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Press card renewal: how to get your follow-up card

An FJA press card cannot be renewed or extended, and it never renews automatically. Instead, you order a follow-up card in your customer area “My press card”: from 60 days before your current card expires, without a new application. The follow-up card is valid from the day after your current card expires, so there is no gap – and you get a 10% loyalty discount.

On this page: how long press cards are valid, how renewal works for the FJA card and for the UK Press Card, and what to do if your details have changed.

Order your new card Prices

At a glance

Validity: 12, 24 or 36 months from issue
Follow-up card: From 60 days before expiry in the customer area, valid from the day after expiry; no automatic renewal, no subscription
Loyalty discount: 10% if ordered before expiry
Best time: Four to eight weeks before expiry
Price: £82 / £130 / £156, postage to the UK £5.99

How long is a press card valid?

Validity depends on the issuer.

Card	Validity	How to renew
FJA press card	12, 24 or 36 months, printed on the card	Order a follow-up card in the customer area
UK Press Card (UKPCA)	Up to two years	Through the gatekeeper that issued it
NUJ UK Press Card	As issued under the UKPCA scheme	Log in to the NUJ website and apply
IFJ International Press Card	Two years	Through your IFJ-affiliated union

Sources: UKPCA, NUJ, IFJ, BPPA, October 2026.

Ordering your follow-up card step by step

No new application needed – your details and photo are taken over from your current card.

Check your expiry date on the card or in your customer area.

Sign in to “My press card” – no password needed – and choose “Order a new press card”, from 60 days before expiry.

Choose the validity – 24 or 36 months reduce the price per year to £65 or £52. The 10% loyalty discount is deducted automatically.

Your follow-up card goes straight into production without another check and is valid from the day after your current card expires.

Because there is no subscription, nothing happens if you decide not to renew – your card simply expires at the end of its validity and the verification page then shows it as no longer valid.

Changed name, photo or work?

A renewal is a good moment to update your card.

New details

You can upload a new photo when you order your follow-up card. If your name or other details have changed, place a new application instead, so that your new card shows your current details. The new card and its verification record will show the updated details. If your name has changed during the validity of your card, contact us to discuss the best option.

Still working journalistically?

The requirements apply again at every renewal: 18 or over and regular journalistic work. If you have moved into a different career, please do not renew. See press card requirements.

Renewing a UK Press Card

For holders of the UKPCA card.

UK Press Cards must be renewed through the gatekeeper that issued them, and the BPPA, for example, states that cards must be renewed at least every two years. NUJ members apply for or renew their press card through the member login on the NUJ website; the NUJ issues the card free of charge to eligible members. If you no longer meet the gatekeeper’s criteria – for example because journalism is no longer your main income – the FJA card can be an alternative. Compare both on press card comparison UK.

A simple renewal timeline

Plan ahead so that you are never without a valid card for an important job.

Six weeks before expiry

Check your diary for events, trips or accreditation deadlines in the coming months. If you need a valid card for them, order a new card now – checking, production and printing usually take 14–18 working days from receipt of payment, followed by delivery by post (3–7 working days within Europe, up to 14 working days outside Europe).

When you order

Check every detail again: name, date of birth, nationality and photo. If your appearance has changed noticeably, upload a new photo so that the card still matches you at a glance.

When the new card arrives

Start using the new card and stop using the old one once it has expired. Destroy expired cards, for example by cutting through the photo and the QR code.

Use renewal as a moment to review your work

A renewal is a good time to check whether your card still reflects what you do.

Has your work changed?

If you moved from writing to photography, or from freelancing to a staff job, show your current work in the application. Organisers and press offices look at what you do now, not what you did years ago.

Is your portfolio current?

Organisers look at recent work. Update your website or portfolio before you send new accreditation requests with your renewed card.

Do you still need the card?

If you have stopped working journalistically, do not renew – and stop using the old card. A press card is only for active journalistic work.

What the FJA card is – and what it is not

Before you apply, it helps to know exactly where this card fits next to the UK Press Card.

What it is

A photo press card in English for people who work journalistically but fall outside the UK Press Card scheme: freelancers without union membership, photographers, bloggers, creators and people starting out.
Checked by a person before it is printed. Anyone can confirm it is genuine through the QR code on the card (how verification works).
A quick way to show organisers, press offices and venues who you are – alongside your published work and, ideally, a commissioning letter.

What it is not

It is not the UK Press Card. That card is issued only through the 22 gatekeepers of the UK Press Card Authority and is the press ID recognised by the UK police chiefs’ associations. If you qualify for it, get it.
It has no standing in the UKPCA scheme. The UKPCA warns that “press cards” sold by other organisations have no standing or value within its system. That is true for ours too: the FJA card is a separate, openly issued card and we never present it as a UK Press Card.
No card guarantees access. Police, organisers and press offices decide case by case. College of Policing guidance also lets officers accept a letter from your editor instead of a UK Press Card.

Frequently asked questions

Does my FJA press card renew automatically?

No. There is no subscription. You decide whether to order a new card when the old one expires.

When should I renew my press card?

From 60 days before your card expires, you can order a follow-up card in your customer area. Ideally order it four to eight weeks before expiry: it goes straight into production and is valid from the day after your current card expires, so you do not lose any validity.

Can I renew early?

Yes – from 60 days before expiry you can order a follow-up card in your customer area. Its validity starts on the day after your current card expires, not on the order date, so ordering early costs you nothing. Earlier than 60 days before expiry, you can place a normal new order, which is valid from its issue date.

Is a follow-up card cheaper than a first card?

Yes, if you order a follow-up card through your customer area before your current card expires: you get a 10% loyalty discount, deducted automatically in the basket. The regular prices are £82 for 12 months, £130 for 24 months and £156 for 36 months.

How do I renew my NUJ press card?

NUJ members apply for and renew press cards through the member login on the NUJ website.

Can I keep using my card after it expires?

No. An expired card shows as no longer valid on the verification page and should not be used.

Is there a discount if my card has already expired?

If your card has already expired, a new card is valid from its issue date and the regular price applies. If we have sent you a personal offer by email after expiry, the discount stated in it applies (currently 20% for 30 days). Discounts cannot be combined with discount codes; the higher discount applies.

Do you check my application again when I renew?

Not for a follow-up card ordered through your customer area: your details are taken over from your current card and it goes straight into production. If you place a new application instead – for example because your details have changed – it is checked before printing as usual.

What if my card expires while I am abroad?

Order the new card before you travel, so that it arrives at your home address in time. If that is not possible, carry other proof of your work – a commission letter, accreditation confirmations and links to recent work – until the new card reaches you.

Can I change from a 12-month to a 36-month card when I renew?

Yes. At each order you choose the validity period that suits you: 12, 24 or 36 months. Longer periods are cheaper per year and mean fewer renewals.

What happens to my old verification record?

Your new card has its own QR code and verification record. Use only the new card once it has arrived, and do not hand on or reuse the old one.

Sources and last review

Written and reviewed by the FJA editorial team. Last reviewed: 23 October 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.