Passport Renewal / Application - Time Taken?

[MZFlyer]

Thank you for this tip! We are at 7+ weeks' wait now, travelling in less than 3... simple adult renewals, not new applications, not children. Stupidly accepted the advice of the APO website that 'up to 6 weeks' was the timeframe. Started getting panicky last week and have never once been able to get through to the call centre. I emailed this morning advising of our travel date and asking for our passports to be processed with urgency, and amazingly received a reply within a few hours advising that our passports were now in the queue for printing and I should get an email in 3 business days, and if not I could call the officer back on this local number: (02) 9207 6968. The email seems to have come from the Sydney DFAT office. I am in Sydney, and my next thought was to just rock up to the APO in person at opening hour - because you can't even make an appointment through the call centre - and try my luck. I appreciate this is not an option for many people though!!

I hadn't had the promised email update after 3 days so rang the local number (see my prev post) and was advised by helpful Sydney DFAT person that our passports have progressed for printing, but the delay is so many people are opting to collect in person rather than risk further delay with Aust Post, so the Sydney APO is now printing a million of them whereas usually they are printed at more offsite locations... She flagged ours as urgent and said it will be done this coming week. It would really help if Aust Post and the APO had a coordinated response. We were specifically advised by Aust Post that collection would be quicker than tracked postage.

 

[AussueVic]

I need to do a priority renewal. If you collect your new passport at Aust Post rather than having it mailed to you, do the post office staff cut up your expired passport? What are the requirements around this?

I still need to keep my old one to show in a US visa interview along with my new passport, as I had originally applied with the one that’s since expired. They require you to bring in both.

It’s pretty stressful to read priority isn’t actually 3 days. Anyone in Melb had delays?

 

[ksthommo]

I need to do a priority renewal. If you collect your new passport at Aust Post rather than having it mailed to you, do the post office staff cut up your expired passport? What are the requirements around this?

I still need to keep my old one to show in a US visa interview along with my new passport, as I had originally applied with the one that’s since expired. They require you to bring in both.

It’s pretty stressful to read priority isn’t actually 3 days. Anyone in Melb had delays?

Welcome, Expired passport won't be cut up, cover only is cut. Good luck with the process.

 

[oz_ally]

Welcome, Expired passport won't be cut up, cover only is cut. Good luck with the process.

Yes I am glad that happens - we don't want to lose all our past stamps

 

[Formal Hall]

I believe you're correct. 'Under assessment' won't appear unless the Passport Office has your application form.

Submitted child initial passport application 7 weeks ago today at Melbourne GPO - the application portal still states 'Created' under 'applications ready to lodge'.

As it doesn't say 'under assessment', does this imply it still hasn't been received or assessed by the passport office?

Have upcoming family travel booked in 3 weeks which looks like an increasingly unlikely prospect...

 

[austgap]

Hi everyone,
I applied with my family for passports (not renewal) on April 13th, a week later my daughter's passport was issued and it arroved after 5 business days. We didn't hear anything about te other passports, so, since we have a flight on the 11th of June, I sent and email to this address: APO Feedback <[email protected]>
I sent the email 5 weeks after we applied and about 3/4 weeks before our travel date.
The guy was awsome and by the end of the day our passports were issued. Now we are waiting for them to get here.
Hope this can help those of you who have imminent travelling plans.
Good luck!

Great idea thanks Sarumma

I've emailed APO feedback on Sunday and still yet to hear back (hit 6weeks post application) and travel on the 11th! Anyone had any other luck with other options?

 

[Scr77]

Radio news reported today that Melbourne passport office had 100m queue down the street.

 

[1022]

10 weeks since submitting my renewal application. I emailed APO feedback late yesterday and had a response within 24 hours to say something along the lines of my application has moved to the next stage of the process and is in the print queue. No indication of the length of that queue...it could be QF call centre in scale meaning I'm still not counting my chickens for a mid-June departure OR more optimistically it could be printed in coming days and ready to collect.

 

[MZFlyer]

10 weeks since submitting my renewal application. I emailed APO feedback late yesterday and had a response within 24 hours to say something along the lines of my application has moved to the next stage of the process and is in the print queue. No indication of the length of that queue...it could be QF call centre in scale meaning I'm still not counting my chickens for a mid-June departure OR more optimistically it could be printed in coming days and ready to collect.

