Passport security

Your passport is an important document. You will certainly need it to identify yourself on entering or leaving most countries. You may also need it for other purposes when overseas, such as checking into hotels and camping sites, buying airline tickets and cashing traveller's cheques.

It is a good idea to keep your passport separate from other forms of identification. This minimises the risk of losing all your identification at once.

Before leaving on your trip, make two photocopies of your itinerary, contact telephone numbers, credit cards and traveller's cheque numbers. Leave one copy with someone in Australia and take the other with you overseas. Remember to keep it separate from your passport, credit cards and traveller's cheques, as you may need to refer to the copy if the originals are lost or stolen.

On the last page of your passport you will find a section into which you can write various personal details. You should complete the details on this page in pencil so that you can change the information if necessary.

Do not tamper with, or alter your passport in any way. It is an offence under the Australian Passports Act 2005.

Your passport remains the property of the Australian Government.

Your passport must not be sold or given away. Nor should it be used as security for a private debt.  You must retain your passport in a safe place.

You may be required to present your most recent passport at your next passport interview.