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Do you want to enquire about your passport application?

The best way do this is to contact us directly, by either phoning our call centre on 131 232, or emailing our Client Service mailbox (passports.clientservices@dfat.gov.au). 

Some people have been following up on the status of their applications separately through their local Member of Parliament.  But these enquiries are prioritised according to the same process we apply to our call centre and Client Services mailbox.  Going through this separate channel won’t guarantee you’ll receive your passport any sooner.

Also, making enquiries through multiple channels won’t speed up the processing of an application.  In fact, these multiple enquiries put additional pressure on our processing system, as extra resources need to be diverted to manage them.

In addition, we don’t recommend customers visit their nearest passport office until they’ve received a notification from us that their passport is ready to collect.  Visiting one of our offices won’t guarantee your passport will be issued on that day.

The way we manage our workload is to process applications submitted under our priority service first.  We do this because we’re obligated under Australian passports legislation to deliver passports within two business days under this service.  We also make every effort to assist passport applicants who have an urgent need to travel for genuine compassionate and/or compelling reasons.

If you’ve booked your travel before you’ve received your passport, we’ll endeavour to process your application as quickly as possible, noting our current advice is to allow at least six weeks to receive your passport.  In addition to this minimum recommended timeframe, you should also factor in further time to allow for other necessary travel arrangements, such as the issuance of foreign visas.

Still waiting on your child’s passport?

If you’re travelling in the next 24-48 hours and are waiting to receive your child’s passport, please call us on 131 232.

We normally recommend customers allow a minimum of six weeks to apply for or renew their passport.

While most people are getting their passport within this timeframe, there will always be cases where applications take longer.

Child applications can often fall into this category.

We have to verify all the supporting documents we need as part of a child applications. This means they sometimes take longer to process.

Establishing parental consent is another factor that can add to processing times for child passports.

Each person with parental responsibility for a child must give their consent to the child being issued with a passport. This includes separated parents.

If we can’t get full parental consent, the only other way to guarantee we can issue a passport is for us to be shown an Australian court order which permits the child to:

• have an Australian passport
• travel internationally
• live or spend time with a person outside Australia.

If there isn’t full consent or an Australian court order permitting the child to travel, we may only issue a child passport if we consider special circumstances apply.

These consent requirements are in place for a very good reason. They’re legislated specifically to provide all parents the right to make decisions about their children. Importantly they protect children, including safeguarding them against criminal activities such as child abduction.

For more information, please see how to get a child passport.

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.

And, if you’re planning travel in the next six months, it’s best to apply for a passport now.

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

Our Priority Service is available for $237, 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.