Damon Mcknight
Applying for an Australian passport can be done online or in person at a participating Australia Post retail outlet or an Australian diplomatic or consular mission. Applicants can also apply by mail. The application process involves filling out an online form, providing necessary documents, and paying a non-refundable passport application fee. Applicants must lodge their applications in person unless they are unable to do so due to physical incapacitation. In such cases, they can contact the Australian diplomatic or consular mission to discuss alternative options.
Applying for an Australian Passport at the Post Office
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Australia Post retail outlets | Over 1,700 |
| Passport photos | Available at participating Post Offices |
| Payment methods | Cash, MasterCard, Visa, AMEX, or EFTPOS |
| Application form | Online form; not available at Australia Post |
| Lodging the application | In-person; online application must still be lodged in person |
| Application fee | Paid after application has been lodged |
| Appointment | Required in some locations |
| Documents | Original documents must be brought in for copying |
| Passport processing time | Current processing times available on Australian Passport Office website |
| Passport delivery time | Allow 5-6 business days |
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What You'll Learn
Where to apply for an Australian passport
You can apply for your Australian passport at over 1,700 Australia Post retail outlets. You can lodge your application and pay the passport fee at a participating Australia Post outlet or an Australian diplomatic or consular mission. In some locations, you may need to book an appointment.
Generally, you can only lodge your application at a passport office if you need to travel urgently for unforeseen compassionate or compelling reasons. You have to make an appointment by calling 131 232. You can pay by EFTPOS, MasterCard, or Visa at the passport office.
If you can't lodge your application in person because you're physically unable to do so, call 131 232 or contact your nearest Australian diplomatic or consular mission to discuss your options. If you can't sign the application form, you'll need to show a letter from a medical practitioner explaining why you can't sign or a B11 - General declaration by a passport applicant, signed by a person assisting you.
If you live overseas, contact your nearest Australian diplomatic or consular mission to discuss lodgement options. The Australian Passport Office website has detailed information about Australian passports and application requirements.
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Payment methods for passport application
To apply for an Australian passport, you can lodge your application and pay the passport fee at a participating Australia Post outlet or an Australian diplomatic or consular mission. In some locations, you may need to book an appointment. You will need to bring your application checklist or form, your photos, and any other original documents required.
If you are unable to lodge your application in person, you can call 131 232 or contact your nearest Australian diplomatic or consular mission to discuss alternative options. If you are unable to sign the application form, you will need to provide either a letter from a medical practitioner or a B11 - General declaration by passport applicant, signed by someone assisting you with your application.
When applying for a passport, you will need to pay the relevant passport fee. Cash is not accepted at Australian passport offices, and you can only pay by EFTPOS, MasterCard, or Visa. If you are applying at an Australia Post outlet, you may be able to pay via other methods, depending on the specific location.
If you require your passport urgently, you can pay an additional fee for a faster processing service. This option is only available when you apply and costs $104 or $300, depending on whether you choose the Fast Track or Priority service. The Fast Track service guarantees that your application will be processed within 5 business days, while the Priority service ensures a 2-day processing time.
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Passport photo requirements
To apply for an Australian passport, you must lodge your application and pay the passport fee at a participating Australia Post outlet or an Australian diplomatic or consular mission. You can get passport-quality photographs on the spot at participating Post Offices.
- Two identical, good-quality colour prints, less than six months old, produced using dye sublimation, not from an inkjet printer.
- No retouching of any kind (including the removal of backgrounds, moles, wrinkles, or scars).
- Uniform lighting (no shadows or reflections), with appropriate brightness and contrast to show natural skin tone.
- The face must be centred and looking straight at the camera; not tilted in any direction.
- Photos must be 35mm to 40mm wide and 45mm to 50mm high. The size of the face from the chin to the crown can be a maximum of 36mm, with a minimum of 32mm.
- If you usually cover your head for religious reasons, you can wear the covering in your passport photo. Religious head coverings must be plain, without patterns, and worn in a way that shows your face from the bottom of your chin to the top of your forehead. The edges of your face on both sides must also be visible.
- Jewellery cannot obscure any part of your face, especially the eyes, mouth, and nose. There mustn't be any reflection from rings or studs.
- Glasses are not allowed in passport photos. If you cannot remove your glasses for medical reasons, the frames cannot obscure your eyes, and there must be no reflection from the lenses.
- Leave photos untrimmed.
