Australians will soon pay more for the privilege of a ‘kangaroo-branded’ passport. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) confirmed on 18 December that the cost of a standard 10-year passport will rise by AUD 17 to AUD 422 from New Year’s Day 2026, keeping it the most expensive travel document globally ahead of Mexico (about AUD 336). Officials say the increase reflects CPI adjustments and the ongoing roll-out of next-generation e-passport chips and biometric security features.
For global mobility managers the fee hike is a budgeting headache: large corporates that routinely renew executive passports—or arrange frequent-traveller second passports—will see line-item costs jump roughly 4 per cent. DFAT counters that the passport offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to more than 180 countries, underpinning Australia’s strong ranking in most mobility indices.
![World’s priciest passport gets dearer: Australian travel document to cost AUD 422 from 1 January]()
Data released with the announcement show more than 30,000 Australian passports were lost or stolen abroad in 2025, with Italy, Spain and France topping theft locations. Medibank, meanwhile, reported that North American medical evacuations continue to drive seven-figure travel-insurance claims, reinforcing the need for robust pre-departure risk briefings.
Industry groups have called on DFAT to introduce bulk-application rebates for accredited employers, but the department says the user-pays model remains ‘appropriate’. Travellers lodging before 31 December will still pay the current AUD 405 fee, prompting a pre-holiday rush at Australia Post outlets. Mobility teams should remind employees that expedited processing surcharges (AUD 250) remain unchanged, pushing urgent replacements close to AUD 700 once photo and agency fees are included.
For global mobility managers the fee hike is a budgeting headache: large corporates that routinely renew executive passports—or arrange frequent-traveller second passports—will see line-item costs jump roughly 4 per cent. DFAT counters that the passport offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to more than 180 countries, underpinning Australia’s strong ranking in most mobility indices.
Data released with the announcement show more than 30,000 Australian passports were lost or stolen abroad in 2025, with Italy, Spain and France topping theft locations. Medibank, meanwhile, reported that North American medical evacuations continue to drive seven-figure travel-insurance claims, reinforcing the need for robust pre-departure risk briefings.
Industry groups have called on DFAT to introduce bulk-application rebates for accredited employers, but the department says the user-pays model remains ‘appropriate’. Travellers lodging before 31 December will still pay the current AUD 405 fee, prompting a pre-holiday rush at Australia Post outlets. Mobility teams should remind employees that expedited processing surcharges (AUD 250) remain unchanged, pushing urgent replacements close to AUD 700 once photo and agency fees are included.
Source: The Australian
