Your ticket is booked, your bag is packed, you’re ready to go! Or are you?
It’s important to check your passport when planning a trip.
Here’s the top five passport mistakes that could turn your vacation into a stay-cation:
Not checking the expiry date
Some countries won’t let you enter if your passport is going to expire in six months or less. Make sure you check your passport expiry date before you travel.
Leaving it too late to apply or renew
While we process most passport applications in well under six weeks, some do take longer. This includes first-time adult and child passports.
Not checking for damage
Even minor passport damage may stop you from entering your destination country. You should check your passport for signs of damage like rips, marks, stains or missing pages.
Having too many stamps
Frequent travellers may have a lot of visa stamps. Some countries won’t let you enter unless you have at least two to four blank pages in your passport.
Unauthorised stamps such as souvenir or tourist ones can make your passport invalid for travel.
Falling for a scam
If you need to renew your passport or apply for one, make sure you use our official website - passports.gov.au. If your identity is stolen or misused, you may need to cancel your passport.