How to Apply for Your First Australian Adult Passport in Australia

How to apply for your first Australian adult passport

If you are applying for an Australian adult passport for the first time, you need to use the new adult passport application process rather than passport renewal. You must prove your Australian citizenship and identity, provide 2 compliant passport photos, arrange a referee or guarantor, complete the application form and lodge it in person.

You can prepare the application online, but the process is not fully online. After completing the online form, you must print it and take it with your original documents and passport photos to a participating Australia Post outlet.

Who can apply for an Australian passport?

You can apply for an Australian passport if you are an Australian citizen. The Australian Passport Office specifically notes that not everyone born in Australia is an Australian citizen, so you must provide evidence that proves your citizenship.

A standard Australian passport for a person aged 16 or over can be issued with 10-year validity. Applicants aged 75 or over can alternatively choose a 5-year adult passport.

What documents do you need for your first Australian passport?

The documents depend on where you were born and how you acquired Australian citizenship. You must bring original documents when lodging your application.

If you were born in Australia

You need your full, original Australian birth certificate issued by the relevant state or territory Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. You also need to provide the citizenship evidence required for your date and circumstances of birth and the additional identity documents required by the Australian Passport Office.

If your Australian birth was not registered, the Passport Office directs you to contact the relevant Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages about late registration. Alternative evidence may apply in limited circumstances.

If you were born outside Australia

An adult applicant born overseas must provide their Australian citizenship certificate. You must also provide evidence of your gender and place of birth if this information is not shown on the citizenship certificate.

Accepted evidence of gender and place of birth can include an Australian citizenship certificate containing those details, an original foreign birth certificate translated into English, a foreign passport or other official documents showing gender and place of birth, or a full original Australian post-adoption birth certificate where applicable.

What identity documents do you need?

In addition to citizenship and birth evidence, you need identity documents showing your current photo, signature and address.

The preferred combination for an application lodged in Australia is one Category A document and one Category B document. If neither shows your current address, also provide one Category C document showing your current address.

Category A identity documents

Category A includes a current physical or digital driver licence issued by an Australian state or territory, or an Australian state or territory proof of age card or photo card. These documents must be original and current.

Category B identity documents

Category B includes documents such as a Medicare card, Centrelink card, Department of Veterans' Affairs card, credit card or bank account card, foreign passport or a qualifying previous Australian passport. Category B documents must generally be original and current, subject to the Passport Office's specific rule for qualifying Australian passports.

Category C address documents

Category C includes documents such as motor vehicle registration or insurance papers, property rates notices, property lease agreements, home insurance papers, utility bills and bank or credit card statements. These documents must be no more than 12 months old when you apply.

If you cannot provide the preferred Category A and Category B combination, the Australian Passport Office publishes alternative combinations. Check the identity document rules before lodging rather than substituting documents without confirming they are accepted.

Do documents need to be in English?

Yes. Documents supplied with an Australian passport application must be in English or translated in full by an approved translation service.

Passport photo requirements for a first adult passport

You need 2 passport-sized photos that comply with Australian Passport Office standards. Official photo guidance requires good-quality colour photos that are less than 6 months old, clear and focused, with a plain white or light grey background and appropriate lighting.

Your face must be looking directly at the camera with your eyes open, mouth closed and a neutral expression. Glasses are generally not permitted except in limited medical circumstances covered by the official photo rules.

Photos that do not comply with the requirements can delay your application, so using a passport photo service familiar with Australian standards can reduce the risk of rejection.

Do you need a referee or guarantor for your first passport?

Yes. A new Australian passport application requires an eligible person to confirm your identity. Whether that person is called a referee or guarantor depends on how you complete the form.

If you complete the application online, you need a referee. The referee does not sign the application or photo, but must be willing to confirm your identity if contacted by the Australian Passport Office.

If you complete a paper application, you need a guarantor. The guarantor completes section 11 and signs the back of one passport photo using a black pen with the required declaration.

Who can be your referee or guarantor?

