PPT · 1 · six weeks, step by step
Where the six weeks go
The Passport Office breaks its routine service into three stages, each with an outer limit.
- Up to 5 business daysYou lodge the application at a participating post office and it is sent to the Passport Office.
- Up to 20 business daysThe application is processed.
- Up to 5 business daysThe passport is posted to you by Registered Post, or you can choose to collect it from a passport office.
Its target is for 95% of travel documents to be available within six weeks of lodgement, and it reported above 97% as at August 2026. Complex applications, such as a child’s passport without full parental consent, are outside that timeframe. Smartraveller’s advice is, where possible, not to book flights without a valid passport.
PPT · 2 · fees as at October 2026
What it costs, and paying to go faster
| Passport or service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Adult passport, 10 years (aged 16 and over) | $422 |
| Child passport, 5 years (under 16) | $213 |
| Adult passport, 5 years (optional at 75 and over) | $213 |
| Replacement passport | $265 |
| Fast Track (5-day processing), on top of the passport fee | $107 |
| Priority (2-day processing), on top of the passport fee | $308 |
The faster services mostly shorten the processing stage: the Passport Office gives up to 14 business days end to end for Fast Track and up to 11 for Priority, because lodging and postage still take time. They are only for eligible customers in Australia: not for applications from overseas, applicants who have difficulty proving their identity, a child’s application without full parental consent, or someone who has had two or more passports lost or stolen in the last five years. The full fee list is on the Passport Office’s fees page.
For a compassionate or compelling reason, such as the death or serious illness of an immediate family member, the Passport Office asks you to call 131 232 for an appointment at a passport office and to bring evidence of the need to travel; the Priority fee may apply.
PPT · 3 · renew or start again
When a renewal is allowed
You can renew an adult passport, rather than apply as if for the first time, if it:
- has expired or is still valid;
- was issued when you were 16 or older, on or after 1 January 2006, with at least two years’ validity;
- shows your current name, date of birth, place of birth and gender;
- has not been reported lost, stolen or cancelled, and you can present it when you lodge.
A renewal does not need a referee or guarantor; an application for a new passport does. Either way, two things catch people out. Your current passport is generally cancelled when you lodge, so the Passport Office advises against travelling overseas while you wait. And the new passport runs from the day it is issued, with a new number, so any bookings or visa applications need the new details.
A child’s passport stays valid after the child turns 18, until it expires; after that, the adult passport is a new application, not a renewal. Consent for a child’s passport is explained on the Passport Office’s child passport page.
PPT · 4 · expiry and visas
Six months, visas and the chip
The Passport Office suggests avoiding travel outside Australia if your passport will expire within the next six months. Countries and airlines have their own rules, and if a passport expires while you are away you may be stranded. Smartraveller adds that some foreign governments and airlines apply the six-month rule inconsistently, so advice can conflict.
A visa in an expired passport may not carry over: many countries do not accept visas in expired passports, and an electronic visa may leave no trace in the new one. Some countries also require a passport with an electronic chip. Every current Australian passport has one except the emergency passport.
An emergency passport is issued only to people who are overseas, through an Australian embassy or consulate. It is valid for up to one year and has no chip, which limits where it can be used.
PPT · 5 · lost, stolen or damaged
Reporting a loss cancels the passport for good
When you report a passport lost or stolen, the Passport Office cancels it and tells border authorities in Australia and overseas, and it cannot be used again even if you find it. So the office asks you to be sure it really is gone before reporting. There are penalties for not reporting a loss or theft as soon as possible. After a loss you apply for a new passport; a renewal is not available.
| Lost or stolen in 5 years | The next adult passport |
|---|---|
| Twice | Valid for 5 years instead of 10, at the 10-year fee. |
| 3 or more times | Valid for at most 2 years, or no passport may be issued; the 10-year fee still applies. |
A loss caused by exceptional circumstances outside your control, which you can show, is not counted against you. For a theft, the Passport Office recommends a police report; stolen overseas, report it to local police there and to Australian police once home.
Damage counts too. Minor damage, where you can still be identified and nothing has been altered, may mean a replacement or renewal; a passport with major damage, such as an unreadable passport number or major tears to the photo page, needs a new application. A replacement keeps the old passport’s expiry date.
PPT · 6 · looking after it
Small habits the Passport Office suggests
- Never post photos of your passport online, and give its details only to organisations with a genuine need for them.
- Don’t keep a boarding pass inside it: the ink can transfer onto the photo page.
- If you must post it, for a visa for example, use a tracked service and include a registered, prepaid return envelope.
- Some overseas hotels and cruise companies hold guests’ passports; raise it before you confirm the booking, and ask whether a copy or scan will do instead.
Messages pretending to come from the Passport Office are a known scam; the travel scams guide lists what the office says it will never ask for, and the Smartraveller guide covers consular help with a replacement overseas.