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If you’re applying for a new passport in 2023, you’re likely to get Australia’s innovative new passport, known as the ‘R Series’.

As Australia’s next-generation passport, the R Series is packed with advanced security features designed to keep Australians’ identities safe.

The photo page is made of tough, high-security, layered plastic, known as polycarbonate.

Polycarbonate is laser-engraved, not printed with ink.  Photos on the photo page appear in black and white rather than in colour.

But the R Series is not only jam-packed with high-tech innovations.  It’s also visually stunning.

The visa pages proudly showcase 17 iconic landscapes from around our beautiful country. Under ultraviolet light, the sky in each image becomes a unique nightscape, and a local species of native fauna appears.

You can read more about the R Series here.

Check out our informational video too.

Remember, please allow at least six weeks to get your new passport.

Are you planning to travel overseas this year?

Renew or apply for your passport early.

• Passport demand remains high.  You’ll need to allow at least six weeks to get your passport.
• Child applications can take longer to process because we need to conduct extra checks. 
• You’ll need a foreign visa to enter some countries and you can’t get a visa without a valid passport.
• Some countries won’t let you enter on a passport that expires in less than six months. If your current passport has less than six months' validity (from the last day of your travel), you should renew your passport before leaving Australia.

To begin your passport application, you can start online by going here.

If your passport expires in six months or less, you may need a new one. 

Some foreign governments need visitors to carry passports with at least six months validity (beyond their planned stay) or they may be refused entry.  

This includes popular destinations for Australian travellers, such as Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu.  

To check the entry requirements of the countries you’re visiting, contact the foreign diplomatic and consular representatives of the country you’re visiting, or ask your travel agent. 

We recommend you allow a minimum of six weeks to get your new passport and don't book your trip until you have it. 

If you can’t wait at least six weeks for your passport, you can use our priority passport processing service. For more information, visit our urgent applications page. 

For more tips on planning your travel, visit smartraveller.gov.au