British Passports when in Australia
 

If you need to renew or apply for a new British passport, you can have your application reviewed at a participating Australia Post retail outlet.

http://auspost.com.au/passports-id/b...passports.html

This is the link to the UK-based information

https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

Re: British Passports when in Australia
 

Lots of general questions about passports and proof of ID are addressed in the previous thread here

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7580833

but please check that the info is still current before acting on it. The link to the thread is for general guidance only.

To answer some of the common questions:

- Australia Post can do UK-sized Passport photos
- if you are living in Aus you must apply here, UNLESS you are going back to the UK on holiday, have an address there you can use, and have enough time to sort the renewal over there,
- If you need a photo etc counter-signed and have not known anyone in Aus long enough then you can go to a JP, they will sign to the effect that they don't know you but are happy to verify your identity.
- If you have a visa label in your old passport it will not be transferred to the new one, but you can carry both passports and show the existing visa label - it is still valid. If you want a new label (not essential) then you need to go to a DIAC office, and there is now a charge for it.

Irish passport? Here's the link for a new one of those while in Aus
http://www.embassyofireland.au.com/h....aspx?id=81799

Re: British Passports when in Australia
 

Is there an online tracking service? I know the forms got delivered by Auspost but the tracking facility on the uk gov website seems to be just an email address or premium phone line and aimed at UK based applications.

Re: British Passports when in Australia
 

Not sure - I'm not aware of one, and there wasn't when I did mine a year or so back. As far as I know its only the Aus Post system :(

Re: British Passports when in Australia
 

You can also go to your bank (not even your own branch) and prove who you are by your bank cards etc and they will countersign for free.

Passport renewal
 

Just wondering if anyone is aware of how long it takes to get British Passport renewed in Australia?
Applied for an overseas job & need passport back asap, as looks like I'm in with a shout for the job & they will want me to start this month. Also what happens with the visa in the old passport, do they transfer it over or would I have to pay to get another one put in there?

Re: Passport renewal
 

Sorry, don't know how long the new passport takes, but you use form 929 to notify DIAC of the change - http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/visa...ies/change.htm

Re: Passport renewal
 

No changes, just had an expired passport.
Says on website up to 6 weeks, I really can't wait that long, will get passed over for the job as would be starting within 2 weeks.

Re: Passport renewal
 

Yeah I understood - Form 929 is for

Re: Passport renewal
 

Mine took about 3 weeks but thats a good 2 years ago. Reports on here suggest the timing has usually been pretty close to what is quoted, but the system has changed a fair bit lately.
Have a look here for current info.

You don't have to get a sticker in the new passport, you can just carry both passports. If you want a new sticker it now costs $70 over the counter at a DIAC office.

Re: Passport renewal
 

Just done two of ours - OH and my son.
From having the applications checked at the post office here in Darwin, to receiving 2 new ones direct from the UK - 13 days.
A bit surprised to say the least, took twice as long to get them renewed when we were in the UK!

Re: Passport renewal
 

As far as I know they do them at the British Consulate in Canberra? Hope it's 2 weeks for me also, as need it by the end of the month at the latest! :eek:

Re: Passport renewal
 

All UK passport applications now end up in the UK for the passport to be issued. You apply via an appointment at certain post offices in Australia, and it gets sent off for processing.

It was announced a couple of years ago that all UK passport applications will be dealt with in the UK, and this has either now been achieved or is on the way. It seems quite expensive from Australia too, an adult renewal has the following costs depending on country of application:

UK - £72.50
USA/Canada - £128.00 (application to be sent direct to Durham in the UK)
Australia - AU$282.21 (approx. £170)

New Zealand is similarly expensive at NZ$337.69 (approx. £180)

Re: Passport renewal
 

Canberra stopped a good while ago. They were done in New Zealand for 3 years or so, and now in the UK.

Re: Passport renewal
 

I was informed that my application was not being dealt with in the UK & I tracked it as being delivered to Canberra.
So I'm assuming it's at the British consulate & I'll have to spend $3.52 per minute to discuss my application with them on their premium rate number. So premium added to passport application then a premium rate to speak to anyone about it.
To add insult to injury I need it for 2 months, then I'll not be using it much as will get a nice new shiny Aussie passport as will be up for Citizenship then :eek:

Re: Passport renewal
 

Maybe they have just moved them back to Canberra then; certainly when Aus Post started dealing with the applications they were all going to NZ, that was about 3 years ago, as I did mine then and it came from NZ.
Then they said a few months back that everything would be processed in the UK in future - that was when all the website was redesigned, about 6 months back I think.

Re: Passport renewal
 

How did you track it to Canberra?

