Thought this would be worthy as a deal post. If not, please report to move to forums.
If you haven't renewed your passport and don't have time to go to post office by tomorrow, you can avoid the passport fee increase on 1st July by submitting your online application and they will honour the old fee for 28 days from application. The fee has to be paid at an Australia post outlet.
There is no mention on website by I called them to confirm.
You lose it….
Depends on how much you paid for your old passport. Is the 1 year portion of the price you paid more or less than the $27 price hike in July?
Yeah, good point, think it adds up to be the same if not more. Thanks everyone, think I'll just have to cope the ridiculous and unnecessary price hike when I renew in a year or so..
It'll probably have gone up again when you renew next year. Our imported inflation is back to 4% again.
No, price you paid is a sunk cost.
A better question would be:
Is 11 years of passport at the new increased rate a better deal than 10 years at the current rate?
Yeah actually that's a good way of putting it too. A quick brief calculation shows a difference of 1.58$ or so per year (15.8$ total with one less year) so slightly better to renew now but eh. Since I'm travelling in less than a month, best not to risk it being delayed for the small saving..
I think you need a legitimate reason, such as damaged passport or "6 months validity" left.
I think you need a legitimate reason, such as damaged passport or "6 months validity" left.
Oops, my passport is now damaged.
My passport expires in Aug 2026, after calculation seems not worth renewing now ….
At which point is it not worth it? Please show all calculations and working outs.
The new fee is increased by 15%, my passport still got 2 years validity
if I renew now (forfeiting 2 years of validity) logically lose 20%?
Not sure if this calculation is correct
@littlesoldier: That is definitely not correct if you are just comparing the % increase without taking into consideration how much you previous paid lol
I'll give you 1 point for effort.
@CodeXD: Thanks for the +1 LOL
I didnt consider what I paid previously
What I am thinking is….
If I renew now, I pay $346 = 10 years, each year is $34.6
If I renew in 2 years time, I pay $398 = 12 years (2 years current + 10 years new), each year is $33.1
Though I have an assumption the passport fee wont rise in the next 2 years…
@littlesoldier: In both your calculations you are not considering the 2 years you've already paid in 2016.
I did a quick search and google says it was $254 on 1st Jan 2016.
If you renew now, you also forfeit the 2 years you have remaining $25.4 per year = $50.80
@CodeXD: $50.80 is closed to the current fee rise ($325 to $373.75) so still not worth renewing :)
anyway, its fun to do these maths LOL
@littlesoldier: Though missing from the equation is the tricky ‘death date’ as renewing early brings forward the date for the next passport in ten years’ time.
The trick is to time your expiration to align with passport expiration, so you don’t pay for months you don’t use.
(Joking aside, renewing early just adds more expensive months at the other end of the ten years.)
@CodeXD: @CodeXD, what you've already paid is irrelevant. It's a sunk cost - you can't get it back. See my response above.
@Thrifty McGifty: You can't get it back, doesn't mean it doesn't have value.
For example you have a meal at home - already paid for. You can either eat it for your next meal or throw it away if you don't.
It is not irrelevant.
No, just apply when you need it next
It may be worth applying since most countries require your passport to have at least 6 months before it expires. So technically you have until Nov until it’s of no use
I'm in a similar boat. Expires is March. However most places ask for minimum 6 months remaining when you travel. So really for me it expires in Sep. Fill out the form and lodge it as late as possible (end of July) I'm only wasting 2 months.
For you it about 4 months down the drain, so I would renew in your case.
Only thing is I'll be away from end of July onwards so not sure how that'll work. It's a good point that it really won't mean much past November but may have to bite the bullet to avoid any complications with my current booked trip which is a shame.. appreciate the advice though!
I'm in a similar boat, expires in April, so my 6 months date is Oct 2024.
Problem is I have a Taiwan trip planned in Oct 2024, I am fine if it is 6 months from entry but I won't make it if 6 months from departure.
I'm gambling on info on Taiwan website
Australian nationals are granted to enter Taiwan without visa and stay up to 90 days, only the following requirements are met: holding an Australian passport with validity of at least 6 months upon entry, with a confirmed returned air/sea ticket, a visa for the next destination, and with no criminal record.
I'm kind of in this spot, mine expires in September next year, but I also don't have a holiday booked until October of next year… Though you do need 6 months on your passport usually so I'm thinking of just renewing today anyway.
It also renews it from date of application so you lose more if say your passport comes in 30 days.
It's worth replacing it now as most of the countries won't let you in unless you your passport is valid for at least 6 months from the entry date.
That's a really stupid rule as essentially it makes your passport valid for only 9.5 years.
what do you have to do if you wanna avoid any digital id nonsense?
Just go off the grid mate, that's what I did.
Bought a VPN, sent an email to Australia Post that I'm a sovereign citizen and that their post officers are no longer allowed to access my post box and I haven't looked back since.
Turns out the council can't actually charge your taxes and rates on YOUR land - if you just decide not to pay, there's nothing they can do about that, you know what I'm sayin'?
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lol
Holy shit, the answer is crazier than the question lol. How did we get here…
@Fuzor: Ever since the COVIDsafe app days the government wants to know where you go. They're tracking you.
If you actually read terms and conditions, you just need to NOT CONSENT and they won't be able to use this data against you. I, for one, always read the terms and conditions and I send back my own EULA terms to companies. If you just write "if a response is not received within 1 business day, it will be taken as acceptance of these terms", they can never win.
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Is there a Colesworth nearby you travel to regularly?
I haven't gone outside since everything was infected by #woke.
I'm proud of being pureblooded and unvaccinated and expensive groceries aren't enough to make me change that.
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When I submitted my application, it gave me 28 days to lodge the checklist and it has the old fee printed on it, so surely they will honour it.
I got mine ready in 2 Hrs with express service for $200 extra
I got mine in a week. Lodge on Friday and received it back in hand Friday week.
Standard lodgement
scammed
Please do not come in for a passport application anytime after 4 pm. They take at least 30 minutes to lodge (photos, reviewing etc), and if there are multiple people in your group it'll take longer. From 5 pm to 6 pm is our hectic hour with parcels and the rest of it. Likely if you come in after 5 pm, the staff will refuse. Please be kind, we are under immense pressure and must triple-check it before we lodge it to ensure it is legible.
Get some overtime pay. Good on you
Don't post offices close at 5 pm?
Also beware there is something wrong with your photo please step to the left for your new $23 photo.
Refuse to get a passport until it's in english and not french
French is the internationally designated language so good luck
French is the internationally designated language so bonne chance.
FTFY
It's in English / French
So perhaps just don't look at the French words?
You probably did the International community a service anyway.
I'm busy doing just this. I did all the stuff online and have the print out that you need to take to the post office that states the $346 fee is valid until xx July.
The online process is easy but a bit annoying.
xx = what? date in July?
Irrelevant but I'm not sure as I don't have the paperwork in front of me (hence xxx) but it's 28 days after I applied online
Cheers OP, excellent deal for my wife and I as ours expired a year ago so was going to renew soon anyway. So basically we do this application online and pay, and then lodge physical docs to Aus post within 28days?
Application online before 30/6, pay at post office $346 within 28 days of online application
Legend, cheers!
Passports are so ridiculously expensive. Not everyone travels regularly, the price basically cuts out low income families from the odd trip when you have 2k in passports alone for a trip, which is near double what you spend on flights to Thailand or Bali in sale periods. Most countries do passports for less than 100 bucks, including many high wage countries similar to us.
So true, plus the fact it's one of only a few heavily weighted forms of ID, which ive been asked for on many occaisions i.e. bank loans, governement approvals etc. Makes it difficult to get your 100 points of ID together without one.
Very true, exacerbates inequality for really bugger all in fundraising by the government. IMO, every citizen should get one low cost passport every year and then if they lose that the next more at cost.
True - it would be fairer to reduce the passport cost and increase the departure tax. It is reasonable that international travel arrangements be self-funding, but having the entire cost-recovery hit on a physical document isn't fair.
Our departure tax is already one of the highest in the world!
it's funny that known price increases becomes deals now days
Local Aust Post did 27 applications yesterday and 21 the day before. Absolutely insane.
It is really less than 9 1/2 years minus your booking time.
