Passports, ETAs and eVisas share one weakness as far as scammers are concerned: each is run by a single government service with a published fee. Anyone who stands between you and that service is either adding a charge or collecting your data. The guides below are grouped by what you are trying to do.
- An adult passport renewal on GOV.UK costs £102 online or £115.50 on paper, after the fee rise of 8 April 2026.
- HM Passport Office says 99.7% of standard UK applications in 2025 were processed within 3 weeks.
- A UK ETA costs £20 and lasts 2 years or until the passport expires, whichever is sooner.
- An immigration status share code lasts 90 days and can be reused as often as needed in that time.
Start here, by situation
- Comparing websites to renew a passport: renewing a UK passport, then fake and copycat passport websites.
- Flying within days: urgent passport options.
- Passport missing: lost or stolen passport.
- Already paid a site or sent your scans: paid a passport scam site.
- An advert offers a passport for cash: fake passports for sale.
- Visiting the UK from abroad: fake UK ETA websites.
- Proving your own immigration status: eVisas and share codes and why a BRP card is no longer the proof.
- A message promises a guaranteed visa or job: fake visa agents.
- Asked for ID in a shop or bar: fake ID and the law and the PASS card.
Passport guides in short
Renewing a UK passport sets out what the official service costs now: £102 online and £115.50 on paper for an adult, who can apply, and how to track the application. Urgent passport options covers the two appointment-based services, at £192 and £239.50, and explains why a guaranteed delivery date from a website is a warning rather than a promise.
Lost or stolen passport explains cancelling online, the emergency travel document route abroad, and what to tell your bank. Fake and copycat passport websites lists the signs of a look-alike and what such a site does with your scans and card details.
Paid a passport scam site puts the steps in order: the bank, the police report, the replacement application. Fake passports for sale explains why “registered” and “diplomatic” passports advertised on social media are scams or forgeries, and what the Identity Documents Act 2010 sets as the ceiling for having one.
Visa, ETA and status guides in short
Fake UK ETA websites shows the official application route, the £20 fee, and the two things no website can offer: a faster decision or a guarantee of entry. eVisas and share codes explains how a person with status signs in, creates a code and shares it with an employer or landlord.
Fake residence permits and BRPs deals with adverts for plastic cards that no check now relies on. Fake visa agents and job offers follows the pattern GOV.UK has warned about, where fictitious UK employers ask for fees by money transfer.
ID rules and the law
Fake ID in the UK answers what counts as an identity document and what the offences are. The PASS card explains the one proof-of-age card with a registered hologram. UK law on fake documents collects every offence and published maximum penalty cited across the site, in one place.
Further guides
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to buy a passport online?
No. Only HM Passport Office issues UK passports. A passport sold online is either never delivered or is a forgery, and having a false identity document with improper intent is an offence under the Identity Documents Act 2010, with a published maximum of ten years.
Which websites can I trust for passport services?
Start from GOV.UK. If a site is on a different domain, charges more than the official fee, or promises a result the government does not offer, treat it as a copy.
How much does it cost to renew a passport in 2026?
For an adult it is £102 online or £115.50 on a paper form, according to GOV.UK. Both figures rose on 8 April 2026, from £94.50 and £107. A site showing a higher total is adding its own fee.
Do I need an ETA to visit the UK?
Most visitors who do not need a visa now do. It costs £20 on GOV.UK and the UK ETA app, covers each traveller including babies, and does not guarantee entry. British and Irish passport holders are exempt.
Where do I report an identity document scam?
Tell your bank first if you paid, then report to Report Fraud (Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland). Citizens Advice, on 0808 223 1133, can refer a copycat site to Trading Standards.