Passports for 15 yos - child renewal until 20? Or reapply at 16/18? Or what?

[meditrina]

Apologies if I've missed something obvious!

I've just been renewing a family passport, and looking at the form I started wondering about what you do with 15 year olds (a pretty common renewal point I'd have thought if you first go one when newborn).

Do you apply for child renewal, and it runs through to 20? Or do you have to apply for first adult passport at 16 or 18? And if so, what happens to the unexpired part of the child passport? (am I over-cynical in spotting the potential for a nice little earner on this?)

Or is there some other arrangement?

DD2 has just applied for a first adult passport at 20 so we must have got a child renewal at 15. You don't need to apply for the adult passport until they are over 16 and their passport actually needs renewing. DS has just got an adult one at 17 as his was done on the same renewal date as DD2.

My DD will be 15 this summer, her new 5 year passport has come through to last her until she is 20. Her sister is 17 so her renewal is a full 10 year passport.

DS turned 16 in January. I renewed his child passport last November.

I did phone and ask the passport office about it. tbey said I could do either - renew the child passport or go for an adult passport as the renewal date fell within a few weeks of him turning 16.

So, I paid the £46 for 5 years. When he is 20 he can buy his own 10 year passport.

Thanks everyone!

I've got one coming up to 15 towards the end of the year, and I expect I'll get 5 more years on a child passport.