Passport changes

[RB]

So time for a new passport and today I got my photos done. A lot less hair than the last one and my beard has gone grey.

Who is that old man looking back at me?

As for the process, well I filled out the form on line, have printed it out and made an appointment for tomorrow morning.

At least I don't need a guarantor for a renewal.

Had a mate that made a speech at his 70th. Said that at first he wondered what all those old people were doing at his place!

 

[anat0l]

We take our own passport photos now with a simple digital camera...there are free online tools that make sure it fits the required dimensions...than we take it to the local Officeworks to print it for 50c

I'd do this too except I'm a touch lazy, often have to do these things myself (and even setting up a tripod to take a good passport "selfie" is a pain) and you don't want to end up being told that your photo is outside of specifications (it's not the cost, it is the time).

So as much as it is extortionate, I often let the post office do the job. Thankfully they only have to do this every ten years (as I haven't yet mastered the art of filling 32 pages of passport faster than that).

 

[JohnK]

However, the cost of photos themselves are a bit of a rort. $16.95 for six photos when you only need two.

Thanks for the reminder.

THB100 for 4 passport photos is about the most I'd want to pay.

Same with haircuts. I'll wait until Feb/Mar for next haircut.

 

[get me outta here]

Passport fees as of 1 January 2017

Passports	Fee
10 – year validity passport (for persons aged 16 and over)	$277
5 - year validity passport (for children under 16)	$139
5 – year validity passport (optional for persons 75 and over)	$139
Frequent traveller passport [1]	$407

When will this occur do you know and from what current fee ($277?) to what new fee?

Or are you referring to the fee increase which occurred on Jan 1?

Mine is due for renewal in about 4 months time. So it may be worthwhile doing it early.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Passport fees as of 1 January 2017

Passports	Fee
10 – year validity passport (for persons aged 16 and over)	$277
5 - year validity passport (for children under 16)	$139
5 – year validity passport (optional for persons 75 and over)	$139
Frequent traveller passport [1]	$407

That's what I thought. The fee increase happened 5 days ago.

So it seems there are no new fee increases yet to come as suggested by AustraliaPoochie

 

[Deleted member]

NZ passport. NZD $ $189.00. 10 working days. ..... sweet.

 

[leadman]

Well my "E" passport is no longer and after a long discussion (to put it mildly) with the DFAT people and they could not give me a commonsense reason why they axed the larger passport, but their silence said it all when i said its another money raiser that wont affect the mainstream voters! (it must be only the rich who travel so much and need a large passport!) Second last one lasted 3y 7m but that had Australian stamps, the last, sadly, lasted 4y 2m. so my estimate with a 32 pager could be just under 2 years. By time the next fee increase comes in + new photo's as i see there is an expiry date on them, (is that a hint!!) effectively my passport has now doubled.

So I thanked the DFAT person and hope that they appreciate i have made further contributions to their wages and please don't cut it down to 16 pages!!!!!

 

[JessicaTam]

Thanks for the info leadman. I am glad I got mine a few months ago when I did then.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Can you still do Au passport renewals at AusPost?
Or are they now pushing people to phone Aust Passport Office?
Ta for any info.
Mine runs out in Nov 2020, a while to go yet, but mine's the other way round, so much space in mine.
Only go Au - NZ where neither country stamps their stamps into Au passports anymore.
Ps: I don't dare to make a fuss and ask fro them to stamp, guess if you ask they will grudgingly stamp.

 

[leadman]

I had one page left and could not take the risk of being knocked back somewhere. Austpost is pushing you to do it online, then you go back to them and they enter all the details including your digital photo.

Even the GPO tried to find out if i can a big passport, but she said her contacts are now limited. All internet.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Ta Leadman.

 

[serfty]

With a four week gap between international trips and my PP expiring in May, I renewed my PP late last month.

Online form fill out which resulted in a two page PDF to print. One page instruction, the other the actual renewal form.

Then online booking for PO interview before 15 minutes and $277 at post office. You can bring your own photos or pay Auspost $17 for them to take them.

New PP arrived 10 days later.

