News

Since 1 July 2022, over 2.7 million Australians have gotten passports.

That’s already an all-time record, with still just under two months yet to go this financial year!

This figure outstrips our previous financial year record of 2.1 million passports, set in 2018-19.

It reflects the strong passport demand we have seen in recent months, which is expected to continue for the remainder of 2023.

The good news is passport processing times are back to what they were before COVID-19, despite the high ongoing demand.  

But processing times are expected to fluctuate during the year, particularly in the lead up to peak travel times.   

That’s why you should plan well ahead and allow at least six weeks to apply for or renew your passport if you’re looking to travel this year.

For more advice, or to start your application online, go to: www.passports.gov.au.

You may have heard some people are getting their new passports quickly. Some within just a few days of lodging their application.

So, if wait times have dropped, why should you still allow at least six weeks?

There are a few good reasons.

First, demand for passports is at an all-time high. Last year, 2.6 million Australians got a passport. That’s nearly half a million more than our previous record.

There's also still over two million Australians who’ve put off getting a new passport since COVID. These people are likely to apply in future, on top of normal demand.

This means passport application numbers and wait times may fluctuate a lot this year, particularly ahead of peak travel times.

Second, while most passport applications are currently processed well within six weeks, some do take longer. This includes first-time adult and child passports.

So, our advice is to give yourself at least six weeks to get a passport.

Smartraveller, the government’s official travel and cultural advice service for Australian travellers, today released its latest advertising campaign.

With more than 1 million monthly departures from Australia, the Smartraveller campaign aims to help all Australians travelling overseas to be as prepared as possible by visiting the website and subscribing to updates.

From passports, visas and travel insurance, through to detailed travel and cultural advice on over 175 destinations, Smartraveller has the information Australians need to plan their overseas trip and make informed choices throughout their journey. Even if you’ve travelled before or travel overseas regularly, it’s important to stay up to date with the latest information.

Travel and cultural advice is also available in seven languages, including Indonesian, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Thai and Vietnamese.

The message is simple – if you’re planning to travel, make Smartraveller your first destination.

Go to Smartraveller.gov.au, read and act on the travel advice, subscribe for updates, and follow Smartraveller on social media.

Safe travels!

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is aware of a cyber incident impacting Latitude Financial Services.  

Copies of approximately 103,000 identity documents have been stolen from Latitude Financial. This includes a small number of passports.   

Latitude Financial Services is contacting impacted customers directly and continues to investigate the matter to determine the full extent of the cyber-attack.  

Foreign passports were also compromised through this cyberattack. If Latitude Financial Services have advised you that your foreign passport information was compromised, you should contact the government that issued the passport for advice on what to do.

Impacted passports are still safe to use for international travel. Your passport number cannot be used to obtain a new passport. Robust controls are used to protect passports from identity takeover, including sophisticated facial recognition technology. Further information on how your passport may be impacted can be found on the APO website.  

Advice on safeguarding your personal information can be found on the APO’s webpage on protecting against scams and identity theft.   

Customers can also seek help from IDCare, a not-for-profit organisation that specialises in providing advice and support to the Australian community in responding to identity theft.  

Advice on how to protect yourself and your family from cyber security incidents is available on the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s (ACSC) webpage at: www.cyber.gov.au 

If you’re travelling overseas, you need a current passport with at least six months’ validity. 

If you need to apply for or renew your passport, it can take a minimum of six weeks for your application to be processed. 

But if you’re missing documents or there are any issues with your application, it can take longer.  

Below are some tips to making sure you get your application right the first time: 

• make sure your application form has been completed in full 
• be aware of all the supporting documentation required and ensure you provide copies of these together with your application 
• if you need to prove your identity as part of a new application, remember to provide original copies of your identification documents when lodging your application 
• provide an up-to-date photo that meets our passport photo requirements.  

The best way to start your application is to go to our online passport application portal.