Travellers renewing their Australian passports will pay more from New Year’s Day after the federal government confirmed the annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustment. A standard 10-year adult passport will rise by AU$10 to AU$422, while five-year passports for children and seniors jump AU$5 to AU$213. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) says the increase keeps passport operations fully cost-recovered and aligns with CPI.
Australia already issues the world’s most expensive travel document, and the latest rise consolidates that position. DFAT points out that demand remains strong—more than 2.1 million passports were issued in 2025—so applicants should book interview slots early to avoid the traditional January surge. Express processing (two business days) still adds AU$241, pushing a fast-track adult passport to AU$663.
![Australian passport price rises to AU$422 from 1 January 2026]()
If the extra bureaucracy feels daunting, VisaHQ can simplify the process. Their Australian platform (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) offers end-to-end support for passport renewals and visa applications, from secure document scanning to real-time status tracking, helping travellers save time even if the official fees can’t be avoided.
For global-mobility managers the timing matters: staff travelling after 1 January whose passports expire within six months will face the higher fee. Employers that reimburse documentation costs may wish to bring forward renewals or adjust per-diem budgets. Immigration advisers also remind Australians that some countries—most notably China and the United Arab Emirates—require at least seven months’ validity on arrival, effectively shortening the real life of the document.
Beyond passports, January’s rule changes include a permanent migration cap of 185,000 places and a new PBS prescription ceiling of AU$25, further evidence of the government’s incremental cost-of-living strategy. But for travellers, the headline remains clear: budget an extra AU$10 from midnight on 31 December.
Australia already issues the world’s most expensive travel document, and the latest rise consolidates that position. DFAT points out that demand remains strong—more than 2.1 million passports were issued in 2025—so applicants should book interview slots early to avoid the traditional January surge. Express processing (two business days) still adds AU$241, pushing a fast-track adult passport to AU$663.
If the extra bureaucracy feels daunting, VisaHQ can simplify the process. Their Australian platform (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) offers end-to-end support for passport renewals and visa applications, from secure document scanning to real-time status tracking, helping travellers save time even if the official fees can’t be avoided.
For global-mobility managers the timing matters: staff travelling after 1 January whose passports expire within six months will face the higher fee. Employers that reimburse documentation costs may wish to bring forward renewals or adjust per-diem budgets. Immigration advisers also remind Australians that some countries—most notably China and the United Arab Emirates—require at least seven months’ validity on arrival, effectively shortening the real life of the document.
Beyond passports, January’s rule changes include a permanent migration cap of 185,000 places and a new PBS prescription ceiling of AU$25, further evidence of the government’s incremental cost-of-living strategy. But for travellers, the headline remains clear: budget an extra AU$10 from midnight on 31 December.
