How to Replace a Lost, Stolen or Damaged Australian Passport

What should you do if your Australian passport is lost, stolen or damaged?

The correct action depends on what happened to the passport. If it is lost or stolen, report it to the Australian Passport Office as soon as possible. Once reported, it is cancelled and cannot be used again. You then need to apply for a new passport.

If the passport is damaged, do not assume that you need a completely new passport. Minor damage may qualify for renewal or a replacement passport, while major damage requires a new passport.

You can start a new or replacement application through the Australian Passport Office application portal where applicable, but completing an application form online does not always mean the whole process is completed online. Lodgement requirements depend on the type of application.

What should you do if your Australian passport is lost?

If you have searched for your passport and believe it is genuinely lost, you must report it by calling the Australian Passport Office. If you are overseas, contact your nearest Australian embassy or consulate.

Make sure the passport really is lost before reporting it. Once you make the report, the Passport Office cancels the passport and notifies border authorities in Australia and overseas. You cannot use it again even if you later find it.

The Australian Passport Office states that there are penalties for failing to report a lost or stolen passport as soon as possible.

What should you do if your passport is stolen?

Report the stolen passport to the Australian Passport Office as soon as possible. The Passport Office also recommends reporting the theft to police and keeping a copy of the police report.

If your passport is stolen overseas, report the theft to local police and contact the nearest Australian embassy or consulate. The Passport Office also advises reporting the theft to Australian police when you return to Australia.

When applying for the new passport, give as much information as possible about the theft and provide the police report or police report number where available.

Can you replace or renew a lost or stolen Australian passport?

No. The Australian Passport Office states that a passport cannot be replaced if it is lost, stolen or cancelled. A lost or stolen passport is also not eligible for passport renewal.

You must apply for a new passport. You can complete the application form through the Australian Passport Office application portal, obtain a blank paper form from a participating post office, or contact an Australian embassy or consulate if you are overseas.

If you were instead looking to renew an existing passport that you can still present, see the separate guide to renewing an Australian adult passport.

How much does a new passport cost after loss or theft?

Because a lost or stolen passport requires a new passport rather than a replacement passport, the normal new-passport fee applies. From 1 January 2026:

• 10-year adult passport for people aged 16 or over: AUD $422.
• 5-year child passport for children under 16: AUD $213.
• Optional 5-year adult passport for people aged 75 or over: AUD $213.

The $265 replacement passport fee is for eligible replacement situations and does not apply simply because a passport has been lost or stolen.

What counts as a damaged Australian passport?

A damaged, worn or faulty passport can prevent you from travelling. The Australian Passport Office distinguishes between minor damage and major damage because that distinction determines whether the passport may be replaced or renewed or whether you need a new passport.

What is minor passport damage?

Damage may be considered minor if you can still be identified as the passport holder, there is some damage to the photo page, stitching or visa pages, and the passport has not been tampered with or altered.

If the passport has more than 2 years validity remaining, you may be eligible for a replacement passport. A replacement passport keeps the same expiry date as the passport it replaces.

If it has less than 2 years validity remaining, the Passport Office directs you to apply for passport renewal and pay the relevant fee. Renewal costs the same as a new passport.

What is major passport damage?

The Passport Office considers damage major if you cannot be identified as the passport holder, the document cannot be identified as an Australian passport, the passport number is unreadable, there are major tears or damage to the photo page, stitching or visa pages, or the passport has been tampered with or altered.

A passport with major damage cannot be renewed or replaced. You need to apply for a new passport and pay the applicable new-passport fee.

What if your Australian passport is water damaged?

A water-damaged passport falls under the Passport Office's damaged-passport rules. The important question is not simply whether the passport became wet, but whether the resulting damage is minor or major under the official criteria.

If you can still be identified, the relevant pages and stitching have only some damage, and the document has not been altered or tampered with, it may fall within the minor-damage process. If water damage has made the passport number unreadable, caused major damage to the photo page, stitching or visa pages, or means you can no longer be identified from the passport, it meets the published indicators of major damage and requires a new passport.

If you are unsure whether the damage is minor or major, contact the Australian Passport Office before relying on the passport for travel.

How do you replace a passport with minor damage?

If the passport has minor damage and more than 2 years validity remaining, you may qualify for a replacement passport. You apply for a replacement adult passport in the same way as a new adult passport.

