Name of the Organisation : Department of Foreign Affairs And Trade Australia (passports.gov.au)
Type of Announcement : Applying for Australian passport
Country : Australia
Home page : http://www.dfat.gov.au/pages/default.aspx
Related :
Australia Passport Office Check Passport Application Status : www.statusin.org/10.html
1. Eligibility for an Australian passport :
Documents that confirm your Australian citizenship and identity :
To be eligible for an Australian passport the Australian Passport Office must be satisfied that you are an Australian citizen, and must confirm your identity.
There is no application fee for issuing an emergency passport but you need to pay a priority processing fee.
Accordingly, when you apply for an Australian passport you will need to provide original documents which confirm your Australian citizenship and your identity. Please note that birth extracts, commemorative certificates, photocopies and fax copies are NOT acceptable.
2. Documents required:
1 You must provide one (or more) of these original documents to confirm your Australian citizenship and identity;
a. Full Australian birth certificate issued by an Australian state or territory Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. If you were born on or after 20 August 1986, you will also need to provide proof that one of your parents (and in some cases, grandparents) was an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia at the time of your birth.
b. Australian citizenship certificate issued by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (including an extract from the register of citizenship by descent or extract from the register of Australian births abroad). If your Australian citizenship document does not show sex or place and country of birth you must also present your foreign birth certificate (with an official English translation where necessary). If this is not possible you must present your foreign passport (and a photocopy of the page confirming your personal details).
c. Previous passport if you are using the streamlined passport Renewal process. (Click here to see if you are eligible)
Please note: If you have changed your name since birth or gaining Australian citizenship, you may need to provide evidence of this change with your application. Please see the Change of Name section on this site for further information.
AND
2. You will need to provide one of the following three combinations of original documents that support your identity;
Please note: The documents within each category are listed at the bottom of the page. If none of the documents you have for category A or B show your current address, you will also need to provide one document from category C showing your current address.
Combination 1 :
** One document from category A
and
** One document from category B
PLEASE NOTE: If neither of these documents shows your current address, you will also need one document from category C showing your current address.
Combination 2 :
(if you cannot provide combination 1)
** Two documents from category B
and
** One official document that includes your photograph
Combination 3 :
(if you cannot provide all the documents required in either combination 1 or combination 2)
** At least three documents from category C, all showing your name and current address
and
** One official document that includes your photograph
Important note : If you choose this combination 3 to confirm your identity, your application may take longer to process.
3. Category A :
For lodgement in Australia :
1) Current driving licence issued by an Australian state or territory
2) Birth card issued by an Australian Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages (this is not a birth certificate)
For lodgement overseas :
1) Current driving licence issued by an Australian state or territory
2) Birth card issued by an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (this is not a birth certificate)
3) Foreign residency identity card
4) Current foreign driving licence
4. Category B :
For lodgement in Australia :
1) Medicare card issued by the Health Insurance Commission
2) Centrelink card issued by Centrelink
3) Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) card issued by DVA
4) Credit card or account card issued by a financial institution in Australia
For lodgement overseas :
1) Health card (issued by a government authority)
2) Social Security card (issued by a government authority)
3) Department of Veterans’ Affairs card (or equivalent issued by a government authority)
4) Credit card or bank account card
5) National insurance card (issued by a government authority)
6) Foreign passport
Apply for a passport : https://online.passports.gov.au/Infiniti/Produce/
5. Category C :
All documents presented from category C must be no more than 12 months old
For lodgement in Australia and overseas :
1) Motor Vehicle registration or Insurance papers
2) Property rates notice
3) Property lease agreement
4) Home insurance papers
5) Utilities bills (e.g. telephone, electricity or gas)
6) Bank or credit card statements showing your residential address
6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) :
Where can I get further passports advice from?
This website contains detailed information on most passport related topics. Select the Information and Useful links button to display an index of the topics covered by this website.
The Australian Passport Information Service (APIS) may be contacted on 131 232. APIS provides free service and advice to clients within Australia and New Zealand. An inter-active voice menu directs a caller to follow prompts based on the applicant’s enquiry stream. Select option zero (0) to speak with an advisor.
Overseas clients may contact the nearest Australian diplomatic or consular mission for advice.
I am a pensioner or have a senior’s card; can I have a senior’s passport?
Australian citizens aged 75 years and over may apply for a senior’s passport. A senior’s Passport is issued with a validity period of 5 years.
The decision to offer a five year senior’s passport to Australians aged 75 years and over was made by a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade following representations from senior Australians who wished to undertake limited travel and did not need a 10 year validity passport. The age of 75 was selected as it was considered to best suit the needs of this age group. The cost of the five year passport was determined at half the cost of a standard passport which is valid for 10 years.
In relation to passport applications the term ‘senior’ is used by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to specifically refer to Australians who are 75 years or over. The term is not associated with the varying definitions used by other organisations in Australia.
