Can UK passports be renewed in France with a paper form?
US citizens can renew passports through the mail
The UK government recommended completing a passport application only through its official site
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Reader Question: My UK passport needs to be renewed but I am 90 years old and struggle using the internet. Is it possible to use a paper form at all?
Passport renewals for Britons living in France cannot be made via a paper form, nor by visiting a British Embassy or consulate.
The main way to renew your British passport from France is via the official online application form.
Renewal fees as of January 2025 are £101 for an adult plus a £19.86 courier fee.
There are third-party sites that offer to help with a passport application renewal, however they can charge significantly more than the UK government and you still have to provide the same information.
Advice from the government is to renew your passport directly through them and not a third-party site.
Read more: Why did it cost €239 to renew my British passport from France?
You can read our article below on how to renew your passport.
Read more: How do I renew my UK passport in France?
If you need help, you can contact the Passport Advice helpline on:
Another avenue for help with all forms of administrative tasks in daily life is a local branch of France Services.
You may or may not find a person there speaking good English, but they may still be able to give some guidance on using the website.
You will need a bank card and a photo in a digital format which can be taken with a smartphone or digital camera, or you can visit a photographer.
It is not advisable to use a French automatic booth as these are set up for French document requirements, which are not identical to the UK’s.
The only way to apply for your passport on paper would be during an extended trip to the UK, for example to stay with family, requesting in the application that the passport be sent to this temporary UK address.
You will in this case need to wait until the passport is sent to the given address in the UK, which the government says usually takes around three weeks.
In the UK it is also possible to ask a local post office to help you to apply, either to make a digital application (in which case they will take a photo) or a paper one. Not all post offices offer this, but larger branches usually do.
Citizens of some other countries, including the United States, can still renew their passports from France via a physical form.
