British consulates in the United States do not issue passports and do not run a counter service for them. Every overseas application is handled by HM Passport Office in the United Kingdom, filed online through the government service, with the old passport and any supporting documents couriered to an address in the UK once the application has been paid for.
Quick facts
There is no fast-track or same-day service outside the UK. If travel is imminent, the route is an emergency travel document from the nearest consulate, which is a different application entirely.
Fees breakdown
| Item | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Adult overseas renewal, online | £116.50 | From 8 April 2026 |
| Adult overseas renewal, by post | £130.00 | Paper route |
| Child under 16, online | £75.50 | Five years of validity |
| Child under 16, by post | £89.00 | Paper route |
| Courier return of documents | £30.56 | Charged separately |
| Applicants born before 1929 | Free | Long-standing exemption |
Fees changed in April 2026, so older guidance circulating online understates them. Check the current figure on the government site before paying.
How to renew
- Start at the overseas passport service and select that you are applying from outside the United Kingdom.
- Upload a digital photograph meeting the British specification, which is stricter than the U.S. one about background and expression.
- Complete the form and pay by card. Any remaining validity on the old passport, up to nine months, is carried over.
- Wait for the email confirming which documents to send and to which UK address.
- Courier the old passport and any supporting documents, tracked, quoting the application reference exactly.
- Receive the new passport by international courier.
Required documents
- Current or most recent British passport.
- Digital photograph to the published specification.
- Evidence of any name change: marriage certificate, deed poll or court order.
- Police report where the passport was lost or stolen.
- Additional identity evidence where HM Passport Office requests it.
- For a child: the parents’ documents and evidence of parental responsibility.
Where consulates do come in
Consulates issue emergency travel documents, help in cases of loss or theft, and provide assistance in emergencies. They do not accept passport applications or pass them to London.
No offices currently listed.
Additional notes
The ten-year rule for the EU
For travel into the European Union a British passport must be less than ten years old on the day of entry and have at least three months left on the day of departure. Carried-over validity is what catches people out here.
Interviews
First-time applicants and some complex cases can be asked to attend an interview at a consulate, which is one of the few situations where a British mission is involved in passport work.
Courier costs both ways
The published processing target assumes international courier time in both directions. The postal leg, not the office, is usually what makes an overseas application slow.
Do not book travel
HM Passport Office advises against booking travel until the new passport is in hand, and there is no expedited route abroad to rescue a booking.