Australia Post forward the applications. It may be a similar approach to applying for a UK visa in Australia - applications are sent to Sydney, then forwarded to Manila. With passports they may go to Canberra and then forwarded to the UK for issuing (and probably processing now too).

Re: Passport renewal
 

The gov.uk website is one of the most annoying government websites. The Tories announced they would reduce the number of websites, and they seem to be aiming for one website for everything. It's difficult to get information, it's poorly designed, when things are updated it seems to take longer for this website to be updated to reflect the changes, and it's just ridiculous that different departments can't have their own website with a design that better reflects what is required of it. The gov.uk website should really be a portal rather than a one size fits all approach.

Re: Passport renewal
 

Thats what I thought, I was sure the passports were now actually issued from the UK, not from Canberra.

Re: Passport renewal
 

As I stated above, we got ours in 13 days.
Definitely shipped from the UK, although initially I think Auspost sends them to Canberra. - arrived via DHL in an envelope with London Heathrow - Darwin flight sticker on it.

Re: Passport renewal
 

Thats pretty good service really :)

Re: Passport renewal
 

Applications for Australian residents are processed at the High Commission in Wellington but the passports themselves are printed in the UK and then couriered to the customer's postal address in Australia. The FCO is in the final stages of winding down its role in passport processing and by April next year all applicants worldwide will need to send their applications directly to the UK for processing. AFAIK HMPO is maintaining the Auspost application option however.

Re: Passport renewal
 

Thanks for the clarification :)

Re: Passport renewal
 

No worries. HMG tend to try and make things as clear as mud if they can help it.

Re: Passport renewal
 

Taking lessons from the Aussies :D

Re: Passport renewal
 

Hi there

We renewed ours this year. albeit we are in NZ, but we actually had our news passports from the UK in less than 7 days. Service was outstanding and so much better than we expected - that was in January.

Fingers crossed :fingerscrossed:

Re: Passport renewal
 

Mine took 2 weeks when I renewed last year. Application was sent by Aus. Post to British High Commission in Wellington, NZ for processing and then the new passport was sent from a secure printing facility in the UK.

The cancelled passport and new passport arrived within a day of each other. A quick (but expensive) process!
Current fees for renewal of a burgundy British passport from AU are:

AUD 282.21 for an adult 32 page passport
AUD 325.81 for an adult 48 page passport
AUD 205.81 for a child passport

Re: Passport renewal
 

Can anyone confirm whether expired passports (2 years +) are still classed as renewal?

Re: British Passports when in Australia
 

Threads merged :thumbup:

Re: Passport renewal
 

Generally speaking, providing a passport expired less than ten years, it would be counted as a renewal.

Re: British Passports when in Australia
 

Thanks :) I thought it was okay from memory but I couldn't find a definitive answer on gov.uk website.

Re: Passport renewal
 

how did you get on?

British Passports Renewal in Australia processing changes
 

Hello all went to Australia post to get my wife her British Passport App form and they said from Monday they will only check them for a price and that you do it yourself online? Anyone know more about this and how would you submit your two photos? Apparently its happening Monday??

Re: British Passports when in Australia
 

I have just had my UK passport renewed. Applied via Australia Post on the 11th December 2013, new one in my hand via DHL from UK on the 24th December 2013.

Thing is, it's now been 4 weeks and I haven't received my old one back yet?:thumbdown:

Can anyone offer an indication as to how long this usually takes?

Does it come via regular post, registered post or via DHL?

I am travelling soon and although I've submitted a 929 to DIAC I'd be happier travelling with the old passport containing PR visa as well as new one.

Thanks.

Re: British Passports Renewal in Australia processing changes
 

First I've heard of it but i'll look into it

Re: British Passports when in Australia
 

The RPPC in Wellington is closing by the end of March so you'll be sending any new applications directly to the UK from this point onwards. When Wellington closes together with the passport office in Dublin all overseas passport production will cease. With a few exceptions where the local situation dictate otherwise there will be no FCO involvement in the issuing of British passports from April onwards.

If you head to https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports from Monday you'll see the on-line application you now have to complete in order to renew your passport from Australia.

Re: British Passports when in Australia
 

Should have arrived by now. Might be a bit slow due to the Christmas holidays. Give it a week and then start rattling cages.

Re: British Passports when in Australia
 

Thanks, figured as much. Any clues/advice where I should focus my cage rattling? Office in which country, contact number, email address, website?

Cheers.

Re: British Passports when in Australia
 

Your new passport came from the UK, but your old passport would have gone to Wellington. I would start there.

https://www.gov.uk/government/world/...ion-wellington

Might have to be a bit pushy to get beyond the receptionist though.

Re: British Passports when in Australia
 

Thanks for that, much appreciated :)