How can I check on my application’s progress?
After your application has been received by an Australian Passport Office you can check its progress on this website.
Select “My Application’s Progress” from the home page of this website. You will need to know your application form number to access this service. Your form number is the 9 character code (8 numerals and 1 letter suffix) displayed on your application form.
Alternatively, in Australia you may contact the Australian Passport Information Service (APIS) on 131 232 toll free.
Outside Australia contact the Australian diplomatic or consular mission where you lodged your application form.
How long does it take to get a passport?
In Australia the Australian Passport Office is committed to mailing out an eligible applicant’s passport within ten working days of receiving all information and documentation we require.
We are equally committed to prompt processing of passport applications made overseas at any Australian diplomatic or consular mission. In most cases an eligible applicant’s full validity passport will be available for collection or despatch from the mission within ten working days of a passport interview if all our requirements are met. It will be issued by one of our passport production centres – London, Washington, or Canberra. You should allow extra time for local mail delivery if you have requested that the passport be mailed to you. If you cannot wait ten working days for a full validity passport, the mission can issue an emergency passport to cover urgent travel needs.
Our Priority Processing Service guarantees that your passport will be ready for collection or despatch from a Passport Office within two working days of the office receiving everything it needs from you. However, you should allow extra time for Australia Post outlets to forward your application to us and for your passport to reach you by registered mail. There is a fee for this service in addition to the normal passport application fee. This service is not available for applications for full validity passports made overseas, except in London and Washington.
What forms do I need and where do I get one?
Passport application forms may be completed and printed from this website. Select the “Passport Applications” button located on the home page. Your answers to our questions will direct you to the correct application form.
Alternatively in Australia visit an Australia Post outlet, an Australian Passport Office or ring the Australian Passport Information Service (APIS) on 131 232. If contacting APIS select option zero (0) if you need to speak with an advisor.
Outside Australia please contact the nearest Australian diplomatic or consular mission.
Do I need six months validity left on my passport before I can travel from and then re enter Australia?
Australian passports are valid for travel into and out of Australia regardless of the length of remaining validity. An Australian passport remains valid until the expiry date.
However, it is the right of any country to control entry into their borders and this is usually done via visas or ensuring sufficient validity remains on the visitor’s travel document. Entry requirements are decided by foreign governments and are not something that the Australian Government can influence.
You need to ensure that your passport has adequate validity to meet the entry requirements of the countries you intend to visit (or transit). Some countries require travellers to have at least six months validity remaining on their passports beyond the period of intended stay, and immigration authorities may refuse entry if you arrive with less than this. Airlines and passenger shipping lines may refuse to carry you if your passport has inadequate validity.
Before travel you should contact the Embassy, High Commission or Consular representative of all the countries you will be travelling to, or seek advice from your travel agent, to identify each country’s passport validity requirements. If you are unsure, it is safest to renew your passport prior to travelling.
Does my Passport have a Machine Readable Zone (MRZ)? Do I need a visa to travel to the USA?
All Australian passports being issued in Australia, and most Australian travel documents issued overseas, are machine readable.
Australian machine readable passports feature a two line machine readable zone (MRZ) at the bottom of the biographical data page, consistent with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.
The US Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act will eventually require that the passport of any Visa Waiver Program traveller should contain a biometric identifier that meets standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade began issuing Australian Passports with a biometric identifier on the 24th of October 2005. Australian passports issued prior to that date will not contain a biometric identifier.
The US Government has advised that Australians who currently hold a valid passport which contains a machine readable zone on the personal details page will still be eligible to enter the US under the Visa Waiver Program. These passports do not need to contain a biometric identifier.
For further information regarding US entry requirements please contact the US Embassy of Australia website at canberra.usembassy.gov/ or visit .state.gov the US State Department website.
Can I lodge my application form online?
Passport application forms can be filled in and printed online, but not lodged. You will need to sign the completed application form in black ink and lodge it at the time of your personal interview, together with all of the supporting documentation listed on the application form.
In Australia most forms are lodged at Australia Post outlets. Clients able to demonstrate an urgent need to travel may call APIS on 131 232 to make an appointment to lodge at an Australian Passport Office.
Overseas applicants should contact the nearest Australian diplomatic or consular mission to obtain details for lodgement.
Do I need to provide an original document or will a certified copy or extract do?
When you apply for an Australian passport you must provide original documents which confirm your Australian citizenship and your identity. Please note that birth extracts, commemorative certificates, photocopies (including those that have been certified as a true copy) and fax copies are NOT acceptable.
An original document is; A document produced by the authority or organisation named on the document and which has not been altered since it was produced. A duplicate copy (note – a duplicate copy is not a photocopy) which has been issued and certified as a true copy by the authority or organisation named on the original document may also be accepted as if it were an original.