Scottish families planning their summer getaways are bracing for another financial blow as passport prices soar under Brexit-era Britain.
From April 10th, an adult UK passport will cost £94.50, while a child’s will jump to £61.50.
This marks a staggering 25% rise in just two years, with travellers given barely three weeks’ notice before the latest hike kicks in.
The UK passport now ranks among the most expensive in Europe, second only to Switzerland’s eye-watering £123 fee.
In stark contrast, an adult passport in Ireland is around £30 cheaper, and child passports are £17 less.
A family of four in the UK will now fork out £312 just for passports, nearly double the £160 cost for the same family in Ireland.
Across the EU, passport prices remain significantly lower, with Belgium and Portugal charging £54, and Spain just £26.
The SNP has slammed what it calls the “rip off cost” of travel inflicted on families by post-Brexit policies.
SNP Europe spokesperson Stephen Gethins MP warned that Brexit is not only draining the UK economy but piling pressure on families already squeezed by the rising cost of living.
He said the cost of a passport is now nearly seven times the price of renewing a driving licence, despite both being online services.
Criticism also extended to the new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, which charges EU visitors £10 to enter the UK, set to rise to £16 from April 9th.
This move, aimed at EU citizens who don’t need visas, is being seen as another barrier to tourism and a knock-on effect of Brexit.
Gethins accused both Labour and the Tories of maintaining a “cosy conspiracy of silence” on the true costs of leaving the EU.
He said Scottish families are now paying the price for policies made in Westminster, without any say in the matter.
He argued that a family in Ireland can secure passports for half the cost, highlighting the growing divide between Scotland and its European neighbours.
The passport price surge adds to a growing list of post-Brexit economic burdens including higher food prices, trade barriers, and reduced EU funding.
Gethins also took aim at recent decisions by the Labour Government, accusing them of targeting pensioners and putting jobs at risk, all while ignoring Brexit’s ongoing fallout.
He said it was time for Scotland to rethink its future and ask whether remaining tied to Westminster is still in the national interest.
Families gearing up for their holidays are left wondering not just where they’ll go, but whether they can even afford to get there.
