Designs and rollout of the new R-series passport (Australia)

[Trin Trin]

Seems like the passport office released some details (including designs) for the R-Series passports and the website said rolling out R-Series starting September 2022 to December 2022. The pages have since been taken down but I was able to get it through Google cache sites.

Some will receive the current 'P' series passport, while others would get the new 'R' series during the transition period.

 

[oz_mark]

Probably taken down to revise the text.

 

[RooFlyer]

With, presumably, a quick edit, replacing QE2 on the inside cover, with KCIII (although this has no bearing on the legitimacy/aceptability of a passport).

 

[ZigZagWanderer]

With, presumably, a quick edit, replacing QE2 on the inside cover, with KCIII (although this has no bearing on the legitimacy/aceptability of a passport).

Given that the QE2 is actually a ship (as opposed to QE II), it would definitely have a bearing on the legitimacy of a passport...

 

[dylarr]

The information about the R Series passport has been re-published on the APO's homepage:

https://www.passports.gov.au/australia-has-new-passport

https://www.passports.gov.au/features-australias-new-passport

https://www.passports.gov.au/r-series-questions-and-answers

And DFAT have posted an official announcement on their website announcing the launch:

https://www.dfat.gov.au/news/news/new-look-passport

Regarding the death of Her Majesty the Queen, pages for more than 1 million R Series booklets have already been printed and this stock will be exhausted before booklets with revised text referencing His Majesty King Charles III will be issued.

Will the R Series passport reference King Charles III on the Governor General’s page?​

Not initially. There are long lead times for making blank passports, and pages for more than one million R Series had already been printed before the death of Her Majesty the Queen.

We will exhaust existing stock before issuing passports with revised text that reflects the accession of His Majesty King Charles III.

This is consistent with passport practice in other Commonwealth countries where the Queen was head of state.

 

[Coorparoo]

Just got the new R passport. Bit concerned about the golden wattle motif on the photo page. The leaf extends to the actual passport photo and makes the page look dodgy like someone has been tampering with the page. Not happy about it.

 

[k_sheep]

Just got my Dads new passport. I'm not a fan - the photos are so dark on the pages, it's going to be impossible to actually see the stamps! Especially red ones, or the faded out-of-ink ones you often get.

 

[jastel]

Does it still mention the Queen or have they changed it to King already?

 

[oz_mark]

Does it still mention the Queen or have they changed it to King already?

As has been mentioned, they had already printed stock for one million passports, and will exhaust these supplies first.

 

[RooFlyer]

Just got my Dads new passport. I'm not a fan

Just got mine - I'm not a fan either; who needs a travel brochure of your own country in a passport?

Does it still mention the Queen or have they changed it to King already?

As has been mentioned, they had already printed stock for one million passports, and will exhaust these supplies first.

Mine issued mid December still has QE II.

Interesting that the main photo is B&W, like on USA visas. Anyone know why? Perhaps it scans better than a colour photo, which may fade unevenly?

 

[oz_mark]

Just got mine - I'm not a fan either; who needs a travel brochure of your own country in a passport?





Mine issued mid December still has QE II.

Interesting that the main photo is B&W, like on USA visas. Anyone know why? Perhaps it scans better than a colour photo, which may fade unevenly?

It's laser engraved on a polycarbonate layer, rather than being printed.

 

[jpp42]

Received my "R" series this week, I don't mind the "travel brochure" aspect and I learned about some places that I hadn't heard of. It's interesting that only Sydney gets to show off man-made structures (bridge/opera house) while every other state/territory has natural features.

I'm definitely a fan of the strengthened photo page.

Now the question is can I get work to reimburse me, as the planned international trip which caused me to renew it a bit earlier than I would have planned, has now been cancelled...