The Consular Fees (Amendment) Order 2025
The Consular Fees (Amendment) Order 2025, effective April 9th, 2025, amends the Consular Fees Order 2012.
It increases the fees for Emergency Travel Documents and Emergency Passports from £100 and £75 respectively to £125.
The Order applies to England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and no significant impact on the public, private or voluntary sectors is anticipated.
Arguments For
Increased Revenue: The increased fees could generate additional revenue for consular services, potentially improving the quality of services offered.
Cost-of-Living Adjustments: The fee increases may reflect the rising cost of providing these services, ensuring financial sustainability.
Alignment with International Standards: The new fees might be in line with similar charges in other countries for comparable services.
Arguments Against
Financial Burden on Citizens: Higher fees could place a greater financial burden on individuals requiring emergency travel documents or passports, particularly those in vulnerable situations.
Limited Impact Assessment: The lack of a detailed impact assessment raises concerns about the potential consequences of the fee increase on different groups of citizens.
Alternative Funding Models: Exploring alternative funding mechanisms for consular services, rather than solely relying on fee increases, might be considered.
Citation, commencement and extent 1.
(1)
This Order may be cited as the Consular Fees (Amendment) Order 2025 and comes into force on 9th April 2025.
(2)
This Order extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
This section details the Order's official title, effective date (April 9th, 2025), and geographical scope (covering all four nations of the UK).
Amendment of the Consular Fees Order 2012 2.
(1)
The table in Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Consular Fees Order 2012 (Table of general consular fees) is amended as follows.
(2)
In row 19, column 3, for “100.00” substitute “125.00”.
(3)
In row 20, column 3, for “75.00” substitute “125.00”.
This section specifies the changes made to the Consular Fees Order 2012.
It states that the fee for Emergency Travel Documents (row 19) increases from £100 to £125, and the fee for Emergency Passports (row 20) also increases from £75 to £125.
Explanatory Note (This note is not part of the Order in Council)
This Order amends the Table of General Consular Fees in the Consular Fees Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/798 as amended).
Paragraphs (2) and (3) of Article 2 of this Order amend the fees relating to Emergency Travel Documents from £100 to £125 and relating to Emergency Passports from £75 to £125.
An Impact Assessment has not been prepared for this Order as no, or no significant, impact is foreseen on the private, voluntary or public sectors in the United Kingdom.
The explanatory note summarizes the Order's impact by highlighting the fee changes for Emergency Travel Documents and Emergency Passports.
It also notes that a formal impact assessment wasn't deemed necessary due to the expectation of minimal effects on the UK's various sectors.