‌The Passport Office reminded those nearing a certain birthday that they must do something different when applying for their next passport. If their birthday is less than three weeks away, skip the child passport and apply for an adult passport instead. Under UK regulations, an adult passport - which remains valid for 10 years rather than the five-year limit of a child passport - becomes mandatory once someone reaches 16. For those requiring an urgent new passport, the UK provides a same-day service, though an appointment must be secured at the nearest passport office. At the time of writing (January 29, 2026), the expected timeframe is roughly three weeks once the Passport Office has received all necessary documentation.