Are you planning to travel this year and need to apply for or renew your passport?
Demand for Australian passports hit record highs in 2022. We expect this strong demand to continue throughout 2023.
We’re currently receiving 25 per cent more passport applications compared to pre-pandemic levels for this time of year.
Passport application processing times are down. However, processing times will vary during the year, and we expect they will rise in the lead up to peak travel times.
That’s why you should continue to plan ahead and allow at least six weeks for your passport application to be processed.
Despite this high demand, we’re working hard to process applications as quickly as possible.
In February 2023:
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96 per cent of routine passports were issued within 10 business days
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99 per cent of routine passports were issued within six weeks
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99 per cent of priority passport applications were processed within two business days
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10 per cent of passport applications were lodged under our priority processing service. This is down from 20 per cent in February 2022.
And don’t forget, if you’re planning to travel overseas, check the Smartraveller website for important information about your destination.