Ours were in that queue last week and are now printed and en route for collection, hopefully by Friday! Next step will be joining the massive queue for in person collection...
Edit: just got the email (Wed 5pm) that they're ready for collection. So next I brave the APO queue...

 

[glasszon]

I need to do a priority renewal. If you collect your new passport at Aust Post rather than having it mailed to you, do the post office staff cut up your expired passport? What are the requirements around this?

I still need to keep my old one to show in a US visa interview along with my new passport, as I had originally applied with the one that’s since expired. They require you to bring in both.

It’s pretty stressful to read priority isn’t actually 3 days. Anyone in Melb had delays?

Yep, I am MEL based, paid for priority processing and the application is still pending after a week. I sent an email and they said the Melbourne office will contact me, still not sure where things are at.

 

[Pbruncky]

There were people on the radio the other day complaining they have waited 8 weeks and only received 1 of 4 passports for the family holiday. There’s over 100,000 applications in since covid restrictions lifted.

 

[Melburnian1]

I hadn't had the promised email update after 3 days so rang the local number (see my prev post) and was advised by helpful Sydney DFAT person that our passports have progressed for printing, but the delay is so many people are opting to collect in person rather than risk further delay with Aust Post, so the Sydney APO is now printing a million of them whereas usually they are printed at more offsite locations... She flagged ours as urgent and said it will be done this coming week. It would really help if Aust Post and the APO had a coordinated response. We were specifically advised by Aust Post that collection would be quicker than tracked postage.

Based on my experience, Australia Post is prompt (but I live in Melbourne, not Longreach or Port Hedland).

Delays may not be totally consistent but many renewals seem fast: it appears that (mostly) extensive waits are for new applications.

 

[1022]

Based on my experience, Australia Post is prompt (but I live in Melbourne, not Longreach or Port Hedland).

Delays may not be totally consistent but many renewals seem fast: it appears that (mostly) extensive waits are for new applications.

Straightforward renewal in my case of an adult passport with around 8 months validity when I applied…. 10 weeks ago :-/

 

[pomona]

Yet another doozy from DozyDFAT !

Where, on this planet, do you order a product for >$300 without any track & trace functionality available. Whether it is a case of wine or a chicken coop, I receive a multitude of updates on progress, NOT WITH DFAT's ineptitude.

Then, they have the nerve to winge about over 1million requests. A nice little earner for the "Coffers of Canberra", help offset the many rorts from the previous mob, peut etre?
Maybe DFAT contracted an acute case of "Joyceitis"? When all the travel media was proclaiming a pent up demand for overseas travel did they decide to "contract out" their responsibilities. Why is it that certain organisations, like QF, & especially the DozyDFAT, cannot imagine what would happen & take proactive decisions to be ready for the demand ??

They would have been kicked out of my multinational company double quick time, believe me, we do not suffer fools gladly !

 

[RooFlyer]

Sorry for a Q that may have been addressed further up. I'm not 'match fit' in this process, with a 10 year passport expiring mid next year.

If I apply for a passport renewal, at what point do I lose possession of my existing passport so they can clip the corner (and then return) ? On application? Or when I'm notified its ready? Difference is being without a passport for possibly up to 2 months (presently) if its on application.

 

[Austman]

at what point do I lose possession of my existing passport so they can clip the corner (and then return) ?

At the Post Office when submitting your application (that the PO is happy with). They do the clipping.

 

[Hvr]

If I apply for a passport renewal, at what point do I lose possession of my existing passport so they can clip the corner (and then return) ? On application?

When you submit your application at the post office they will cut off the code on the bottom of the front page, thus rendering the passport otiose.

 

[RooFlyer]

At the Post Office when submitting your application (that the PO is happy with). They do the clipping.

When you submit your application at the post office they will cut off the code on the bottom of the front page, thus rendering the passport otiose.

Thanks. Will need some sharp planning, with or without current delays. With a June '23 expiry, and a trip this November, looks like I'll have to re-appy as soon as I get back, as the passport will be of questionable use with less than 6 months on it.

 

[Matt_01]

At the Post Office when submitting your application (that the PO is happy with). They do the clipping.

IME it depends on the colour of your passport. My old green passport was able to be used for a few years passed the official expiry date and when I tried to surrender it at the post office they would not accept it. The AU Post Office did not want or were unwilling to clip, cut or have anything to do with that passport.

 

[Austman]

IME it depends on the colour of your passport.

It was an "ordinary passport", blue colour.