 

[JessicaTam]

Ps: I don't dare to make a fuss and ask fro them to stamp, guess if you ask they will grudgingly stamp.

AU and NZ no longer have the ability to stamp AU passports. They don't have the particular stamp anymore.

 

[Buzzard]

I

I had one page left and could not take the risk of being knocked back somewhere. Austpost is pushing you to do it online, then you go back to them and they enter all the details including your digital photo.

Even the GPO tried to find out if i can a big passport, but she said her contacts are now limited. All internet.

It's not Post that is pushing the online process, it's DFAT. Overall the process is much simpler and results in less errors being made at the Auspost end. DFAT have wanted the application filled out then taken to Post for about 2 years now.

 

[leadman]

I

It's not Post that is pushing the online process, it's DFAT. Overall the process is much simpler and results in less errors being made at the Auspost end. DFAT have wanted the application filled out then taken to Post for about 2 years now.

You're right, sorry quoted wrong agency.

 

[Buzzard]

You're right, sorry quoted wrong agency.

No harm done.

 

[serfty]

DFAT have wanted the application filled out then taken to Post for about 2 years now.

It is certainly simpler for renewal - I recall it being strait forward (renewal) 10 years ago but even easier these days.

 

[slinky123]

Well my "E" passport is no longer and after a long discussion (to put it mildly) with the DFAT people and they could not give me a commonsense reason why they axed the larger passport, but their silence said it all when i said its another money raiser that wont affect the mainstream voters! (it must be only the rich who travel so much and need a large passport!) Second last one lasted 3y 7m but that had Australian stamps, the last, sadly, lasted 4y 2m. so my estimate with a 32 pager could be just under 2 years. By time the next fee increase comes in + new photo's as i see there is an expiry date on them, (is that a hint!!) effectively my passport has now doubled.

So I thanked the DFAT person and hope that they appreciate i have made further contributions to their wages and please don't cut it down to 16 pages!!!!!

I had one page left and could not take the risk of being knocked back somewhere. Austpost is pushing you to do it online, then you go back to them and they enter all the details including your digital photo.

Even the GPO tried to find out if i can a big passport, but she said her contacts are now limited. All internet.

Applications completed on line are certainly the preference, they are much easier to process than the hand written forms. The new online forms are even simpler, they apply for both Adult renewals and new Adult full applications. A guarantor is named on the full application, but there is no longer any requirement for the Guarantor to sign the form or endorse the photos. An applicant can get their photo taken at Aus Post at the time of lodgement.

DFAT have indicated that their wasn't much demand for the thicker 66 page passport.

Existing 66-page passports will remain valid until they expire. They stopped on 30 November 2017.

You’ll have to get a standard 34-page passport instead. You can pay the full fee and get 10 years’ validity. Or if your passport has filled up but won’t expire for more than two years, you can pay less for a 34-page ‘replacement passport’ that covers the remaining validity of your old passport.

Until 31 December 2017, the fee for a 34-page passport with 10 years’ validity is $277. The fee for a 34-page replacement passport (with the same expiry date as your old passport) is $175.

Fees from Jan 2018 are $282 for new and $178 for replacement.

I've attached the new fee schedule, this years increase is quite small which is a good thing.

 

[RooFlyer]

Existing 66-page passports will remain valid until they expire

How gratifying

Re the fee schedule, I assume the 10 year validity and 5 year validity passports are the same size? You are just paying for extra length of validity? But then, why should you pay extra for that? Production costs are the same?

DFAT have indicated that their wasn't much demand for the thicker 66 page passport.

I'm sure they have 'indicated' that. But their abolition is still just revenue-raising.

 

[leadman]

Today I received the e:mail that my new passport is ready and will be sent ASAP, in under three days (which i'm happy as another trip has come up). But it doesn't make me happy to read they stopped it because of low demand. I'm sorry but the nativity in me still thinks its a money grab, just like the hand bag search when you board from Asia, as i think its to look after our Duty Free. (why don't they do it when we leave Australia? Is Australian security better than HKG or SIN????)

It has also stuffed me up with long term visas and with the changes I estimate i'm up for an extra $600 to $1,000 every two years!!!!