Passport Services – Australian Consulate-General

Are you applying for your first adult or child passport?

If you are applying for your first adult passport or a child’s first passport, you must lodge your Australian passport application in person at your nearest Australian Consulate or High Commission.

If you are in Southern India (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Hyderabad, Telangana, Karnataka) your nearest mission is the Australian Consulate General in Chennai.

Passports Services are by appointment only. Make an appointment on our online booking page.

For general enquiries, contact us.

What do I need to bring to the passport appointment?

• Application form – The application form can be accessed online at www.passports.gov.au.
• Two Passport sized photographs –
  • The photo should be ‘gloss’ finish as opposed to ‘matte’ finish
  • The photo should meet the size and quality requirements as set out at Photo guidelines | Australian Passport Office (passports.gov.au)
  • The nearest photo studio to the Consulate is Konica Photo Studio, Nungambakkam
  • Ask you photographer to provide you with a soft copy of your photo (it could come handy in case physical photos turn out to be pixelated while scanning)
• Current/expired passport
• Original Birth certificate
• Original citizenship certificate (if applicable)
• Original Indian/Australia address proof – can be an Aadhar card, Driver’s licence, Bank Passbook
• For a child application, the parent’s Australian passport or another photo ID.

It is sufficient that one of the parents attend for the child’s passport application. The child does not need to attend the appointment unless aged 16 or older.

Children aged 16-18

Children aged 16-18 are eligible to apply for a 10 year validity passport.

• Children aged 16-18 must attend the appointment in person.
• One of their parents must also attend the appointment.
• In addition to the above documents, children should provide two additional ID documents- For example: OCI card, Aadhar card, Driver’s licence, credit/debit card

Are you applying for an adult or child passport renewal?

If you are applying for a renewal for a child passport (up to the age of 15) or a renewal of an adult passport, the application can be submitted in person at the Consulate or by mail to:

Passport team Australian Consulate General, Chennai 9th Floor, Express Chambers, Express Avenue, No 49, 50L Whites Road, Royapettah, Chennai – 600014

Who is eligible for mailed in applications?

Applications for lost/stolen passports cannot be submitted in mail.

Child passport renewal applications (PC8) can be mailed-in provided the applicant is:

• aged up to 15 years old and
• has held a previous passport

For an Adult passport renewal, you must be 18 years and over and you will need a passport that:

• was issued when you were aged 16 or older
• was issued on or after 1 January 2006
• had, when it was issued, at least two years’ validity
• has your current name, date of birth, place of birth and gender, and
• has not been reported lost, stolen, or cancelled.

What do I need to mail?

• Please include a self-addressed envelope (either A5 or A4) for return of your completed document
• DO NOT send any original documents
• Incomplete applications will be delayed. Common issues include:
  • Photos that don’t meet the guidelines, are digitally altered, or have inks marks on them
  • Signatures must be inside the declaration ‘white’ box, and application forms dated using the correct format (DD/MM/YYYY)
• If your passport is damaged, please contact us to discuss prior to mailing in your application.

Child passport: Documents to be sent:

• Application form – The application form can be accessed online at www.passports.gov.au.
  • Sign the form using black pen, within the signature box. Make sure there are no alterations or whiteout on the signature or the date.
  • Children 10 years or older must provide a signature unless there is a medical reason or disability that prevents them from signing.
• At least 3 new Australian standard passport sized photographs (one endorsed by an approved guarantor) as per Photo guidelines | Australian Passport Office (passports.gov.au)
• Certified copies of both parents’ identity documents that show their name, photo, signature and current address (i.e. both parents or those with parental responsibility for the child who signed section 17 on the application form)
  • Name changes: If the current names of either parent are different to how they appear on the child’s birth certificate, please include certified documents that explain the change of name.

Adult passport: Document to be sent:

• Application form – The application form can be accessed online at www.passports.gov.au.
  • Sign the form using black pen, within the signature box. Make sure there are no alterations or whiteout on the signature or the date
• At least 3 new Australian standard passport sized photographs as per Photo guidelines | Australian Passport Office (passports.gov.au)

How do I pay for the passport?

Please refer to table below for current fees.

For a full validity passport – there are two charges – ‘Issue of the Australia Passport’ plus the ‘Overseas Processing Surcharge’.

Payment can be made by cash or card. If paying by cash, please bring the exact change.

For mailed in applications – On receipt of your complete application, we will call and share a link with you through email to make payment.

Who can act as my guarantor if I am overseas?

A guarantor/referee is required for all overseas passport applications except for an Adult Renewal Application.

If you are overseas, your guarantor must satisfy the criteria below and either option A or B.

