You may have heard some people are getting their new passports quickly. Some within just a few days of lodging their application.
So, if wait times have dropped, why should you still allow at least six weeks?
There are a few good reasons.
First, demand for passports is at an all-time high. Last year, 2.6 million Australians got a passport. That’s nearly half a million more than our previous record.
There's also still over two million Australians who’ve put off getting a new passport since COVID. These people are likely to apply in future, on top of normal demand.
This means passport application numbers and wait times may fluctuate a lot this year, particularly ahead of peak travel times.
Second, while most passport applications are currently processed well within six weeks, some do take longer. This includes first-time adult and child passports.
So, our advice is to give yourself at least six weeks to get a passport.