In Australia, you can complete the form through the application portal or obtain a blank paper form from a participating post office. If you are travelling or living outside Australia, contact the nearest Australian embassy or consulate.

You must also complete Form B-11 General Declaration explaining when, where and how the passport was damaged, and provide the damaged passport when you lodge the application.

If you complete the application online, lodge it at a participating post office. If online application is not an option and you have to pay a replacement fee, lodge the application at a passport office by appointment.

How much is a replacement passport for minor damage?

The replacement passport application fee is AUD $265 in 2026.

A replacement passport keeps the same expiry date as the passport being replaced. For example, if an eligible damaged passport has 3 years validity remaining, the replacement passport will also expire in 3 years.

If the passport was damaged in a declared natural disaster, you may be eligible to have the replacement application fee waived. Evidence of the circumstances is required.

Do you have to hand in the damaged passport?

Yes. Provide the damaged passport when lodging the application. If you are in Australia and it is a current passport, it will generally be cancelled when you lodge the application, which means it can no longer be used for travel or identification.

If the damage is major and you are applying for a new passport rather than a replacement, any remaining validity does not carry over. The new passport is valid from its date of issue.

How long does a replacement or new passport take?

For routine service, the Australian Passport Office advises applicants to allow at least 6 weeks from lodgement. Its published service information says it targets 95% of travel documents being available within 6 weeks of lodgement, although complex applications can take longer.

Eligible customers in Australia who need a passport sooner can use faster processing. Priority service processes a complete application within 2 business days after the Passport Office receives it and costs an additional $308 in 2026. Fast Track processes a complete application within 5 business days and costs an additional $107.

Those processing periods do not include the time needed for the application to reach the Passport Office or postage and delivery. The Passport Office's current end-to-end estimates show up to 11 business days for Priority and up to 14 business days for Fast Track when standard application transmission and postal delivery are included.

If you need urgent travel, see the separate guide to faster Australian passport processing.

Who cannot use Priority or Fast Track processing?

Priority and Fast Track services are available only to eligible customers in Australia. The Passport Office states that faster processing is not available if you apply from outside Australia, have difficulty proving your identity, apply for a child passport without full parental consent, or have had 2 or more passports lost or stolen in the previous 5 years.

What if you lose or have your passport stolen overseas?

If your Australian passport is lost or stolen overseas, report it by contacting your nearest Australian embassy or consulate. The cancelled passport cannot be used again.

You will need to apply for a new passport rather than renew the lost or stolen one. Processing and delivery arrangements can vary by overseas location, and the Passport Office advises allowing at least 6 weeks for a standard overseas application while contacting the relevant embassy or consulate for local arrangements.

In 2026, overseas applications generally attract an additional surcharge of $189 for an adult passport or $92 for a child passport.

Can you get an emergency passport overseas?

If you are overseas and have an urgent need to travel, you can apply for an emergency passport at an Australian embassy or consulate. Emergency passports are available only to applicants overseas.

An emergency passport is valid for up to one year and does not contain a passport chip. Because of this, restrictions can apply in some countries, so check the passport and visa requirements of every country you intend to enter or transit.

The emergency passport fee is AUD $265 in 2026. You can apply for a full-validity passport at the same time, but both application fees apply.

For the detailed urgent overseas process, see how to get an Australian emergency passport while overseas.

What happens if you lose or have passports stolen repeatedly?

Repeated loss or theft can affect the validity of the next passport. If your passport is lost or stolen twice within 5 years, the next adult passport will be valid for only 5 years instead of the standard 10 years, but the 10-year passport fee still applies.

If a passport is lost or stolen 3 or more times within 5 years, the next passport will have a maximum validity of 2 years, or the Passport Office may decide not to issue a passport. The 10-year passport fee still applies.

If you prove that the loss or theft happened because of exceptional circumstances beyond your control, the Passport Office states that it will not count that incident against you. Give full details and supporting documents such as police reports.

What if you find the passport after reporting it lost?

You cannot start using it again. Once a passport has been reported lost or stolen, it is cancelled and border authorities are notified. It remains invalid even if you later recover it.

If you find the passport and show it to the Passport Office, the Office may decide not to count the incident against your loss or theft record. You will need to explain what happened using Form B11.

What should you do after receiving the new passport?

Check the details in the new passport as soon as you receive it. If you hold an Australian visa or other immigration record linked to your previous passport, you may also need to update your new passport details on your Australian visa.