We may refund passport or other travel document application fees if certain conditions are met. These conditions are set out in section 28 of the Australian Passport Determination 2015.
Faster processing fee refund
You can apply for a refund of the faster processing fee if your passport or travel document is not issued within the given timeframe:
- Priority service fee: within 2 business days of us receiving your application.
- Fast Track service fee: within 5 business days of us receiving your application.
Your completed application must include all required supporting documentation.
Postage and delivery times are not included in Priority or Fast Track service timeframes.
You may also be eligible for a refund if you need the passport urgently for compassionate travel, for example, due to the death or serious illness of an immediate family member. You will need to provide us with evidence that you’re travelling for compassionate reasons.
If you're the primary carer of a person who needs to travel with you, that person may also be eligible for a refund.
Application fee refund
We only refund an application fee if there are exceptional circumstances when lodging and processing your application, such as situations that were unanticipated or beyond your control.
A decision not to issue a passport or travel document is generally not considered an exceptional circumstance.
We also don't refund portions of application fees. This means if a passport holder dies, and there's an unused portion of their passport's validity, we don't refund the unused portion.
Withdrawing an application
To withdraw your passport application, you must tell us in writing. Please note:
- Only you can withdraw your application.
- Withdrawing your application doesn’t mean you’ll get a refund.
- We look at each refund request and only give them in exceptional circumstances.
Applications with missing information
If your application is missing required information, it may be delayed or refused.
Make sure you include all the documents we need when you lodge your application.
If information is missing, we'll contact you and ask you to provide it by a certain date. If you don't provide the information by that date, your application may be refused.
Applying for a refund
To apply for a refund, you must ask us in writing and include the following:
- your full name
- your Australian travel document, passport or application number
- the date and location where you lodged your application
- details in support of your claim.
If you’re applying on compassionate grounds, your letter should include supporting documentation such as a:
- death certificate
- funeral notice
- letter from the treating doctor of the immediate family member you travelled to see.
If your refund application is successful, we’ll contact you for bank details and deposit the refund into your nominated bank account.
You can submit your refund request by post, or by phoning us on 131 232.
If you contact by phone, staff will advise you of the appropriate next steps and provide instructions relevant to your circumstances.
Post
Use the address below that applies to your location and make sure you include any supporting documents.
Victoria
Australian Passport Office
GPO Box 9908
Melbourne VIC 3001
All other states and territories
Australian Passport Office
GPO Box 9807
(in your capital city)
Phone
Call us on 131 232