Entry to Australia with an expired passport
#1
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Joined: Apr 2019
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Entry to Australia with an expired passport
Hi,
Myself and my two children are dual Australian and UK citizens and hold passports for both countries. We currently reside in the UK and are booked to return to Australia this July for a 5 week holiday. I have just realised that all our Australian passports are expired so I attempted to apply for a visitors visa (I did this as I may not have time to travel to London to renew our Australian passports prior to travel and also to try keep expenses down). My applications for a visa was declined as I can’t have a visitor visas as citizen. Will I have any trouble boarding the plane and entering Australia with an expired Australia but current UK passport? I have rang both Australian immigration and the airline who would not commit to a decision either way. Does anyone have any recent experience with this? Thanks in advance!
Myself and my two children are dual Australian and UK citizens and hold passports for both countries. We currently reside in the UK and are booked to return to Australia this July for a 5 week holiday. I have just realised that all our Australian passports are expired so I attempted to apply for a visitors visa (I did this as I may not have time to travel to London to renew our Australian passports prior to travel and also to try keep expenses down). My applications for a visa was declined as I can’t have a visitor visas as citizen. Will I have any trouble boarding the plane and entering Australia with an expired Australia but current UK passport? I have rang both Australian immigration and the airline who would not commit to a decision either way. Does anyone have any recent experience with this? Thanks in advance!
#2
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Joined: Nov 2012
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Posts: 9,740
Re: Entry to Australia with an expired passport
Renew your passports . Is that such a big deal ?
https://www.passports.gov.au/passpor.../passport-fees
https://www.passports.gov.au/passpor.../passport-fees
#3
Re: Entry to Australia with an expired passport
Yup, they won't let you on the plane without a hell if a lot of hassle which the airline may not be prepared to do.. If you're quick you should get them all renewed in time but the wait list for appointments is running around 6 weeks at the moment. Unfortunately the eye watering expense is not something you can avoid.
#4
Re: Entry to Australia with an expired passport
Not a problem. Just arrive at the airport in good time, present your expired Australian passports at check-in and request an uplift. They’ll ring Australian immigration who will confirm your status and give the airline permission to board you for a flight to Australia. Expect a ticking-off on arrival and then just renew your passports as soon as possible.
#5
Re: Entry to Australia with an expired passport
In theory what Britinparis said should work.
Australia will let you in if you can prove citizenship BUT airlines don’t HAVE to let you fly without the documents. They can ring and check but they don’t have to.
Get to the airport very early and that will give you plenty of time to sort it out, especially if the first reps you speak to are not co operative. They are getting less tolerant of people who do not have the correct paperwork........
#6
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Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,900
Re: Entry to Australia with an expired passport
Do you have your Australian Citizenship Certificate? Can the High Commission give you something stating you are a citizen, if a passport can't be delivered in time?
#8
Re: Entry to Australia with an expired passport
But they've got plenty of time to get a new passport, there really is no excuse
#9
Re: Entry to Australia with an expired passport
Depends on the availability of appointments, but yes, that’s what they should be doing in the first instance. That being said now that an Australian passport when applied for overseas is the most expensive passport in the world and requires you to apply in-person I understand their reluctance.
#10
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Joined: Apr 2019
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Re: Entry to Australia with an expired passport
Thanks everyone for your responses. I plan to ring tomorrow and try get an appointment to renew our passports. I am hoping I can get a suitable appointment in time. I live in the a North East of England and work full-time in a school so have limited time slots when I will be able to travel to London. To be honest I was also asking as the price for 3 overseas passports and then the travel costs for the 3 of us to get to London will make a decent dent in my bank account. That being said I would rather be safe than sorry! Thanks again.
#11
Last resort... format c:/
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Re: Entry to Australia with an expired passport
Lou, how did things work out? Did you lodge the application asap?
One other thing that comes to mind reading this thread is what happens if they let you in... but won't let you out on an expired passport?
One other thing that comes to mind reading this thread is what happens if they let you in... but won't let you out on an expired passport?
#12
Re: Entry to Australia with an expired passport
A fairly moot point as the airline wouldn’t let you check in with an expired passport.
#13
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Re: Entry to Australia with an expired passport
Just thinking that even if you are a dual-citizen, I don't suppose Australia will let you leave on an expired Australian passport even if you were let in on it.
#14
Re: Entry to Australia with an expired passport
They’ll let you leave - they can’t stop you - but you’ll get a ticking off and you’ll be flagged up when you return.
#15
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Re: Entry to Australia with an expired passport
I managed to get an outreach appointment in Leeds which I didn’t realise even existed! £479 later.... 3 passport renewal applications lodged. Just awaiting delivery. I was planning to get them renewed while in Perth so would have had a valid passport, or I assumed I could have left on my British passport.