News

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:  

• 96 per cent of routine passports were issued within 10 business days  

• 99 per cent of routine passports were issued within six weeks  

• 99 per cent of priority passport applications were processed within two business days  

• 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.   

Smartraveller, the government’s official travel and cultural advice service for Australian travellers, today released its latest advertising campaign.

With more than 1 million monthly departures from Australia, the Smartraveller campaign aims to help all Australians travelling overseas to be as prepared as possible by visiting the website and subscribing to updates.

From passports, visas and travel insurance, through to detailed travel and cultural advice on over 175 destinations, Smartraveller has the information Australians need to plan their overseas trip and make informed choices throughout their journey. Even if you’ve travelled before or travel overseas regularly, it’s important to stay up to date with the latest information.

Travel and cultural advice is also available in seven languages, including Indonesian, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Thai and Vietnamese.

The message is simple – if you’re planning to travel, make Smartraveller your first destination.

Go to Smartraveller.gov.au, read and act on the travel advice, subscribe for updates, and follow Smartraveller on social media.

Safe travels!

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is aware of a cyber incident impacting Latitude Financial Services.  

Copies of approximately 103,000 identity documents have been stolen from Latitude Financial. This includes a small number of passports.   

Latitude Financial Services is contacting impacted customers directly and continues to investigate the matter to determine the full extent of the cyber-attack.  

Foreign passports were also compromised through this cyberattack. If Latitude Financial Services have advised you that your foreign passport information was compromised, you should contact the government that issued the passport for advice on what to do.

Impacted passports are still safe to use for international travel. Your passport number cannot be used to obtain a new passport. Robust controls are used to protect passports from identity takeover, including sophisticated facial recognition technology. Further information on how your passport may be impacted can be found on the APO website.  

Advice on safeguarding your personal information can be found on the APO’s webpage on protecting against scams and identity theft.   

Customers can also seek help from IDCare, a not-for-profit organisation that specialises in providing advice and support to the Australian community in responding to identity theft.  

Advice on how to protect yourself and your family from cyber security incidents is available on the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s (ACSC) webpage at: www.cyber.gov.au 

If you’re travelling overseas, you need a current passport with at least six months’ validity. 

If you need to apply for or renew your passport, it can take a minimum of six weeks for your application to be processed. 

But if you’re missing documents or there are any issues with your application, it can take longer.  

Below are some tips to making sure you get your application right the first time: 

• make sure your application form has been completed in full 
• be aware of all the supporting documentation required and ensure you provide copies of these together with your application 
• if you need to prove your identity as part of a new application, remember to provide original copies of your identification documents when lodging your application 
• provide an up-to-date photo that meets our passport photo requirements.  

The best way to start your application is to go to our online passport application portal.  

Can’t find your passport?  

Let us know by phoning 131 232 or contacting your nearest Australian diplomatic or consular mission.

It’s important to do this as soon as possible. You can face penalties if you don’t report the loss or theft of your passport as soon as you’re aware it’s missing.

As soon as you let us know, we’ll cancel your passport. You won’t be able to use it again, even if you find or recover it.

To replace your passport, just apply for a new one. If you're overseas and need a new passport urgently, contact your nearest Australian diplomatic or consular mission to discuss options.

For more information, please go to our lost and stolen passports page.