing is carried out  in whole or in part in the United Kingdom. A new fee for translating passport details into Arabic as part of the entry requirements for Libya is being introduced.

Fees for receiving applications for entry clearance to Commonwealth countries, British overseas territories and Crown Dependencies continue to be charged in the Order and have increased since last year. The fees for entry clearance for visitors to the Crown Dependencies have been amended to reflect the longer periods for which such entry clearances can now be obtained.

Other consular fees, representing a range of services performed at Posts abroad, are also set to increase.

It is right that those who benefit from consular services should meet the cost of them, rather than the UK taxpayer. The new fees represent the full economic cost of what we do, and will ensure that British missions continue to provide a high standard of service to consular customers.

Notes for Editors

Consular fees order 2009 [PDF file] 

Explanation of consular costs [PDF file]

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