The cost of a new Australian passport will reach nearly $400 next year after the government announced a price increase in its mid-year budget update.
From 1 July 2024, the cost of obtaining an Australian passport will rise 15 per cent, which would make the world’s most expensive passport (among OECD nations) even more expensive.
The price hike is on top of a routine consumer price index rise, which if applied at September’s annual CPI rate of 5.4 per cent would see the cost of an adult 10-year passport grow from $325 to about $394 in mid-2024, Australian Associated Press reported.
The government predicts the measure will raise $349 million over three years, with the extra funds to be redirected to other priorities within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) portfolio.
“The funds from this one-off increase are all about making sure we can resource our passport systems and make them modern and fit for purpose, especially at a time where there are ongoing threats to people’s security and their identity,” Treasurer Jim Chalmers told reporters in Canberra, calling the increase a “relatively modest” one.
“What is a relatively modest change to passport fees… will mean the new cost of an ordinary Australian adult passport is still less than $40 a year over that 10-year period.”
According to DFAT, the additional fees are earmarked for modernising passport systems.
It added that Australian passport holders currently enjoy visa-free access to over 100 countries.
“This will ensure that Australia can stay ahead of the game in addressing rapidly evolving and more sophisticated threats to identity security,” a department spokesperson told AAP.
“The Australian passport is respected internationally as a high-quality travel document … it has a high level of technological sophistication, backed by rigorous anti-fraud measures, which ensures its integrity.”
Meanwhile, the Opposition says the second passport price increase in a year will be harmful.
“Tourism and trade are critical for our economy, employing thousands of Australians and particularly in regional and rural Australia,” Opposition tourism spokesperson Kevin Hogan said in a statement.
“This reinforces the fact that Labor doesn’t care about our regions, is increasing costs for consumers and damaging critical sectors in the economy.”
News of the passport price rise follows the announcement of an increase in the Passenger Movement Charge (PMC) from $60 to $70 in the Federal Budget earlier this year.
