News

There’s a reason why no one uses their passport photo for their social media profile pic.

No smiling, no flattering angles, no soft lighting and no filters make it hard for anyone to look good.

But don’t be tempted to touch it up with a bit of photoshopping magic. We don’t accept photos that have been digitally altered.

You should make sure your passport photo has:

• no retouching of any kind (this includes removal of background, moles, wrinkles or scars)
• no marks or ‘red eye’ and is clear and focused
• a plain white or light grey background that contrasts with your face
• uniform lighting (no shadows or reflections)
• your face centred and looking at the camera straight on
• your hair off your face (the edges of your face are visible)
• your eyes open, mouth closed and glasses off
• a neutral expression (no smiling, laughing or frowning).

If your photo doesn’t meet our requirements, we’ll ask you for another photo and your application will take longer.

The easiest way to get your passport photo taken is to use a professional passport photo provider.

For more information, see our photo requirements page.

It's that time of year again! Spring has sprung and the summer holiday season isn’t far away.

Before you book that long-awaited holiday, there are a few things you should do first.

If you don’t have a passport, please apply now before you book your travel.

You should allow at least 6 weeks to get your new passport.

If you already have a passport, you should make sure:

• it’s current and the expiry date is more than 6 months after your planned trip ends
• it’s free of damage like rips, marks, stains or missing pages
• it has at least 2 blank visa pages.
   

If you need to renew your passport or apply for one, make sure you don’t leave it too late.

While we process most passport applications in well under 6 weeks, some do take longer.

You can find more information about applying for a passport online. 

We are aware of a phone scam alerting customers about suspicious use of their passport. These calls may come from a landline or mobile number and feature a recorded message.

These calls are not from the department.

We don’t send out generic recorded phone messages to customers about passports. 

Our staff will always call you in person from a landline, introduce themselves by their first name, and tell you where they’re from.

If you’re not sure if it’s really the department making contact, you can call us back on 131 232 to check. 

If you’ve received a scam message or phone call, please report it to Scam Watch.  

You can find more advice on how to protect yourself against scams and identity theft on our website. 

Did you know that some countries won’t let you enter if your passport is due to expire in 6 months or less.

Check your passport expiry date before you travel. Make sure there’s more than 6 months between the expiry date and the date you leave your destination.

For more information on your destination’s entry and exit conditions, see Smartraveller.

If you need to renew your passport, make sure you allow enough time to get it before you travel.

To improve the security of you AusPassport account, we have introduced new password requirements. This means the next time you go to log in to your account, you will need to reset your password.

Here’s how you can do this:

• At the login screen, click the ‘reset password’ link
• Enter the email address that you use to log in to your AusPassport account
• We will send you an email with a reset password link
• You will be asked to answer one of your secret questions
• Choose a new password using a minimum of 14 characters.

More information on using your AusPassport account is available online.