Passport Renewal / Application - Time Taken?

[prozac]

Who has received a passport renewal notice recently? I did today. My initial reaction is it is a bit cheeky. We have not been allowed to travel, yes I know essential services travelers can, for 12 months now, and we know we cannot fly before 21 June 2021. I know it pays to be prepared but as I was reading the email I was waiting for the offer "Renew before your passport expires to receive a discount".

We could be another 12 months away from travel with the government admitting the vaccine rollout could run into 2022.

Who is allowing their passport to go fallow whilst they wait for confirmation of dates for commencement of international travel?

 

[stryker]

Who is allowing their passport to go fallow whilst they wait for confirmation of dates for commencement of international travel?

I received the renewal notice a few weeks ago (my Australian passport expires in April 2021), and I'm doing absolutely nothing with it until I am sure that I will be able to travel overseas. I doubt I'll be in any rush in any case.

I still have my British passport, which is valid for several years.

 

[luxury-lizard]

I received the renewal notice a few weeks ago (my Australian passport expires in April 2021), and I'm doing absolutely nothing with it until I am sure that I will be able to travel overseas. I doubt I'll be in any rush in any case.

I still have my British passport, which is valid for several years.

If you have an Australian passport (ie are an Australian citizen) you cannot depart and/or arrive Australia on your British passport - I recommend renewing your Aussie passport before it expires otherwise the process is more complicated.

 

[AIRwin]

Who is allowing their passport to go fallow whilst they wait for confirmation of dates for commencement of international travel?

Mine expired in February 2021, the first time in 20+ years...

 

[stryker]

If you have an Australian passport (ie are an Australian citizen) you cannot depart and/or arrive Australia on your British passport - I recommend renewing your Aussie passport before it expires otherwise the process is more complicated.

Funnily enough, I know that, but it is somewhat reassuring. I have lived here for 50 years, and the process is NOT more complicated.

Oh, and being an Australian citizen, and having been a permanent officer of the Department of Immigration and of the Department of Foreign Affairs (at different times, of course) for many years helps with my understanding of the rules.

 

[Austman]

If you have an Australian passport (ie are an Australian citizen) you cannot depart and/or arrive Australia on your British passport - I recommend renewing your Aussie passport before it expires otherwise the process is more complicated.

You can depart.

I've done it.

It does need a bit of explanation of why at the departing passport control. (In my case, my Australian passport was away getting a visa)

It's not something to do regularly.

 

[oz_mark]

If you have an Australian passport (ie are an Australian citizen) you cannot depart and/or arrive Australia on your British passport - I recommend renewing your Aussie passport before it expires otherwise the process is more complicated.

You can still do the fast track renewal up to three years after your passport expires.

 

[luxury-lizard]

You can still do the fast track renewal up to three years after your passport expires.

Ah I did not know you had 3 years to do the online "easy" renewal - My passport was stolen in Croatia 2 years ago - so I had an emergency issued for the remainder of my travels but on return to OZ I had to go through the application process as though I had never had a passport - and as a naturalised Australian it was quite complicated particularly considering all my other identification was also stolen at the same time. Fortunately I did have my citizenship certificate and my Medicare Id (which was not stolen) was sufficient to get a new DL.

 

[SuePa]

My passport expires next month and I received an SMS a few weeks ago. I can't see any point in renewing straight away. I agree it's a bit cheeky, given current conditions, but maybe it's an automated service.

 

[pippen_2k]

Mine expired in November last year.

 

[love_the_life]

Luckily my current passport doesn’t expire til 2024 but if it was this year I would still renew. I just like to have one.

 

[Spongbob]

There might be some people who would complain if they did not receive notification of pending passport expiration.

 

[harvyk]

I'd be renewing it, given the relatively cheap cost of doing so, and they last 10 years why wouldn't you?
The pandemic isn't going to be around for ever, and a passport is one of those things you probably wouldn't think about whilst booking a trip.
There is nothing worse than waiting for a passport to be issued whilst also watching the departure date get closer and closer.

 

[coolsteps]

Anyone know if one would be allowed to re-enter Australia on a foreign passport and with their Australian citizenship certificate? Would airlines refuse boarding without a visa even though you have proof of citizenship and an expired Australian passport?

 

[Townsend]

My passport was due to expire at the middle of this year. The idea of not being able to travel as soon as the borders opened made me renew it at the end of 2020. Unsurprisingly it was very quick...it took four days!

 

[ThePointyEnd]

Anyone know if one would be allowed to re-enter Australia on a foreign passport and with their Australian citizenship certificate? Would airlines refuse boarding without a visa even though you have proof of citizenship and an expired Australian passport?

Yes, I travelled from Singapore on Qantas using a British passport and a NSW drivers licence as I'd left my Oz passport in the hotel room safe. I had to explain the position again on arrival and my British passport was stamped. Unfortunately, going back a week later it turned out that it wasn't my British passport that had been stamped but rather a Saudi embassy with complements slip that happened to be inside my passport. That was all too hard, and after exclaiming that none of it should have been allowed they waved me through. Amazing what can be done.

 

[jb747]

I'd be renewing it, given the relatively cheap cost of doing so, and they last 10 years why wouldn't you?

But why? You have a three year window before renewal becomes problematic. All you're doing is effectively shortening its useful life.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Mine expired mid last year. I renewed it immediately. The Australia Post offical and I joked about 'Where do I think I am going anywhere soon!'

Why renew it? There's one clear reason for me. ID. In several recent applications for things I would have found it exceptionally difficult to satisfy the ID requirements without having a valid passport (these were applications or instances where a drivers licence and a medicare card and other common documents were considered insufficient).

The other bonus is that the application was processed very quickly.

 

[hossein_au]

If you have an Australian passport (ie are an Australian citizen) you cannot depart and/or arrive Australia on your British passport - I recommend renewing your Aussie passport before it expires otherwise the process is more complicated.

I thought renewal of passports within 3 years of their expiry is the same process as renewal one that has not expired. What do you refer to as 'more complicated'?

P.S: Catching up with all the replies after posting this. Sounds like there is consensus that there is a 3-year window after passport expiry before the process indeed gets 'complicated'.

 

[luxury-lizard]

I thought renewal of passports within 3 years of their expiry is the same process as renewal one that has not expired. What do you refer to as 'more complicated'?

P.S: Catching up with all the replies after posting this. Sounds like there is consensus that there is a 3-year window after passport expiry before the process indeed gets 'complicated'.

Sorry not sure about the 3 year window - I thought it was if it had expired within 6 months (at most) - perhaps best to check with the gov web site. I do know that when my passport was stolen 2 years ago I needed to go through the whole process as if I had never had a passport (even though I did have a temporary one issued overseas) - I think the process for naturalised Aussies can be even more complicated - my Australian citizenship document is so old (ie issued before 1980) that the online application process rejected the reference number.

BTW - if the window is 3 years then I guess I understand people's reluctance to renew in the current environment. I personally always like to have valid passports (dual citizenship for me) . . . . you just never know when you might wish to travel or as @ Dr Ralph mentioned sometimes a passport is very useful for identification purposes here.