IF YOU NEED YOUR NEW PASSPORT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, WE RECOMMEND
THAT YOU LODGE YOUR APPLICATION BY 26 NOVEMBER 2014
Australian Passport Offices, Australia Post, APIS and major passport issuing diplomatic missions overseas will close for several days over the Christmas and New Year period. The holiday schedule can be viewed at www.passports.gov.au.
| You should normally allow up to three weeks to receive a new passport. Passport office and agency closures over the Christmas and New Year period mean that passport applications lodged after 26 November 2014 will take longer than usual to be processed. If you cannot wait for three weeks to receive a new passport, you should consider using the Priority Processing Service. This guarantees that an eligible applicant’s new passport will be ready for despatch or collection within two working days of the Passport Office receiving all the information needed. The Priority Processing Service entails an additional fee. See our website for details. |
Additional important information for passport applicants
If you have previously held an Australian passport, you may be eligible to seek a new one using our streamlined renewal application - check our website for details.
Be aware that children’s passport applications without full consent can take longer than three weeks to process, and may not be eligible for the Priority Processing Service.
Some countries require your passport to be valid for a minimum period, for example six months, before they will grant entry. You need to enquire if this is the case for any country you plan to visit or transit.
You should check the entry requirements of any foreign country you plan to visit or transit, and allow sufficient time in case you need to obtain a visa before you travel. A contact list of foreign diplomatic missions in Australia is available through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website at http://protocol.dfat.gov.au/Mission/list.rails, and a list of foreign consulates in Australia is at http://protocol.dfat.gov.au/Consulate/list.rails.
Our website (www.passports.com.au) contains comprehensive information about passport services. If you have a query, please telephone the Australian Passport Information Service on 131 232, or email us at [email protected].