In Australia, we'll mail you your new passport or travel document unless you’ve asked to pick it up.
If you're picking up your passport, you'll collect it from your nearest passport office.
Allow at least 6 weeks from lodging your application to get your passport. A child passport can take longer, particularly in cases without full parental consent or a relevant Australian court order.
Receiving your passport by post
When your passport is ready, we’ll send it by Registered Post (not Express Post).
We'll email you when your passport is on its way. We'll also send you an SMS message with a Registered Post tracking number. Once sent, it should arrive in about a week.
You can track your posted passport on the Australia Post(Opens in a new tab/window) website. Keep in mind it can take 24–48 hours before Australia Post displays the status of your passport on its site.
You can also check our application status tracker(Opens in a new tab/window) to see if your passport has been processed and is waiting for collection.
Collecting your passport from a passport office
When you lodge your application, you can choose to collect your passport from a passport office if you’re aged 16 and over. We’ll email you when your passport is ready.
You can only collect your passport from a passport office, not from a post office.
If you can't pick up the passport yourself, you have 2 options.
1. Ask someone who lives with you
You can ask someone who lives with you to pick up your passport. They can also pick up a passport for a child you have parental responsibility for.
This person must be:
- over the age of 16
- live at the same address as you.
They’ll need to present photo identification showing their name, photo and address.
2. Authorise any other person
You can also authorise any other person to pick up your passport for you. They don't need to live with you. They can also pick up a passport for a child you have parental responsibility for.
They’ll need to show photo identification showing their name, photo and address, and written authorisation.
Written authorisation must include:
- your name and signature as the customer or lodging parent
- the passport holder’s name (adult or child)
- the name of the person authorised to collect the passport.
Collecting your passport overseas
If you're overseas, mailing arrangements will depend on your location. How you collect your passport will also depend on where you’re located.
Check with the Australian embassy or consulate(Opens in a new tab/window) responsible for your application.
If your passport goes missing in the mail
Passports rarely go missing in the mail.
But if your passport does not arrive, you must let us know within 60 days of the date we sent your passport. You can find this date in the email we sent you telling you your passport was on its way. You can also find this date in our application status tracker(Opens in a new tab/window).
- Contact us if you’re in Australia.
- Contact an Australian embassy or consulate(Opens in a new tab/window) if you’re overseas.