Are you thinking of going overseas? Then you should probably pay for your passport now because the price for an Australian 10-year adult passport will increase again on 1 July – by almost $50.
This will bring the cost of a new Australian passport to $373.75, which makes it one of the most expensive in the world.
For comparison, a New Zealand passport costs just over AU$188, and a Singaporean passport just over AU$77.
“If you’re planning to go on an international trip within the next 12 months and your passport is up for renewal, it’s best to get a new one before 1 July so you can avoid the extra fee,” Finder’s travel expert, Gary Ross Hunter, told Yahoo Finance.
The fee has already gone up in the past six months. Passport fees went up 1 January 2024 to $346 for an adult passport. Previously it was $325.
New option
Travellers who need a fast passport turnaround have also been given a new option.
From 1 July the government will offer a ‘fast track’ route to allow passports to be processed in five business days. However, it will cost an extra $100 on top of the standard application price.
The government is expected to reap an additional $27.4 million from this new measure over five years.
Just in case this rings a bell, yes there already is a priority processing system for urgent passports which costs $252, but that is for two business days from when the application was received.
A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said the new service was aimed at giving customers more choice in deciding the right passport processing option for them.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has previously said the passport price increases were used to fund improving security features.
“This one-off increase is all about making sure that we can resource our passport systems and make them modern and fit for purpose… especially at a time where there are ongoing threats to people’s security and their identity,” Dr Chalmers said in December last year.
That’s now two ‘one-off’ increases in six months.
A DFAT spokesperson told The Sydney Morning Herald the security improvements meant Australia could “stay ahead of the game” when facing increasingly sophisticated data breaches and identity theft tactics.
Security measures
“It [the Australian passport] has a high level of technological sophistication, backed by rigorous anti-fraud measures, which ensures its integrity. This is a key reason why Australian passport holders currently receive visa-free access to over 100 countries,” they said.
The 1 July passport fee increase is set to raise $349 million over three years.
DFAT advises you should continue to allow at least six weeks to get a passport after your application.
Seniors aged 75 or older can apply for a five-year passport for half the cost of a 10-year passport.
Do you think these fee increases are excessive? Why not share your thoughts in the comments section below?
Also read: How to have a budget break in Sydney
