Aussies fume over new detail in world’s most expensive passport

A stunning photo comparing Australia’s new passport with the old version has reignited a furious debate about its “totally nuts” price tag.

Aussies have questioned if they are getting bang for their buck with the latest series of passports being issued to citizens, showing how they appear to quickly become misshapen.

The R series Australian passport, which was rolled out from September 2022, promised to be “even more secure” than its 2014 predecessor the P series.

“In an Australian first, the R Series has a high security photo page made of layered plastic, making the passport harder to forge and less susceptible to damage,” the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said at the time.

A standard adult passport with a 10-year validity costs $412, although shipping fees often bump that price up significantly ($300 for priority processing or $104 for fast track).

But some Australians have noted that despite paying the most in the world for their passports, the front cover of new issues have been bending much quicker than old ones.

A new Australian passport compared to a German and Japanese document. Picture: Reddit

One Reddit compared the wear on their new passport to older international counterparts, sharing an image showing the Australian document looking worse for wear.

“A Japanese passport (6 years old), a German passport (3 years old) and an Australian passport (2 weeks old). Stored under same conditions,” they wrote.

The post drew hundreds of comment, with one remarking: “Yeah and guess which one costs the most, right?! +$400 now for it.”

The new version appears to curl more quickly than the old one, according to some Aussies. Picture: Reddit

A similar Reddit thread started in the same week also showed the new passport side-by-side with the previous generation, with the fresh document displaying significantly more curling.

“I just got a brand new one. It was curling from the moment I took it out of the envelope,” one commenter wrote.

Independent Senator David Pocock this year commented on the issue and compared the $412 cost of Aussie passports to its counterparts, showing citizens of New Zealand, Canada and the US pay half as much or less.

“This seems totally nuts that we charge Australians so much to have a passport,” he wrote on his social media accounts.

Senator David Pocock questioned the price of passports. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

David Beirman, an adjunct fellow of management and tourism at the University of Technology, said the government used passports and international visas as a “cash cow”.

“It’s got nothing to do with the cost of producing our passports and the fact that there’s a lot of security elements in our passport to make sure that they are safe,” he said.

“But what Australia does isn’t hugely different from what just about every other country does.

“So it’s a money-making thing.

“It’s essentially a monopoly enterprise. They can charge whatever the hell they want.”

Dr Beirman, however, pointed out that Australians benefited from visa-free travel in many countries and saved on costs in that department.

“Our passports are one of the more powerful passports in the world … so it’s a good passport.

“From that point of view, it’s definitely well worth the money.”

David Beirman is an expert in tourism at UTS.

In a short statement, a DFAT spokesperson defended the quality and cost of the R series passports.

“The Australian passport is respected internationally as a high-quality travel document,” they said.

“This is a key reason why Australian passport holders receive visa-free access to over 180 countries – a practical benefit for many Australians.”

Passport costs are indexed in line with inflation, and have risen several times in recent years.

The curling is attributed to changes in humidity and it should not affect the validity of the passport at international points of entry.

Authorities and the manufacturer work to improve both quality and security of Australian passports.

Australians get visa-free travel in many countries. Picture: AP Photo/Marta Lavandier

One Reddit user shared a recent response they received from the Australian Passport Office (APO) after complaining about their document.

“The APO is aware of some instances of curling passport covers and has been investigating this issue, including consulting with counterparts in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and United States, who have also observed issues with curling of their passport covers,” it said.

The APO continued: “As a part of our continuing investigation, our blank passport book supplier is conducting testing on components of the production line to identify and remediate the issue.”

The body also explained it no longer provided the protective plastic sleeves issued with previous generations of the passport to “minimise our carbon footprint and reduce plastic waste entering our environment”.

Originally published as Aussies fume over new detail in world’s most expensive passport