How to 'replace' a full passport, instead of just renewing it

This article is part of our ongoing Business Travel 101 series for newcomers to the world of business travel.

With Australia no longer issuing 64-page ‘frequent traveller’ passports to new applicants, its much easier for globetrotters to fill a modern passport with stamps and visas long before it expires – but rather than ‘renewing’ that passport, you can ask DFAT to ‘replace’ it instead.

Unlike a typical passport renewal – where you’re charged a $293 fee in return for a fresh passport valid for the next 10 years – a ‘replacement’ passport is instead a reprint of that existing passport, retaining the same expiry date but with a new passport number (at a cost of $184).

To be eligible, your current passport must have at least two years remaining until expiry, although it’s fair to say that requesting a ‘replacement’ over a ‘renewal’ makes the most sense when a relatively new passport is filled up quickly, many years before its expiry date, as opposed to an older passport that's closer to its expiry date, even if a few years off.

Whether your new passport comes as a renewal or a replacement, as it’ll have a new issue date and passport number, don’t forget to re-apply for a US ESTA or Canadian eTA, if needed, as approval for visa-free travel to those countries is attached to each passport number, not to an individual traveller.

If the passport you’re replacing still has any valid visas inside, also check with each country to see whether you’ll still be able to use them – by presenting your ‘old’ passport with a valid visa alongside your new, valid passport for entry into that country – or whether a new visa will be required in that new passport.

To renew or replace your Australian passport, apply via the DFAT Australian Passport Office website.

Also read: 

• Can you travel on a passport within six months of its expiry date?
• Making your passport last longer when running short of pages
• USA lengthens ESTA processing times: no more instant approvals

Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.