News

We are aware of a phone scam alerting customers about suspicious use of their passport. These calls may come from a landline or mobile number and feature a recorded message.

These calls are not from the department.

We don’t send out generic recorded phone messages to customers about passports. 

Our staff will always call you in person from a landline, introduce themselves by their first name, and tell you where they’re from.

If you’re not sure if it’s really the department making contact, you can call us back on 131 232 to check. 

If you’ve received a scam message or phone call, please report it to Scam Watch.  

You can find more advice on how to protect yourself against scams and identity theft on our website. 

Did you know that some countries won’t let you enter if your passport is due to expire in 6 months or less.

Check your passport expiry date before you travel. Make sure there’s more than 6 months between the expiry date and the date you leave your destination.

For more information on your destination’s entry and exit conditions, see Smartraveller.

If you need to renew your passport, make sure you allow enough time to get it before you travel.

To improve the security of you AusPassport account, we have introduced new password requirements. This means the next time you go to log in to your account, you will need to reset your password.

Here’s how you can do this:

• At the login screen, click the ‘reset password’ link
• Enter the email address that you use to log in to your AusPassport account
• We will send you an email with a reset password link
• You will be asked to answer one of your secret questions
• Choose a new password using a minimum of 14 characters.

More information on using your AusPassport account is available online. 

Your identity is one of your most valuable assets. Make sure you keep it safe and secure. Don’t share your passport details online, including in social media. You don’t know who might see it.

Identity thieves target credentials such as passports. For example, they can use your passport information to gain access to your bank accounts, or to apply for loans in your name. Once your identity is stolen, it can take a long time to fix. It may be hard for you to:

• get a credit card or loan
• rent a house
• apply for government services or benefits.

Protect yourself and think before you post social media messages. While you might be excited about your upcoming trip, it’s not a good idea to share a photo of your passport online. Just like you wouldn’t hand your house keys to a stranger, don’t hand over your personal information.

For more information, see protecting against scams and identity theft.

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.