Australia Passport

Almost all national governments issue passports to their citizens. A passport is a universal document used to record and authorize international travel of any individual.

Because it is a necessary document, it should contain accurate nationality and identity of its holder. Passports usually contain basic personal information like full legal name, birth date, place of birth and sex.

Citizenship and nationality are often congruent. Issuing an Australian passport has a mandate and a standard operating procedure.

The agency offers basic passport information service via telephone through the Australian Passport Information Service.

Callers within Australia are given seven days to complete passport processing and release. However, APIS is not in any way a passport office.

There are three basic passport types and applications, namely new passport, child passport and renewal. Processes are implemented whether you are within or outside Australia.

To obtain a new adult Australian passport, you will be asked to fill up and submit a passport application form, which could be downloaded and printed online or obtained directly from any Australia post outlet.

Basic passport requirements include proof of identity and citizenship, changing of name, photographs in specific sizes, disclosure of guarantors and payment of specific fees.

The Australian government issues passports to its citizens through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. All Australians have the right to attain and keep a passport for future travel to anywhere in the world. There is also a personal interview to be conducted in many cases. Applications are to be personally submitted at any Australia Post branch.

For child passports, applications must be carried out by parents or legal guardians. Any individual below the age of 18 years is required to attain child passport. Parents or guardians are also required to present proof of identity. Requirements include full birth certificate of the child, proof of Australian citizenship of a parent or both parents, an overseas birth certificate for children born outside the country and completely filled out application forms. The applications are also to be submitted at any Australia Post outlet.

Australia passport renewal is easy and fast. Applicants need to complete filling up renewal application forms. Full adult passport processing and application forms are to be submitted and the applicant must attend interviews if he is renewing a passport that expired more than a year ago or a passport that has been stolen or lost. For a more convenient processing, calling the APIS is the best way to renew an Australian passport.

 For passport application and renewal processes of Australians outside the country, application forms and requirements need to be submitted to the nearest Australian consular and diplomatic missions worldwide. Such offices include Australian embassies, consulates, high commissions, representative offices and multilateral missions. Some Canadian diplomatic missions, which provide consular assistance to Australians in specific countries, are also tasked to accept and process passport applications and renewals.