Passport Renewal / Application - Time Taken?

Maybe not cancelled the instant citizenship is conferred, but a visa certainly would not (or shouldn't) be granted or renewed after expiry to an Australian citizen.

Departing on a foreign passport without a in force visa, would mean a chat with ABF when going through Immigration to understand the circumstances, but once citizenship is established etc etc one will be on their way. A person is not prevented from leaving the country for visa irregularities, entry can be refused though.
Thanks - these considerations are extremely helpful.

Now, I am very much inclined to go down the route that you describe which essentially is leaving the next morning on my current non-AU passport, having a friendly chat with the ABF incl. showing them my citizenship certificate, my new work contract etc. I hope that they AFB does understand (but will be unhappy), but does not find a reason to not allow me to travel.

Then I sort out the Australian passport overseas at a higher fee (it's an easy Asian country, so should not be any dramas), and re-enter on an Aussie passport once I have it.

Seems like much less stressful, and cost effective as well (as I can book a flight well in advance).
 
You can definitely exit Australia with a foreign passport as immigration can confirm your status on exit. The bigger concern is flying back to Australia as the airline might not be that keen to let you board the plane to avoid potential fines for bringing in someone that don't have a visa.

In theory it can work as the airline can always call up Australian immigration to clear you, but I would rather not take that risk as not all airline employees is trained on how to do this and they might feel it's easier to deny you boarding instead.
 
Here's a couple of recent data points on processing times. I submitted mine, a basic renewal, on Friday the 21st July, received email to say it was on its way on the Thursday the 27th July. Received in the post early the following week. My partner's was submitted at the same time but was not a renewal as it included a name change (re-issued birth certificate due to a typo). Hers took about a week longer than mine. So all in all pretty quick turn arounds.
 
The Frequent Flyer Concierge team takes the hard work out of finding reward seat availability. Using their expert knowledge and specialised tools, they'll help you book a great trip that maximises the value for your points.

AFF Supporters can remove this and all advertisements

In theory it can work as the airline can always call up Australian immigration to clear you, but I would rather not take that risk as not all airline employees is trained on how to do this and they might feel it's easier to deny you boarding instead.
Yes, I dealt with that before with SQ departing ZRH for SYD via SIN, as we couldn't find my sons Aussie passport (don't ask...). The supervisor at SQ check-in luckily knew how to deal with the issue and actually had a number to get straight through to the right ABF department. ABF cleared my son within less than 2 minutes and off we were. We obviously found his Aussie passport before we even reached SIN :)
 
Received the following via email .. Well, don't mind if I do!

Dear Flashback,

The Australian Passport Office (APO) would like to invite you to participate in a short survey about your recent experience applying for a passport. The APO values your feedback on this experience as it will help to improve passport services.

The APO have partnered with Fiftyfive5, an independent Australian market research agency, to gather this feedback.

The survey is voluntary and only takes 2 minutes. There is the opportunity to provide further detailed feedback if you wish.
 
Going out, of Aust, as you would have done with your former country's passport, is just to match the face and to note on their systems, that a person has exited, via the outgoing Smartgate, and the "bright light" photo flash.
Its unlikely you will be questioned.
IF the gate won't open for you, once you slip your passport into the reader, an ABF staff member will call you forward.
You don't have to have a deep convo, they will just "look at your passport, look at your face, look at their screen, type in something, look at your face, passport is placed onto the their scanner", and you are done.
On a few trips, even after I take my glasses off, the gate would not open, so I have to approach the counter.
After becoming an Aust citizen, it was not as "bad" as before, when everyone had to go to line up and had an officer process incoming and outgoing pax.
Smartgate makes it faster.
Even after conferal of grant, you would have to go to a city council "ceremony"...
This can be huge, depending on the council and the number of people getting certs.
===
Oh, just noticed, your child is already an Aust citizen, ah, that would be a plus in your favour.
 
Even after conferal of grant, you would have to go to a city council "ceremony"...
Yeah - and that is the issue. I did the Citizenship test while still in Australia, but now posted overseas but invited to the ceremony in my "former" council. I have no issues with that, and have already tickets booked etc. The issue I have is I have to wait with an indefinite timeline to return because I wait for my AUS passport. So I rather do the ABF interview, jet off, and get the passport done overseas (the Embassy is a 7mins cab ride away and has a passport section).
 
