Renewing your UK Passport
Since mid 2009 it has gotten easier to renew your UK passort in Australia. Apart
from a cost, it is a case of visiting a registered Australian Post outlet that is
allowed to process British Passport Applications along with some accompanying information. If
you do not have a Red British passport, please read the sections below for more
details on what you need to do
The first step is to find an appropriatly registered Australian Post Office. This
is pretty simple via the Australian Post website. Select
the first option to search for a 'Post Office', enter your location details and
then click on the 'Application & Form Lodgement' section. When a
drop-down appears select 'British Passport Application'. The website
should now present you with a list of the nearest Australian Post offices that can
process your application.
What about my visa?
The website
UK in Australia Foreign & Commonwealth Office states that you will need
an Australian re-entry visa in your new British passport to re-enter Austrlia and
that they DO NOT transfer visas to new passports. Please call
the number provided to speak to the Immigration department on what you need to do
What to take with you
- form C1 or C2 depending on your age;
- your exisiting passport;
- 2 passport photos;
- the application fee
Form C1 and C2
Use form C1 if you are 16 years of age or over and
form C2 if you are under 16 years of age
Your exisiting passport
Your exisiting passport must be a valid one and will be cancelled and returned to
you on completion of the application
2 passport photos
MUST be identically sized passport photos. One of the photos must
be counter-signed by the same person that counter-signs your application. The
website
UK in Australia Foreign & Commonwealth Office has a page detailing the
acceptance criteria for passport photos.
The application fee
The website UK in Australia Foreign & Commonwealth Office has a
page on the fees required for renewing passports. Please note though
that prices are in AUD Work out the price in GBP using the current exchange
rate which is always in the top-right of our website. The application fee is also available in PDF format
Australia Post will also charge you another $50 for the service!!!
Old Black British Passports
If you have one of the old Black passports, your application to renew the passport
will be treated as a 'First Time Application' which will have to be submitted along
with all supporting documentation such as Birth certificat, Marriage certificate
etc... The website UK in Australia Foreign & Commonwealth Office has a
page dedicated to first time applicants
Renewing Expired Passports
If your expired passport is less than 10 years expired and is a red passport, then
simply complete a new application. If the passport is more than 10 years
expired, or is a Black passport, you will need to apply for a passport as a First
Time Applicant and is detailed in the section above