The person must be an adult Australian citizen who has known you for more than 12 months. They must also hold a current Australian passport with at least 2 years validity remaining or have been listed on the Australian electoral roll at their current address for at least 12 months.

They cannot be related to you by birth or marriage, be in a de facto or registered relationship with you, live at the same address as you, be an Australian Passport Officer or be an Australia Post employee.

You need to provide their full name, date of birth, daytime telephone number and either their Australian passport details or their address as recorded on the electoral roll.

How to complete the passport application online

Go to the Australian Passport Office application portal and complete the new adult passport form. When finished, download and print the form.

The Passport Office instructs applicants to print it on A4 paper in portrait orientation using black ink and the fit-to-page or printable-area option in the printer settings.

Gather the printed application, 2 passport photos and all required original identity and citizenship documents before going to Australia Post.

Can you use a paper passport application?

Yes. You can collect the green adult passport application form from a post office and complete it by hand. When using the paper form, you need a guarantor rather than a referee.

Where do you lodge your first Australian passport application?

Whether you complete the application online or on paper, a new adult passport application in Australia must be lodged at a participating Australia Post outlet.

Bring your completed application, passport photos and original identity documents. You pay the passport application fee when you lodge the application.

If you are physically unable to lodge the application in person, the Australian Passport Office instructs you to contact them for assistance rather than sending the standard application by mail.

How much does a first Australian adult passport cost in 2026?

From 1 January 2026, a standard Australian passport with 10-year validity for a person aged 16 or over costs AUD $422.

Applicants aged 75 or over can choose an optional 5-year adult passport for AUD $213.

If you qualify for faster processing, Priority service costs an additional AUD $308 and Fast Track service costs an additional AUD $107. These fees are paid on top of the standard passport application fee.

How long does a first Australian passport take?

The Australian Passport Office advises allowing at least 6 weeks from lodging your application to receive your new passport. Its routine service timeframe is up to 6 weeks.

For routine processing, the Passport Office indicates that sending the lodged application to the Passport Office may take up to 5 business days, processing may take up to 20 business days and posting the passport may take up to 5 business days.

You can track your application after lodgement using the Australian Passport Office application status tracker and your application number.

Can you get your first Australian passport faster?

Eligible customers applying in Australia can pay for Priority or Fast Track processing.

Priority processing

Priority processing costs an additional AUD $308 in 2026. The Australian Passport Office processes a complete application within 2 business days after receiving the application and all required supporting documents.

Fast Track processing

Fast Track processing costs an additional AUD $107. The Passport Office processes a complete application within 5 business days after receiving the application and all required supporting documents.

These processing periods do not include postage or delivery time. Faster processing is not available to every applicant. It is unavailable, for example, where there are difficulties proving identity and for applications lodged from outside Australia.

Australia Post Passport RAPID locations

If you are using a faster processing service, selected Australia Post Passport RAPID locations can send the application to the Australian Passport Office more quickly. If an application is lodged at a RAPID location before 12:00 pm on a business day, the Passport Office states that it will receive it the same day. Applications lodged after 12:00 pm or on a weekend are received the next business day.

How will you receive your first passport?

In Australia, the Australian Passport Office normally sends a completed passport by Registered Post. It emails you when the passport is sent and also sends an SMS with the Registered Post tracking number. Once posted, the Passport Office says it should arrive in about a week.

Passport delivery cannot be made to a Parcel Locker or Parcel Collection address. A passport sent to one of those addresses will be returned to the Australian Passport Office.

Can you collect your passport instead?

Yes. If you are aged 16 or over, you can request collection from your nearest passport office when you lodge the application. You cannot collect the completed passport from a post office.

The Australian Passport Office emails you when the passport is ready for collection. If you need a passport sooner, choosing collection can avoid the Registered Post delivery period.

What happens after lodging the application?

Keep your application number so you can check the application status online. The Passport Office may contact your referee, guarantor or you if it needs additional information to establish your identity, citizenship or entitlement to a passport.

Processing estimates assume the application is complete. Missing, inconsistent or unacceptable documents or photos can delay the application, so check the requirements carefully before lodging.