- The Australian Passport Office recommends getting your passport photo taken by a professional passport photo provider.
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Eligibility criteria for adult and child passports
Eligibility Criteria for Adult Passports
To be eligible for an adult passport, you must meet one of the following criteria:
- You are applying for your first Australian passport.
- You are applying for your first adult passport when your child passport was issued to you at 15 years or younger.
- You are replacing a passport reported lost or stolen.
- You are applying for your first passport after resumption of citizenship.
- You are applying to replace a limited validity, emergency, or other temporary travel document.
- Your passport has been expired for more than three years.
- You cannot answer the security questions for the renewal form.
In addition, you must provide two passport-sized photos that comply with the photo guidelines. Your guarantor must endorse one photo by signing the following statement: "This is a true photo of [the applicant's full name]." The guarantor must also complete Section 11 of the application form and meet the following criteria:
- Not related to the applicant by birth, marriage, de facto, or same-sex relationship, or living at the same address as the applicant.
- Holds a current (unexpired) Australian passport that was issued with at least two years of validity.
- If the guarantor is not an Australian passport holder, they must be currently employed in an approved professional or occupational group and be contactable.
If you are unable to sign the application form due to physical or mental incapacitation, you must provide either a letter from a medical practitioner explaining why you cannot sign or a completed "B11 - General declaration by passport applicant" form signed by a person assisting you with the application.
Eligibility Criteria for Child Passports
To be eligible for a child passport, the following criteria must be met:
- Consent is required from everyone who has parental responsibility.
- Children aged 10 and over must sign Section 16 of the form if applying in Australia.
- If the child is 16 or 17 years old, they must be present when lodging the application.
- A guarantor must sign Section 11 of the application form and endorse the back of a passport photo by writing, "This is a true photo of [the child's full name]" and signing below. The guarantor must be an adult Australian citizen who has known the child for at least one year or since birth if the child is under one year old. They cannot be related to the child or live at the same address.
- The child's name in Section 12 must exactly match the name in Section 2, including middle names.
- Sections 13A and 14A must show the parents' names as they appear on the child's birth certificate, and Sections 13B and 14B must show the parents' current names. If different, provide evidence of name change.
- Both parents must sign Section 15 before the interview, as passport staff cannot witness signatures.
- Section 15 must be signed in front of a witness who does not live with either parent and is not related to the family.
- If the child was born in Australia, you must provide their previous Australian passport (if not reported lost or stolen) or their Australian birth certificate.
- Provide one parent's Australian citizenship certificate, showing citizenship was acquired before the child's birth, or one parent's Australian passport that was valid when the child was born.
- If the child's name is changing, provide an approved name change document.
- Provide all court orders issued in relation to the child.
- If the child was adopted, born via surrogacy, has one parent on the birth certificate, or you cannot obtain consent from all parties with parental responsibility, you may need to provide additional information.
- Provide one piece of valid government-issued photo ID and proof of address for the lodging parent.
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Processing times for passport applications
The processing time for passport applications begins when your complete application is received by the Australian Passport Office. It usually takes up to 5 business days for your application to be received. Once dispatched, your passport should arrive within a week. You will receive an email and an SMS with a registered post-tracking number.
If you need your passport urgently, you can pay an additional faster processing fee when lodging your application at Australia Post. Applications lodged at a selected Australia Post Passport RAPID location before 12:00 pm on any business day will be received for processing on the same day. If you lodge your application after 12:00 pm or on a weekend, it will be received the next business day.
You can also choose to collect your passport from your nearest passport office to get it sooner. Generally, you can only lodge your application at a passport office if you need to travel urgently for unforeseen compassionate or compelling reasons. You will have to make an appointment by calling 131 232. Note that passport offices do not accept cash payments. You can pay by EFTPOS, MasterCard, or Visa only.
If you live overseas, contact your nearest Australian diplomatic or consular mission to discuss lodgement options.
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Frequently asked questions
You can apply for an Australian passport at over 1,700 Australia Post retail outlets. You can complete the online form and lodge your application at a participating post office. You will need to bring your application checklist or form, photos, and original documents, which will be copied and returned to you.
The passport application fee can be paid by cash, MasterCard, Visa, AMEX, or EFTPOS.
Yes, you can apply by mail or in person. However, the fastest way to apply is online.
Generally, you can only lodge your application at a passport office if you need to travel urgently for unforeseen compassionate or compelling reasons.
