Replacement passport

What’s a replacement passport?

If you need a new passport more than two years before your current passport is due to expire, and if your current passport hasn’t been lost, stolen or suffered major damage, you may be eligible for what we call a ‘replacement’ passport.

Replacement passports generally cost less than normal passports, and in some cases are free, but they aren’t valid for a fixed ten or five-year period.

Instead, a replacement passport is valid only until the expiry date of the passport it replaces.

Example: On 1 March 2016, we issued John a standard 10-year passport valid until 1 March 2026. In 2018, he changed his name to Fred. On 9 May 2018, we issued Fred a replacement passport. The replacement is valid until the expiry date of the passport it replaced, that is, until 1 March 2026.

Who can get a replacement passport?

You can get a replacement passport if your current passport expires more than two years from now, and:

  • you’ve changed your name, or
  • you’ve changed your gender, or
  • your appearance has changed significantly due to plastic surgery or cosmetic procedures, or
  • your passport has run out of blank visa pages, or
  • your passport has minor damage, or
  • your passport has been compromised in a data breach.

You can also get a replacement passport if you want to update the photo in a passport we issued to a child in its first year of life, provided the child has not yet turned five.

To get a replacement passport for any reason, you have to show us your current passport.

What does a replacement passport cost?

Replacement passports are free if you:

  • have changed your family name due to a change in marital status (including marriage, a divorce that's been finalised, entering or leaving a registered relationship, or the death of a spouse)
  • have changed your family name because of entering or leaving a de facto relationship
  • have changed your gender
  • have changed any part of your name on account of a change in your gender
  • are updating the photo in a passport we issued to a child prior to their first birthday, provided the child hasn’t turned five yet.

Unless you are updating the photo for a child who is under five and the passport being replaced was issued prior to their first birthday, you must provide evidence of the circumstances supporting your application for a free replacement passport (for example, if you changed your family name due to divorce, you need to provide a finalised divorce order or certificate of divorce).

There’s a fee for a replacement passport if:

  • you can’t show that you’ve changed your name for reasons, that qualify for a free replacement passport,
  • your passport has run out of visa pages,
  • your passport has minor damage, or
  • your passport has been compromised in a data breach.

If you get a replacement passport overseas, you don’t have to pay the overseas surcharge.

What’s the difference between passport ‘replacement’ and ‘renewal’? Which should I choose?

A ‘replacement’ passport is either free or incurs a reduced fee, but is only valid for as long as the passport it’s replacing.

If you ‘renew’ a passport, it costs the standard fee and is valid for a full ten or five years.

If you’re eligible for a replacement passport, you can choose to renew your passport instead.

In making your decision, you should take into account your individual circumstances, the validity remaining on your current passport that would transfer to a replacement passport, and the difference in fees.

How do I apply for a replacement passport?

The same way as for a first-time passport.

Going online is the best option. If that’s not for you, just ask for a blank application form at a participating Australia Post outlet or by contacting an Australian diplomatic or consular mission. You need the same form as for first-time passport applicants.

If the replacement passport is for a child, then you won’t need a new parental consent. Instead, you have to show us documents which prove you have the standing to lodge an application.

You have to show us the current passport.

Where to lodge in Australia

Where you lodge your application for a replacement passport depends on your circumstances.

For a child replacement passport:

  • if the child is eligible for a free passport, lodge the application at Australia Post in the usual way
  • if a fee applies, call us on 131 232 for an appointment to lodge the application at a capital city passport office.

For an adult replacement passport:

  • if you apply online or you’re eligible for a free passport, lodge your application at Australia Post in the usual way
  • if going online isn’t an option for you and you have to pay a fee, then you can’t lodge your application at Australia Post. Instead, call us on 131 232 for an appointment to lodge your application at a capital city passport office.

Where to lodge overseas

If you qualify for a free replacement passport, you can fill out an application online or contact an Australian diplomatic or consular mission for a blank form.

If you need to pay a fee for your replacement passport, contact your nearest Australian diplomatic or consular mission, before you fill out any forms, for advice on how to apply in your location.

See also: