Australian Passports To Cost More In The New Year

Australian passports at the most expensive in the world, and they’re set to get even pricier.

As of January 1, Australian passports are set to become more expensive thanks to annual indexation, with the 10-year passport for adults rising from $398 to $412.

This price hike isn’t unusual- passport fees increase annually at the start of every year to account for inflation- but it does come just six months after the Albanese government imposed a 15 per cent increase on July 1, 2024.

The cost for five-year passports, and for children and seniors over 75 years of age will increase from $201 to $208, while a replacement passport will rise from $250 to $259.

Government accused of using passports in “tax grab”

Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Birmingham, accused the government of “ringing in the new year with another tax grab”.

“Rather than responsible cost recovery, the Albanese Government is engaging in gross profiteering through the pushing up of passport fees, charging significantly more than the cost of production,” he said.

“This over the top revenue raising on a government issued document is just another demonstration of how Australians are being made to pay for Labor’s out of control spending.”

Assistant Foreign Minister Tim Watts said that the indexation requirements had “been the case under successive governments over many years”, and defended the July price rise, citing the cost of security technology as a reason for the increased prices.

“Last year the government announced a one off rise in the price of passports to support priority initiatives, including efforts to ensure that Australia can stay ahead of the game in addressing rapidly evolving and more sophisticated threats to identity security.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the annual indexation is a requirement under legislation.

“The Australian passport is respected internationally as a high-quality travel document,” they said.

“It has a high level of technological sophistication, backed by rigorous anti-fraud measures, which ensures its integrity. This is a key reason why Australian passport holders receive visa-free access to over 180 countries.”