Not worth getting caught short. Can I pay now and get one in 6 months?
Thanks for the heads up OP. Does anyone know if it's the same for new passports? Wondering if I should apply for my baby's passport now
I did this yesterday morning at the local post office and it was completed within 10mins even with them taking the passport photo.
Printing the form and using my expired passport made it super quick! No need for other forms of ID.
Had to get the kids new passports a couple weeks ago. Submitted forms on a Friday afternoon at post office. Had notification the following Friday that passports were done and on there way.
Pretty surprised how quick was done.
yeah website says over 60% of passports are being processed within 10 business days
Pretty surprised how quick was done.
Depends on what you've been conditioned to think I guess. Everything is digital these days, there's no reason why this couldn't be done in minutes just like a licence. They have the computer with your info on it, they have the printing machine, so what is actually happening in that week or two that takes so long?
New application also qualified for the old rates? I am going to do it for my son’s online now
yes
Yup. I did it just now for my son's renewal.
Apologies if I missed it above, but how much is the price increase going to be from current on standard passport renewal?
$373.75
Isn't it going up by 15%?
$346 * 1.15 = $397.9 and ofc they're gonna round it up to $398
I just got that figure from Timeout website.
"However, Australia is slowly creeping closer, with the new price of $373.75 starting in July"
@vee_el: Ah I see, that doesn't take into consideration the indexed increase from Jan 2024.
From July 1, prices will increase to $398 - a price hike of about 15 per cent or $50.
Yahoo finance - Updated 6 June 2024Passport prices will increase from the standard $325 at the beginning of the year, to $398 as of July 1, which includes the standard indexation applied in January.
7 News - Updated: 20 days agoPassport fees to skyrocket
The cost of a 10-year adult passport will rise by another 15 per cent on July 1 from the current price of $346 to $398.
News.com.au June 13, 2024
Any point renewing if you have year and half left?
yes, passport need to have at least 6 months validity when going/coming back from overseas. renew for another 10 years and be done with it.
yes, passport need to have at least 6 months validity when going/coming back from overseas
Wrong - Australian passport is valid for 10 years. You can enter/exit Australia on the expiry date. Just because some countries insist on minimum 6 month validity doesn't void your passport.
it doesn't void the passport but the country you're travelling to or transiting through may cause problems or delays for you. if you got less than a year left on your passport, you'll have to renew eventually anyway, so why not do it sooner rather and later and even save some costs with these price hikes.
It may well be valid for 10 years but lots of countries won't let you in unless your passport is valid for at least 6 months fron the entry date.
That's a really stupid rule as essentially it makes your passport valid for only 9.5 years.
This is a country of rip off
Correction: a Lucky Country of rip off
Move to a country of no rip off then
Don't think they can afford to
Why can't we try and fix this country so there less rip off? Is that also an option?
It is indeed
Says the guy who should have gotten into the passport making business year ago.
Are children passports going up from $175/5year to as well?
I'd like to know this too.
Traveling in January, so working if it will be more cost effective to apply now and not use it for 5 months (1/12th life of passport) or in December (and potentially pay 15% more).
Yes $201 or something
Applied for 2x kids and wife passport on Monday, a lot of people were doing the same at the local PO lol going to travel overseas in September
Still think we should all be refunded for the time the borders were closed and we couldn't even use our passports. Or have our expiry date extended free or something
Extension would be welcomed😉
My 2016 passport has only been used twice in 2016 & 2017 - to Japan.
From 2015, family member here required my 24/7 care. Had to be put into expensive nursing home if I travelled. So that was a major restriction on trips & time spent overseas.
Carer role ended 2019. Just in time for COVID!
Paid for flight overseas, border closed, airline went insolvent… Money gone.
When flights resumed, prices were much more expensive & some destinations were restricted or risky… So waited.
Oh well, still have until 2016 to travel.
Extension would be welcomed😉
But then I could beat the price rise, renew it 3 times in a month, which would last 30 years (if dates are extended).
Oh well, still have until 2016 to travel.
You mean 2026.
😄Am in a travel time warp⌚
What happen to almost year left on ur current passport do they add up on next expiry ?