In good news for those who love to travel, Australians will soon be able to renew their passport online.
The federal government is in the process of drawing up legislation to enable digital statutory declarations and deeds in all states. This means all Aussies will soon be able to renew their passport online.
The process of renewing your passport at the moment can be a real hassle. Applications, visits to the post office with stacks of paperwork, and the usual in-person identity confirmations all make for a time-consuming and tedious process. Hopefully, that will all become a thing of the past and the passport process will be simplified. The electoral roll registration process will also be streamlined with the new system.
Instead of having to visit a post office or a Justice of the Peace, Aussies will be able to confirm their identity through the Australian Taxation Office’s myGovID app.
The system will also incorporate digital e-signatures to countersign all electronic documents via the myGov website and app, allowing individuals to easily enter their own personal and relevant identity details.
This is great news, as it will save you time and money. More than 4.5 million deeds and around 3.8 million statutory declarations are completed each year by small and medium enterprises and consumers. Modelling conducted by Accenture shows that it takes about six million and nine million hours respectively to print, fill out, sign and physically witness their execution.
The modelling also found that $400 million in direct costs and wasted time could be saved each year through the creation and implementation of a streamlined digital system.
The new system should also make passport renewals uniform across the entire country, removing the slight discrepancies in regulations between each state.
Currently, in NSW, Victoria and Queensland deeds and agreements may be executed electronically but in the ACT, South Australia and the Northern Territory individuals may not execute deeds electronically but they may execute agreements electronically.
A deregulation task force set up by the federal government says the move will dramatically expand the myGov portal, which currently only offers 15 services.
The flashy new Australian passport announced in February this year has come under scrutiny for its cost though.
It may feature all sorts of high-security features, special tributes to the late Queen and some stunning images of our beloved Aussie animals, but it costs a whopping $325. The cost is up from $308 last year and $301 in 2021 and is now among the world’s most expensive.
A Canadian passport, for example, comes out much cheaper at $177, while New Zealanders pay around $180, the British pay only $140 and the Portuguese can renew a passport for a mere $100.
Are you excited to be able to renew your passport online? When is your passport due to expire? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also read: What type of damage will void your passport?