• be 18 years of age or over;
• not be related to the applicant by birth or marriage;
• not be in a de facto or registered relationship with the applicant or a parent of a child applicant;
• not live at the same address as the applicant or a parent of a child applicant;
• have known the applicant for at least 12 months or for a child under one year, since birth;
• not live at the same address as the applicant or parent of a child applicant;
• be able to endorse the back of one photo as shown
• agree to be contacted by us to confirm the passport applicant’s identity

A

The guarantor has a current (unexpired) Australian passport, which was issued with at least two years’ validity.

B

The guarantor is a person of any nationality currently employed in one of the following occupational or professional groups:

• Accountant (must be an eligible member of a professional association)
• Bank manager (includes department heads with accountancy qualifications)
• Barrister, solicitor, lawyer, or patent attorney
• Engineer (must be an eligible member of a professional association)
• Dentist
• Doctor / Registered medical practitioner
• Judge
• Optometrist
• Pharmacist
• Police Officer (must have served at least 5 years continuous service)
• Teacher (must have been teaching full time for at least 5 years at schools or tertiary educational institutions)
• Registered veterinary surgeon
• Registered nurse

When will I get my passport?

Passports will take approximately six – eight weeks to process from lodgement to delivery. The priority processing service is not available in India. If you need a passport urgently, please contact us.

It is a good idea to plan the replacement of a passport well ahead of the expiry date and, if you need to travel, ensure you have sufficient time to replace passports and visas where needed. Remember that some countries require that passports have at least six months’ validity to permit entry or issue a visa.

Do I need to apply if I’m not planning to travel?

In India, it is a requirement that you always hold a valid passport. Therefore, it is best that you renew your passport if it is close to expiry, even if you do not plan on travelling.

What happens if my passport expires before renewal?

In Australia there is no penalty for letting your passport expire. Renewing a passport is a personal choice.

However, you may not be able to leave India without a valid passport and local laws require foreigners to carry a valid passport and valid visa.

What if I need to travel unexpectedly due to an emergency?

Please contact us for advice on applying for an emergency passport. We can generally issue an emergency passport within 2 working days.

Do I have to replace my temporary/emergency passport in person at your office?

Yes. If you are issued with a temporary or emergency passport, you must lodge a new application using the Application form for an Australian Passport Overseas (not the renewal PC7 form) in person at one of our offices. For child applications, the application must be lodged at an office in the country where the child is physically located by one parent.

Can I apply for a passport for a child born through surrogacy?

Please see Surrogacy | Australian Passport Office (passports.gov.au) for further information.

The Indian Government has revised its rules for Australians undertaking travel to India for the purpose of surrogacy. See our International Surrogacy bulletin for further information.

Has my passport been affected by the Medibank Private and other recent data breaches?

Medibank Private have advised the Australian Passport Office (APO) that no Australian Travel Document information was compromised in this breach.

Foreign passports for international students were compromised through this cyberattack. Medibank Private are contacting impacted customers directly.

If Medibank Private have advised you that your foreign passport information was compromised, you should contact the government that issued the passport for advice on what to do. This is also the case for all data breaches that impact foreign passport holders, including the recent breaches at Optus and Medlab.

More information:

Medibank impacted customers:

• Call Medibank on 134 148 (within Australia) or +61 3 9862 1095 (International)
• Contact Medibank’s 24/7 Student Health and Support line (Medibank international students call 1800 887 283 and ahm international students call 1800 006 745)
• Visit Medibank Cyber Event Updates and Support page medibank.com.au/cybersecurity
• Go to ID Care’s dedicated Medibank and ahm breach response plan).
• See the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s Medibank Private alert.

Optus impacted customers:

• Contact Optus customer service directly on 133 937 (within Australia), or +612 8082 5678 (International), or go to their Passport Information (link is external) webpage.
• Go to our Frequently Asked Questions on the Optus data breach and passport information
• See the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s Optus data breach(link is external) alert.

Medlab impacted customers:

Contact Medlab customer service directly on +61 1800 433 980, or go to their data breach web page (link is external).

Passport Fees as of February 2023*

Travel Document

Individual Type

AUD

INR

Issue of Australian Passport (Ordinary)

Adult (10 year passport for persons aged 16 and over)

$ 325

₹ 17700

Minor (5 year passport for children under 16)

$ 164

₹ 8950

Senior (5 year passport optional for persons 75 and over)

$ 164

₹ 8950

Overseas Surcharge

Adult/Senior

$ 146

₹ 7950

Minor

$ 77

₹ 3900

An observation made after the issue of a passport

NA

$ 16

₹ 900

UN Travel Document (Titre de Voyage)

NA

$ 204

₹ 11150

(EY) Emergency Passport Overseas

NA

$ 204

₹ 11150

Issue of Certificate of Identity

NA

$ 193

₹ 11150

Courier Fees

₹ 500

*Fees in Indian rupees are subject to change each month based on the exchange rate

The above fees apply and are payable under Passport Act 1938 and Regulation.

The passport application fee is non-refundable.

Fees are subject to annual indexation. No GST is payable on passport fees.