Global Passport Fees 2025

Passport costs and global trends most expensive passport in the world

Passports serve as vital travel documents, enabling international mobility. Yet, the expense of acquiring a passport varies significantly between nations. Ideally, passport fees should align with a country’s average income to ensure widespread access to this crucial document. PASSPORT HISTORY (Facts & Stories) · LISTEN IN >>> Global Passport Fees 2025 – Quo Vadis?

Making passports is a big business most expensive passport in the world

The global E-passport market size reached US$ 29.3 Billion in 2023. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach US$ 81.5 Billion by 2032, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 11.81% during 2024-2032. The International Civil Aviation Organization’s Doc 9303 recommends a new passport design to maintain document security and integrity every few years.

People need passports, but at what costs? Global Passport Fees 2023

Should a passport office profit, and should your embassy charge you a higher fee abroad?

How does a passport office justify higher costs? Did they negotiate just a bad purchasing contract? Governments like to brag about having the “most advanced” and “most secure” travel document every time a passport is updated (which is always good timing to increase the fees). Global Passport Fees 2023

Several countries managed to keep the costs for a new passport unchanged or slightly higher. Even if the current passport was significantly updated with state-of-the-art technology and security. Passport pricing is also a political issue. Global Passport Fees 2023

A 3+ year valid TURKISH passport comes at $319USD, which would be THE MOST EXPENSIVE passport in the world! AUSTRALIA has the 2nd MOST EXPENSIVE one at $412AUD or $256USD!

Partly, significantly higher passport fees abroad most expensive passport in the world

Why countries charge significantly more for a passport at their embassies or consulates is a riddle for me. While German embassies charge up to $140 compared to $70 at home, United States passports cost the same worldwide as at home – $130.

As a reader wrote, obtaining a Cuban passport abroad, e.g., in the USA, is costly. “The Cuban passport is valid for six years, its price is over $450 now, and every two years, we have to pay an extra entry extension of over $200, which makes the Cuban passport most likely the most expensive consular passport! Which adds up to around $900 in 6 years.” Global Passport Fees 2023

The same seems true for the Syrian passport, which is just $24 at home but more than $300 abroad.

Citizen services should not profit, but they must cover their costs. Citizen service is a state obligation without extorting its citizens. By the way, China lowered its passport fees significantly in mid-2019, and the Chinese passport is one of the cheapest travel documents in the world at only $18!

The new iconic Belgian passport with a homage to the comic culture (so cool!) remains at the same price. The same is valid for the latest updated Singapore passport.

More than 171 out of 196 countries use ePassports*
All information is extensively sourced from Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT), official gov websites and my network. Fees are for a standard adult passport ( in general 10 years type). *Source: Inverid.com

The passport fees around the world are based on an old list from the British Passport Office. It’s interesting to see how passport fees have gone up over the years. The data comes from readers and web sources, such as the passport office. In most Western countries, passports are typically issued with a validity of 10 years. However, there are also countries issuing passports with 5, 3, or 2 years of validity.

Throwback to 1971

Readers might still remember the British Visitor Passport (BVP), a travel document used within Europe; one could get it instantly at the post office – for £1.50 (1971).

Further Remarks

In Cambodia, the passport fees are three times higher at $100 than in the neighboring country, Thailand!

The Thai passport was improved several times but is still at a moderate level of 1500 THB ($41). The current generation of the Thai ePassport is now valid for ten years. The New Zealand passport was in 2010 at $100 – nowadays at $128.

Australia was $145 (2010) but today at $230. Germany was $63 in 2010 – nowadays $83. Until the end of 1999, Austria was $38 and increased in Jan 2000 to $76. Today, the Austrian passport costs $84. The British passport fees increased twice within 14 months and is now at $112. Liechtenstein reduced the passport fees from $279 in 2023 to $167 in 2024 due to massive citizen protests. An unusual case!

Some countries like Denmark or Malaysia would charge you an extra fee (penalty) for your new passport if you lost your old one. I think that is justified.

Noteworthy

VFS Global is the monopolist when it comes to visa applications. Most countries have outsourced visa processing to this company. But, they also handle passport applications in different countries and asking an extra passport application fee, which makes your passport even more expensive. I have seen other statistics which mix-up currencies and passport fees abroad at consulates/embassies!

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