Passport rules for travelling

When travelling, whether it be locally or worldwide, you often need to have certain documentation with you. If you are travelling abroad then you will need a valid passport for anyone who travels. Even babies need their own passport no, but this will be valid for five years no matter how much they change. If the child is under one, the passport photo does not require them to have their eyes open so you can even snap one when they are asleep. This photo should be took on a plain cream or light grey background and it doesn’t matter if the baby’s mouth is open or they are smiling a bit.

For children over the age of one the rules are stricter and eyes must be open and they must not be smiling in the picture. This may mean that a number of photos must be taken in order to obtain the correct one.

Adult passports cost between £72 and £95 depending on which size (number of pages) and which service you use. A child passport is approximately £47. Passports can take up to 6 weeks to arrive once applied for so it is vital that you do not book your holiday until you have received it.