DFAT reveals major passport change as online applications set to launch
A major change to how Australians apply for a new passport is reportedly about to be introduced by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
While Australians can renew their passports online, the process to obtain a new passport requires Australians to either apply online then lodge an application in person at Australia Post, or complete a paper application and lodge it a post office.
Soon Australians will be able to apply for a new passport online without having to go into a post office making it easier and quicker for people to apply for a passport digitally, DFAT said in a statement.
Australians will no longer have to go into an Australia Post office to lodge a new passport application and will be able to apply online.
Licensed Post Office Group executive director Angela Cramp told 2GB the change had been years in the making and was expected to be introduced in the coming year.
Ms Cramp said some Australians still relied on face-to-face contact and wanted to make sure their passport application was lodged at an Australia Post office so a person could check they had the correct documents.
For some people, applying for a passport was a very stressful experience because they were worried about having the correct documents or not getting their application approved, she added.
'Most people do want to come and make sure that their passport is lodged at a passport at a post office, and we check all the documents for them,' she told 2GB.
Originally published as Major change being made to the Australian passport application process
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
SBS Australia
an hour ago
- SBS Australia
SBS Gujarati Australian update: 7 August 2025
SBS Gujarati is a part of SBS South Asian, the destination channel for all South Asians living in Australia. Tune in to SBS Gujarati live on Wednesdays and Fridays at 2pm on SBS South Asian on digital radio, on channel 305 on your television, via the SBS Audio app or stream from our website . You can also enjoy programs in 10 South Asian languages, plus SBS Spice content in English. It is also available on SBS On Demand.
ABC News
7 hours ago
- ABC News
Come behind the scenes with Lisa Millar as Back Roads takes on the mighty Snowy River
When Lisa Millar and the Back Roads crew set out to film along the mighty Snowy River, they knew there could be some logistical hurdles involved. "As soon as I got into the water I was immediately reminded that this was not gentle," Millar said. "This is a landscape that can turn on you at any time and that is what was proven to us several times throughout the trip." The week-long trip took Millar and the crew of four from one end of the Snowy to the other. Beginning in the mountains of NSW, the group finished their journey in the coastal town of Marlo, Victoria, where the river meets the ocean. It also involved not one, but two trips into the river by Millar. "It was an experience that first time - the kayaking - and then when I was in the double [raft], the question was how do you keep equipment dry?" The solution required a little out-of-the box thinking. "A trick that [sound operators] do is they put the microphone in a condom, because it's waterproof," Millar said. "I took a photo of it because it was quite funny!" But the crew's challenges didn't end when the kayaking trip did. "There were a lot of times when there were added challenges for the camera crew particularly when you are going into places where you can't take your own vehicle," she said. "Like when we went down with the buggy." Millar said there was one day where the plan was to venture down a track called Betts Creek into a particularly remote area to do a piece to camera by the river. While the track starts out in lush tree fern and mountain ash forest, it soon becomes steep and rocky. But it's the red clay sections that, with even the smallest rainfall, bring people unstuck — as the team found out. Despite all the checks and precautions, the Snowy proved it's not to be messed with. "I was like, 'I'm just gonna finish this piece to camera' and they're like, 'We need to get out of here now'. "As it started to drizzle, the red dirt started to turn into that claggy glue, so there was a real urgency for us to get up and out of there. And that's when we blew a tyre. "Camera operator Stu Heppell and one of the guides began the slow walk uphill to get a phone signal while the rest of us stayed with the buggy, grateful we'd packed snacks and a sense of humour." Heppell and the tour guide eventually made it far enough up the hill to call for help and another buggy came to the rescue. "It was another reminder that the Snowy has the reputation it deserves — that it can be incredible, but it can also be incredibly unpredictable," Millar said. "Even with all of the processes we put in place … you're still reminded of your own vulnerability and your own smallness when you are in that kind of landscape." Even with the unexpected hurdles, Millar was taken aback by the experience of not just the environment, but the people that live and work along the river. She said she was inspired by the "endless passion" they had, even when they were pushed to their limits. She's hoping that, like her, people walk away with a renewed love and awe for the region. "My take away from it all is that I have travelled around the world, for fun as well as work, and yet I just didn't have the appreciation of what was on our own doorstep." Stream the new season of Back Roads free on ABC iview or watch Thursdays at 8pm on ABC TV.
ABC News
8 hours ago
- ABC News
All Black Leroy Carter set for Pumas tour despite his dog eating his passport
Leroy Carter's dream call-up to New Zealand's Rugby Championship squad nearly turned sour when he discovered his passport had been chewed up by his dog days before leaving for Argentina. Utility back Carter, named among the injury replacements in Scott Robertson's All Blacks squad, found his passport ruined on his bed and had to scramble to arrange a new one. "I got my passport out to take a photo to send to the (team) manager and I just left it on my bedside table," the 26-year-old told New Zealand media. "My partner went to the gym and left my dog home alone and it's gone down the hallway, jumped on the bed and just chewed up the passport and my teeth aligners. "It was a bit of a shambles yesterday. I was trying to get an emergency one but I think it's all sussed (sorted) now. "I thought it would happen to me, something like that, so no point getting stressed about it, just trying to sort it out." Most of the All Blacks squad will fly out on Friday for Argentina where they play their Rugby Championship opener against the Pumas in Cordoba next week. Carter, who represented New Zealand in rugby sevens at the Paris Olympics and won a bronze with the squad at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, earned his first All Blacks call-up after his debut season with the Waikato Chiefs in Super Rugby. Carter said he was out for breakfast with his partner and some of his teammates from provincial side Bay of Plenty when Robertson called to confirm his selection on Monday. "I got an unknown-number call. I guess I thought if there was a day to answer those it was probably (that day) and he just said congratulations," said Carter. "I honestly can't really remember what else he said after that. I was pretty emotional and pretty stoked to get a phone call like that. "All the boys were pretty pumped but I was still in a bit of a shock." Reuters
