Emergency travel document: who can get one, the fee and how to apply

An emergency travel document lets a British national travel from abroad when the journey is urgent and the UK passport cannot be used. It is usually valid for one single or return journey, through a maximum of 5 countries.

GOV.UK says you can apply if you need to travel within 6 weeks and your passport has been lost, stolen, damaged, is full, has recently expired, or is with HM Passport Office or a foreign embassy. This guide follows the GOV.UK who can apply page and the GOV.UK how to apply page, which we read on 6 November 2026.

An emergency travel document is for the journey only; a passport is a separate application. Our UK passport guides cover the passport itself.

You must be a British national, outside the UK, and need to travel within 6 weeks. GOV.UK also asks that you cannot renew or replace your UK passport from abroad before you travel, and that you have had a valid UK passport issued on or after 1 January 2006.

Read the conditions with care. If you can renew or replace your passport from abroad before you travel, GOV.UK does not treat you as eligible, so the document is for the case where the normal route is too slow.

The online application costs £125 and the fee is not refundable. The document is usually ready to collect 2 working days after you apply, but GOV.UK lists five things that can stretch that to several weeks.

GOV.UK lists the things that may make it take several weeks.

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  Your original British passport has expired: GOV.UK says it may take several weeks if so.
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  You are applying for a child under 16: It may take several weeks, and the child goes to an appointment.
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  You have not yet paid the £125 fee: Until it is paid, the application may take several weeks.
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  You need to provide more documents or information: Being asked for more can mean several weeks.
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  You need to attend an online or in-person appointment: An appointment can also mean several weeks.

The fee is £125, paid by debit or credit card as part of the online application.

Apply on GOV.UK. The official how to apply page is where the online service starts, and you can only use it if you have had a passport issued on or after 1 January 2006.

1. Check the countries first. GOV.UK says to check that an emergency travel document will be accepted in the countries you plan to leave, enter and travel through, including whether you need a visa.
2. Gather what you need: a valid digital passport photo, a contact telephone number, an email address and a debit or credit card for the fee.
3. Apply online and pay the £125 fee. Your old passport will usually be cancelled automatically once you have paid.
4. Watch your email. You will get an email update, and you will be told how and when to collect the document.
5. Collect it as instructed. You may be asked to attend an appointment at your nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate.

For the photo, the official GOV.UK photos for passports page sets the guidelines. GOV.UK says the digital photo must meet those guidelines and must not have been used in a previous passport.

Not if you are applying for the document. The GOV.UK page on cancelling a lost or stolen passport says that if you apply for an emergency travel document you do not need to cancel your passport now, because you cancel it as part of that application.

GOV.UK says you must cancel a lost or stolen passport as soon as possible, which reduces the risk of anyone else using your passport or your identity. If you need help to cancel a passport, it points you to HM Passport Office.

There is one exception to the automatic cancellation. You will be told if your passport will not be cancelled, for example because it is with an embassy or you have already applied for a new passport.

It covers one journey, not a trip with several stops over weeks. The document is usually only valid for one single or return journey and allows travel through a maximum of 5 countries.

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  One single or return journey: GOV.UK says it is usually valid for no more than that.
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  Up to 5 countries: The most you can travel through on one document.
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  Countries and dates: GOV.UK says your travel plans may be printed on the document.

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  A change of plan: If your travel plans change, you need to reapply and pay £125 again.
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  Keeping the document at the border: If your destination is the UK, border control will keep it when you arrive, and GOV.UK says this could happen in other countries too.
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  Entry anywhere without a check: GOV.UK tells you to check it will be accepted in every country you leave, enter or pass through, including whether you need a visa.

Do the acceptance check first. The destination's own rules are on its FCDO travel advice entry requirements page, and GOV.UK separately asks you to check visas, so look at both before you pay the £125.

Yes, if they are a British national. You can apply for someone else, but they might have to attend an appointment and may need to collect the document in person.

For a child under 16 the rules are stricter. GOV.UK says the child will need to go to an appointment with both parents or legal guardians, or, if a parent or legal guardian cannot attend, a signed consent letter must be sent instead. A child application is also one of the cases that may take several weeks.

You cannot use the online service. Without a UK passport issued on or after 1 January 2006, you will usually need to apply for a UK passport instead of an emergency travel document.

There is one narrow route. You might be able to get a document if you have, or are eligible for, British nationality, are outside the UK, need to travel within 6 weeks and have an urgent and unplanned reason due to exceptional circumstances. GOV.UK gives three examples: a child born unexpectedly, urgent medical treatment you cannot access without travelling to another country, and attending the funeral of a close relative.

You do not apply online on this route. GOV.UK says you must explain and provide evidence to show why your journey is urgent and essential, and that applications are assessed on a case by case basis.

The FCDO runs a 24/7 consular team. GOV.UK's support for British nationals abroad page says to call the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate, or the FCDO in the UK on +44 (0)20 7008 5000, selecting the option 'Consular services for British nationals'.

The same page says the team cannot provide assistance with matters that other UK government departments are responsible for. For the passport itself, GOV.UK also points to HM Passport Office for help to cancel a passport.

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  Booking before the email: Wait until you are told how and when you can get the document.
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  Skipping the acceptance check: You are told to check the countries you leave, enter and travel through, including visas.
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  Using an old passport photo: The digital photo must not have been used in a previous passport.
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  Leaving the fee unpaid: An unpaid £125 fee is a cause of delay.
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  Assuming the document is reusable: It is usually valid for one single or return journey, and a change of plans means reapplying.

Once the emergency is over, check the validity rules for your next trip. Our passport times and validity guide covers the 3-month and 10-year tests. For a new passport in a hurry, see the GOV.UK get a passport urgently page.

• How much does an emergency travel document cost?

  GOV.UK says the application costs £125 and you cannot get a refund. If your travel plans change you need to reapply and pay £125 again.

• How long does an emergency travel document take?

  GOV.UK says it will usually be ready to collect 2 working days after you apply. It may take several weeks if your passport has expired, the applicant is a child under 16, the fee is unpaid, more documents are needed or an appointment is required.

• Can I get an emergency travel document if my passport has expired?

  Yes, if it recently expired and you meet the other conditions: you are a British national outside the UK, you need to travel within 6 weeks, and you have had a passport issued on or after 1 January 2006. GOV.UK says it may take several weeks if your original passport has expired.

• How many countries can I travel through on one?

  GOV.UK says you can travel through a maximum of 5 countries. It is usually only valid for one single or return journey.

• Can I use an emergency travel document for a holiday?

  GOV.UK says that if you have not had a UK passport issued on or after 1 January 2006, you cannot get an emergency travel document for activities such as holidays, weddings, family events and job interviews.

• Can someone else pay for me?

  Yes. GOV.UK says a relative or friend can pay for you if you cannot make a payment using the online service, for example because you have lost your wallet.

• Will the border keep my emergency travel document?

  GOV.UK says that if your destination is the UK, border control will keep your emergency travel document when you arrive, and that this could also happen in other countries.

• What do I need to apply online?

  A valid digital passport photo that meets the guidelines and has not been used in a previous passport, a contact telephone number, an email address and a debit or credit card for the fee.

• Who do I call from abroad?

  Call the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate, or the FCDO in the UK on +44 (0)20 7008 5000 and select Consular services for British nationals, per GOV.UK.