Yeah - and that is the issue. I did the Citizenship test while still in Australia, but now posted overseas but invited to the ceremony in my "former" council. I have no issues with that, and have already tickets booked etc. The issue I have is I have to wait with an indefinite timeline to return because I wait for my AUS passport. So I rather do the ABF interview, jet off, and get the passport done overseas (the Embassy is a 7mins cab ride away and has a passport section).
Maybe the embassy will do a citizenship ceremony for you? Nice to think a newly minted Australian would want the ceremony avec flag.
 
The glasses off rule, Aust passports, they strengthened the rules after 2020.
2010 to 2020, glasses were ok, then after the latest newest passsport issued, 2 alpha and the rest numerical serial number passport sequence, that was when glasses off rules came into effect.
===
N was my last one.
Then came R.
Mine is PBzzzzzzz.
===
Stubble or beards seems ok tho.
 
Last edited:
Sponsored Post

Struggling to use your Frequent Flyer Points?

Frequent Flyer Concierge takes the hard work out of finding award availability and redeeming your frequent flyer or credit card points for flights.

Using their expert knowledge and specialised tools, the Frequent Flyer Concierge team at Frequent Flyer Concierge will help you book a great trip that maximises the value for your points.

OffT I think we can set a procedure for glasses/spec wears.
On landing, make sure you have all items which you brought with yourself on board, to take it off.
In Aust, its not usual for ABF to meet the plane at its arrival gate, not saying it does not happen, but in my many years of flying int, not ever seen ABF officers at gate, only have seen the ground staff at the gate.
Get off plane.
Walk down or up the aerobridge to the gate, Aust keeps our incoming and outgoing int pax separate, as does most airports in NZ.
SIN Changi is different again.
We can keep our glasses on, till quite far into the inc immi pax stage.
Have to veer to the self processing stage 1 of Smartgate, can still keep glasses on, to read the on screen questions, and then the circle, and the small paper print out comes out, then onto...
Duty free, I don't partake in this, others do.
Get to big wide open area, you can keep glasses on still, here.
Walk up to the part where you slip that small piece of paper into the reader, you can still have HLO at your side, take off glasses after slipping paper into reader.
Take paper out of reader, glasses in left hand, paper in right, step forward...
Step forward, to the gate, feet on the white shoe mark.
Don't smile at the white light flat camera, just look ahead, 100% in my cases, incoming, the gate opens.
Walk through.
Mine has always been outgoing that pings, even with glasses off.
Baggage reclaim.
Get all your stuff.
Passport can be put away at this stage, ...
They now just need your IPC and that small slip of paper.
Stern as they are, if you say no food, and only coming in from NZ, they collect the IPC and the Smartgate receipt and that's it.
I don't bring in any food or any gifts or any duty free.
So far, no potty seat, or being taken for a stomach/body scan, (inc (Yet))... touch wood.OnT.
Ok, back to gist of the thread.
 
We applied last Monday at local post office in outer Melbourne and received mrsausfox's new passport today, 8 days turnaround.
Just after signing for said passport the delivery information for mine arrived. Within a fortnight of applying. Not too bad I think.
 
Put in The Teen's passport application (yay! First 10 year one! Hopefully the last one I pay for!) on Fri 15/9 at Brisbane GPO. Opted to get it posted to our house, arrived on Tues 26/9.

It's a new RA series and mentions His Majesty King Charles.

The Teen asked if she could still use her last Queen Elizabeth one. 🤣
 
Maybe not cancelled the instant citizenship is conferred, but a visa certainly would not (or shouldn't) be granted or renewed after expiry to an Australian citizen.

Departing on a foreign passport without a in force visa, would mean a chat with ABF when going through Immigration to understand the circumstances
So I just did the test case:

- Became AUS citizen on Thursday night
- Checked VEVO this morning, visa on my foreign passport still active
- Just left the country in MEL using that said foreign passport
- Gate opened immediately, no ABF intervention at all
- Passport photos taken at Officeworks yesterday and travelling with me now to apply for AUS passport overseas (there is actually a specific form for my case!)
 
The Teen asked if she could still use her last Queen Elizabeth one. 🤣
Do they still cut off/"crop" off the bottom of previous passports, if its not lost/stolen, ie, it has been used as basis of making the new one.
I know that if a passport is lost or stolen, person has to use Aust citizenship paper as a basis of application, and the rules are tougher/more onerous.
The Aust last passport I had replaced, was 2020, and next one wouldn't be till 2030.
How do they negate the previous Aust passport now, ...
Or they just give it back without marking it?
 

Enhance your AFF viewing experience!!

From just $6 we'll remove all advertisements so that you can enjoy a cleaner and uninterupted viewing experience.

And you'll be supporting us so that we can continue to provide this valuable resource :)


Sample AFF with no advertisements? More..
Back
Top