Time is running out for Australians to renew or apply for a passport before another price hike comes into effect on January 1.
The latest increase, which has been criticized as a “backdoor tax grab”, will make the standard 10-year Australian passport the most expensive in the world – $412.
The $14 increase, which takes effect this Wednesday, follows a previous 15 percent increase just six months ago.
Passport fees have increased by a total of $104 since the Albanian government was elected to power in May 2022.
The cost of a five-year passport for children and people over 75 will also increase from $201 to $208 on January 1.
If you lose your passport, the cost of a replacement will increase from $250 to $259.
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham called the latest rise “an unconscionable increase in income” which will increase the cost of a trip abroad and exacerbate the cost of living crisis.
He also accused the Labor government of “ringing in the new year with another tax haul”.
Australians have just two days to renew their passport before a second price increase takes effect in six months on January 1. In the photo, travelers at Sydney airport.
“Many Australians scrimp and save in order to have a special holiday in Bali or Fijionly to find out that the cost of a passport is similar to the cost of an airline ticket,” Senator Birmingham said on Sunday.
‘Under the Labor Party, Australians are paying record sums for the privilege of a passport which should be a basic right, not an expensive luxury.
“What the Albanian government called a ‘modest’ increase in passport fees can now clearly be seen as the backdoor fiscal grab that it is.”
The latest increase on July 1 is estimated to generate $924.5 million in revenue, of which more than half ($529 million) will be profits for the federal government.
“Instead of responsible cost recovery, the Albanian government is dedicated to gross profits by increasing passport fees, charging far more than the cost of production,” Senator Birmingham added.
“This inflated revenue collection in a government-issued document is just another demonstration of how Australians are being forced to pay for Labor’s out-of-control spending.”
A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade defended the price increase and said NewsCorp that annual indexation was a legislative requirement.
“The Australian passport is internationally respected as a high-quality travel document,” they said.
‘It has a high level of technological sophistication, backed by rigorous anti-fraud measures, which guarantees its integrity. This is a key reason why Australian passport holders receive visa-free access to over 180 countries.
It’s just one of a series of changes that will take effect on January 1.
In the photo, a young woman holds her Australian passport, which is now the most expensive in the world.
Despite being the most expensive in the world, a young woman recently exposed flaws in her new Australian passport, describing it as “weak” and low quality.
Natalie Vellozzi, 28, posted a video on social media comparing her new and old passports and accused the government of skimping on quality.
“The quality definitely does not match the price of this passport,” he said.
After the Sydney woman placed both passports side by side, the difference could be seen immediately, with the cover of the new one curling upwards.
Natalie Vellozzi, 28, (pictured) compared her new passport (left) to her old one (right) and found the new model “flimsy”.
‘This is my old passport that I have had for 10 years. It’s definitely better quality,” Ms. Vellozzi said.
‘This new one looks like it was literally printed at Officeworks. I’ve had it for a day and it’s already deforming, it’s already bending.’
But DFAT trumpeted the new R-series passport upon its launch in 2023, boasting it was made in Australia.
“The next-generation passport is packed with advanced security features designed to keep Australians’ identities safe,” a spokesperson said.
But since its publication, questions have been raised about the quality of the expensive document.
“Maybe the material they are using is different,” Ms. Vellozzi said.
‘But I noticed as soon as I received it, it was already curling and bending.
“When they did it and put it together, they didn’t put enough weight on it to flatten it properly.”
“In the previous passport it was laminated paper and now I feel like it will tear.”
Australian passports are ranked the fifth most powerful internationally, according to the 2024 Henley Passport Index.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted DFAT for further comment.