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Are you a dual national and wondering whether you can leave or return to Australia on your foreign passport instead of your Australian one?

In short, the Department of Home Affairs’ advice is that Australian citizens, including dual nationals, should leave and enter Australia on their Australian passport.

This is because you may experience issues returning to Australia on a foreign passport.  For example, airlines may not allow you to board a plane to Australia without evidence of Australian citizenship or an Australian passport. 

If you have a passport from another country, you can use that after you leave Australia.  But you should also be aware that, by entering the country of your other nationality on that country’s passport, local authorities may also not recognise you as an Australian citizen, which may limit the Australian Government’s ability to provide you with consular assistance.

For more information on travelling as a dual national, see Smartraveller.

Or, to get more advice on Australia’s exit/entry requirements, go to the Australian Border Force website.

If you’ve lodged multiple applications for you and other family members together, they might arrive at different times.

This is because all applications are assessed individually, and passports will be posted or ready for collection as soon as they are completed.

Child passport applications also have extra security checks and can often take longer to process.

You’ll receive an email when your passport is completed and ready to collect or receive tracking details from Australia Post if you’ve opted to have it posted.

Normally, you should allow a minimum of six weeks to get your passport.

However, if you need your passport sooner, priority processing might be the answer.

Our Priority Service is available for $225, with your passport ready to be mailed or collected in just two business days once we’ve received all your documents from Australia Post.

In exceptional cases, we can also issue passports in less than two business days, for example if there is a compassionate or compelling reason, such as the death or serious illness of an immediate family member or an unexpected need for urgent business travel.

If this applies to you please call us on 131 232 to arrange a lodgement appointment at a passport office. You’ll need supporting documentation, such as a letter from your doctor or your employer.

Priority processing is only available in Australia.

If you’re overseas and can’t wait up to six weeks for a passport, you can apply for an emergency passport at an Australian diplomatic or consular mission.

For further information, please go to the urgent applications page.