Passport Renewal / Application - Time Taken?

[AisleSeat]

I don't know where in Oz you are, but based on the experience of persons in Melbourne's suburbs I know of, you may receive the passport in two to four business days from yesterday i.e. Friday to at the outside Tuesday if you're in a major urban area.

My postie continues to state he's delivering many each week. When I have been at official post offices in the last two weeks (three separate visits), there is always someone lodging a passport application. At one location, three of the four clerks were concurrently handling them, which resulted in a longer queue for everyone else.

If anyone lodges at a post office, may I recommend visiting prior to 1200 on a weekday as the really busy time when small businesses lodge parcels is 1500-1700 hours?

Received it yesterday. One day shipping!

 

[Falcs]

Lodged for my daughter 13.5 weeks ago and flying in 3 weeks. I've called up a couple of times in the last month and all they say is that it has been escalated. Frustrating!

Am I meant to wait till the final week then camp out at the passport office?

 

[SydneySwan]

Lodged for my daughter 13.5 weeks ago and flying in 3 weeks. I've called up a couple of times in the last month and all they say is that it has been escalated. Frustrating!

Am I meant to wait till the final week then camp out at the passport office?

Contact your local federal member and get them to escalate on your behalf.

 

[Melburnian1]

Contact your local federal member and get them to escalate on your behalf.

The person I know did that, twice. Totally ineffective even though the MP is a member of the newly elected Federal government.

The Passport Office seems to be in more chaos post-election than before. It's still advertising for staff.

Post automatically merged: Aug 19, 2022

Lodged for my daughter 13.5 weeks ago and flying in 3 weeks. I've called up a couple of times in the last month and all they say is that it has been escalated. Frustrating!

Am I meant to wait till the final week then camp out at the passport office?

I'd be doing that six or seven business days before date of travel at least, and unfortunately coughing up the extra for a rush job.

'Escalated' appears to be meaningless.

 

[Pele]

Children's renewal. Got to the 9 week mark and hadn't heard anything. Rang to get it escalated. The next day I got an SMS saying it had been posted. Two days after that it arrived.

 

[wendlle]

I called the passport office last week to find out where my Daughter's passport is on the list. She is getting a renewal.
They told me it won't be complete until October and that would have made it 24 weeks after placing the application!!!!!

We are traveling in November to the USA - I told them it was unacceptable as we are rural and I need it posted and it's not enough time.
They didn't seem to care.
It has been escalated twice! And we still need to wait until October for a renewal (although I know with kids it's like a whole new application)

 

[Buzzard]

Latest from the Herald Sun
View attachment 287908

Buy another one

 

[wendlle]

It's been 16 weeks since I put in my kids passport renewal and I'm still waiting.
Hold times are off the charts and I can't talk to anyone.

I'm rural so can't just go to the passport office, I'm 6 hours one way from Sydney.

I don't know what to do!!
I need the passport for travel soon.

 

[Hvr]

Have you contacted your local Federal MP? They may be able to expedite matters.

Fingers crossed for you and your family.

 

[Mattg]

This probably doesn't help you much, but the passport office put out this article earlier this week:

https://www.passports.gov.au/news/why-it-taking-so-long-get-my-childs-passport

 

[AustSerbKor]

https://www.passports.gov.au/news/why-it-taking-so-long-get-my-childs-passport

Am I the only one that sees the passport office using something similar to the Covid excuse. My daughter waited almost 7 weeks for an Australian passport but 5 days for her Korean passport that even includes a polycarbonate data page and costs under $50 with more visa free countries. We are waiting a long time because of a lack of digitisation and money being stripped from the passport office despite having one of the most expensive passports in the world.

 

[wendlle]

Update:
I finally managed to get hold of someone at the passport office and they told me the passport has been completed but isn’t in the post yet or scheduled to be posted
I should have it in the next week or two

They can’t tell me why it took 17 weeks but I’m glad I got an update

 

[ellen10]

Cannot for the life of me find my current passport. It still has 5 years left on it. We have looked in every possible hiding spot, no luck. I Always keep it in the filing cabinet with my husbands, not there. Last overseas travel was in 2019. I am thinking that I used it for identification for something maybe Working with Children check, but who knows. I was sure it would turn up, no such luck.

Called in to my local PO, can't just renew so I have to apply for a new one. Can't accept the marriage certificate anymore as it is a church issued one. I had to apply to Births, Deaths and Marriages for a new marriage certificate, you can no longer go in person to get one, only apply online. Applied online for marriage certificate, no biggie as no planned overseas travel this year. And then Qantas offers up some award flights. Jumped on some tickers for mid November, oh dear now the passport stress. Haven't received the marriage certificate yet 10 days after applying, so now once received, do I trust the standard passport application or pay extra for express processing?

Is it only the children passports that seem to have a longer processing time? Decisions!

 

[Quickstatus]

can't just renew

Correct there is no “renewal” , just a new application for all passports

My son got his turned around in 29 days.

 

[Melburnian1]

Update:
I finally managed to get hold of someone at the passport office and they told me the passport has been completed but isn’t in the post yet or scheduled to be posted
I should have it in the next week or two

They can’t tell me why it took 17 weeks but I’m glad I got an update

Very happy for you. The person I know submitted her application 21 weeks ago and still hasn't received the all-important text message confirming it's been processed and is awaiting delivery via Australia Post. She says she'll have to visit the Melbourne office, a right royal pain.

I doubt you and my informant are the only ones affected, sadly.

 

[Melburnian1]

Called in to my local PO, can't just renew so I have to apply for a new one. Can't accept the marriage certificate anymore as it is a church issued one. I had to apply to Births, Deaths and Marriages for a new marriage certificate, you can no longer go in person to get one, only apply online. Applied online for marriage certificate, no biggie as no planned overseas travel this year. And then Qantas offers up some award flights. Jumped on some tickers for mid November, oh dear now the passport stress. Haven't received the marriage certificate yet 10 days after applying, so now once received, do I trust the standard passport application or pay extra for express processing?

The childrens' ones are among the worst given the extra checks, but adult 'renewals' (i.e. held one previously) seem to have also blown out.

May I suggest paying the standard fee and then by say 25 October if it hasn't arrived, paying the extra claimed 'rush job' fee?

 

[ellen10]

The childrens' ones are among the worst given the extra checks, but adult 'renewals' (i.e. held one previously) seem to have also blown out.

May I suggest paying the standard fee and then by say 25 October if it hasn't arrived, paying the extra claimed 'rush job' fee?

Ah ok, I did not realise this was an option. I thought you just paid the extra fee up front to have it processed quickly. Thanks for the information, I will look in to it.

 

[Falcs]

Update: Finally got the passport last Friday, almost 15 weeks. Took a visit to the passport office to get it prioritized

 

[Hamtaru]

Can’t wait too long after seeing posts especially for children passport. Paid the priority fee $225 and got it in 3 days, travelling in September. Pick up directly from Brisbane Office.

 

[bussyboy]

My friend attended Sydney office on Monday for a urgent/immediate passport renewal for her 16y.o. son so they could travel to CA for her mother's end-of-life after coming off dialysis. Ready and received on Friday :| I hope they make it in time.