Cost of Australian Passports to Surge to almost $400
Dec 15, 2023 5:54:39 GMT 7
Denis-NFA, ghostbuster, and 1 more like this
Post by bear on Dec 15, 2023 5:54:39 GMT 7
Cost of renewing Australian passports to surge to almost $400
They’re already among the world’s most expensive, but the Australian passport is about to become even more expensive from next year, with not one, but two price hikes on the cards.
The first fee increase will come into effect on January 1, 2024, per standard inflation price indexing that occurs each year – and then again on July 1 as the federal government puts up fees by 15 per cent, or close to $50.
A 10-year passport currently costs $325 – plus $237 if you require express processing – with the fee hikes set to put the cost close to $400.
The Australian passport is set to undergo two price hikes in 2024.
A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) spokesperson said the new cost of an ordinary Australian adult passport over its full 10-year validity period will still be less than $40 a year, but will ensure that Australia can “stay ahead of the game” in addressing rapidly evolving and more sophisticated threats to identity security.
“The increase to passport fees will support priority initiatives within the Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio, including the government’s efforts to modernise Australia’s passport systems and services,” the spokesperson said.
The Australian passport is international respected for its high quality, the DFAT spokesperson added.
“It has a high level of technological sophistication, backed by rigorous anti-fraud measures, which ensures its integrity. This is a key reason why Australian passport holders currently receive visa-free access to over 100 countries,” they said.
The one-off July 1 fee increase is set to raise $349 million over a three-year period.
The next-generation R Series Australian passport, which DFAT claims to be the most secure iteration yet, has been rolled out in stages since September 2022. The R Series passport replaces the previous P Series issued since 2014, and features upgraded security components designed to prevent counterfeiting and identity theft.
Current Australian passport processing times are listed for six weeks minimum on the Australian Passport Office website. Processing times shot up after international border reopening dates were announced in November 2021, doubling average wait times from three to six weeks to receive a passport – up from the previous three weeks – to cope with a large backlog of renewals.
RELATED ARTICLE:- Tips & advice
Losing your passport overseas is not the disaster you might expect.
I lost my passport overseas. Here’s how I got home without it
News of the fee increase comes on the back of the Australian passport’s climb up the rankings to a joint sixth position in the global Henley Passport Index, with visa-free access to 188 countries – up from 186 destinations in the September rankings.
However, the most powerful passports in the world remain significantly cheaper than Australia’s, with the world’s most powerful passport, Singapore’s, costing just $78. Spanish citizens, who hold the world’s third most powerful passport, pay just $49.
The most expensive passport among the top 10 most powerful is Japan’s at $168.
www.smh.com.au/traveller/travel-news/cost-of-renewing-passports-to-surge-next-year-20231213-p5eraq.html
They’re already among the world’s most expensive, but the Australian passport is about to become even more expensive from next year, with not one, but two price hikes on the cards.
The first fee increase will come into effect on January 1, 2024, per standard inflation price indexing that occurs each year – and then again on July 1 as the federal government puts up fees by 15 per cent, or close to $50.
A 10-year passport currently costs $325 – plus $237 if you require express processing – with the fee hikes set to put the cost close to $400.
The Australian passport is set to undergo two price hikes in 2024.
A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) spokesperson said the new cost of an ordinary Australian adult passport over its full 10-year validity period will still be less than $40 a year, but will ensure that Australia can “stay ahead of the game” in addressing rapidly evolving and more sophisticated threats to identity security.
“The increase to passport fees will support priority initiatives within the Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio, including the government’s efforts to modernise Australia’s passport systems and services,” the spokesperson said.
The Australian passport is international respected for its high quality, the DFAT spokesperson added.
“It has a high level of technological sophistication, backed by rigorous anti-fraud measures, which ensures its integrity. This is a key reason why Australian passport holders currently receive visa-free access to over 100 countries,” they said.
The one-off July 1 fee increase is set to raise $349 million over a three-year period.
The next-generation R Series Australian passport, which DFAT claims to be the most secure iteration yet, has been rolled out in stages since September 2022. The R Series passport replaces the previous P Series issued since 2014, and features upgraded security components designed to prevent counterfeiting and identity theft.
Current Australian passport processing times are listed for six weeks minimum on the Australian Passport Office website. Processing times shot up after international border reopening dates were announced in November 2021, doubling average wait times from three to six weeks to receive a passport – up from the previous three weeks – to cope with a large backlog of renewals.
RELATED ARTICLE:- Tips & advice
Losing your passport overseas is not the disaster you might expect.
I lost my passport overseas. Here’s how I got home without it
News of the fee increase comes on the back of the Australian passport’s climb up the rankings to a joint sixth position in the global Henley Passport Index, with visa-free access to 188 countries – up from 186 destinations in the September rankings.
However, the most powerful passports in the world remain significantly cheaper than Australia’s, with the world’s most powerful passport, Singapore’s, costing just $78. Spanish citizens, who hold the world’s third most powerful passport, pay just $49.
The most expensive passport among the top 10 most powerful is Japan’s at $168.
www.smh.com.au/traveller/travel-news/cost-of-renewing-passports-to-surge-next-year-20231213-p5eraq.html
