Australian passport

• In 1917, 'X' series passports issued.
• In 1937, 'A' series passports issued. Passport cover included the Commonwealth Coat of Arms and the words 'British Passport Commonwealth of Australia'.[4]
• In 1949, after Australian nationality was created, passports began to distinguish between Australian citizens and other British subjects. The passports contained manually inserted photos with wet seals and raised embossed seals over the photo as security features. Two types of passport were issued:[7]

1. 'B' series passports – issued (within Australia only) to British subjects who were not Australian citizens.
2. 'C' series passports – issued to Australian citizens.

• In 1950, 'E' series passport replaces 'B' and 'C' series.[11]
• In 1964, 'G' series passport introduced, with the St Edward's Crown at the top of the cover, the word 'Australia' followed by the Australian Coat of Arms, and the words 'British Passport' at the bottom.[11]
• In 1967, the words 'British Passport' removed from passports but retain the Crown. The word 'Australia' appears below the Crown, followed by the Australian Coat of Arms and the word 'Passport'.[11]
• In 1975, responsibility for Australian passport functions were transferred to the Department of Foreign Affairs (since 1987, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), from the then Department of Labor and Immigration.[11]
• Before 1983, a married person's passport application had to be authorised by their spouse.[7][13][14]
• In 1983, the Department partnered with Australia Post to enable the issue of Australian passports at most Australia Post outlets.[7]
• In 1984, 'T' series passport introduced, with Crown emblem removed from cover.[11] These were the first to have a laminate built into the document.[7]
• In 1986, single identity passports introduced, so that children could no longer be included on a parent's passport.[7]
• In 1988, 'H' and 'J' series passports issued with Bicentennial logo. And until 1988, a woman could apply for and receive a passport in her married name, before she was actually married.[7]
• In 1994, digitised colour printing of photograph and signature on the glue side of the laminate introduced.[11]
• In 1995, 'L' series passports introduced, with kangaroo motif security laminate. The personal data pages initially included a photograph and a cut out piece of paper with the holder's signature under a sheet of adhesive laminate.[11]
• From approximately 1998, the personal data page for 'L' series passports colour laser printed under a sheet of adhesive laminate.
• From 27 November 2003, 'M' series passport issued, which included enhanced security features. The personal data page printed by ink-jet onto the adhesive surface of the security laminate, the laminate itself containing a holographic design.
• From October 2005, 'M' series passports issued as a biometric or ePassport. Electronic passport logo printed under the passport number on the personal data page. The front cover printed in gold ink.
• Since May 2009, 'N' series passports issued as a biometric or ePassport. The passport was black instead of blue and had a slight font and case change to the word 'Passport' on the front cover. The front cover printing was in silver. Additional fraud counter-measures were included including a 'Ghost Image' and 'Retro-Reflective Floating Image' on the laminated page. Each page featured images of Australia printed throughout the document making every visa page unique and more difficult to reproduce.[15]
• In late June 2014, 'P' series passports issued with innovative security features that make it even more difficult to forge. They have an Australian flag blue with gold embossed cover, printed using the same technologies as Australian banknotes. Visible security features include a new security laminate with the world's first colour floating image.[16]
• Between mid-2020 to mid-2021, the 'R' series is expected to replace the 'P' series.[17] The 'R' series will feature a hard polycarbonate data page, that is sturdier and more secure than previous series, as well as being waterproof.[18] Note Printing Australia, who print Australian passports, has developed and built on existing relationships to ensure the 'R' series, and Australian passports in general, are at the forefront of passport design and technology.[19]

Since 2004, Australia has participated in the Five Nations Passport Group, an international forum for cooperation between the passport issuing authorities in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States to "share best practices and discuss innovations related to the development of passport policies, products and practices".[20]

Ordinary passports are issued to Australian citizens to enable them to travel internationally, and provide an attestation of their identity. Most passport holders are issued Ordinary passports. Passports and Documents of Identity are ordinarily worth 70 points in the 100 point check system, thus used as an authorative identity document throughout Australia. Full passports can be used as an identity document for up to two years after their expiry.

These passports can only be issued to Australian citizen applicants[23], who can satisfy their identity[24] and citizenship[25]. Where unable to meet these requirements, Limited Validity Passport, or Document of Identity, may be compassionately issued. Limited Validity Passports are identical to regular passports, but issued with limited validity, up to a maximum of 12 months[26].

Passports in this category are ordinarily valid for five or ten years. Children under 16 years of age are issued five year passports, and adults aged 75 or over may choose a five or ten year validity. Adult applicants are otherwise issued passports with a ten year validity. Exceptions to this exist, such as in the case of concurrent passports[27].

These passports feature 34 usable visa pages, in the P series issued since June 2014[16], with a Frequent Traveller variant available containing 66 visa pages. The larger variant is available only to adult applicants seeking ten year passports, as five year passports already have the same number of visa pages per year.

Diplomatic and Official passports are issued to people employed by or acting on behalf of the Australian Government[28]. These are primarily individuals in defined categories and roles, required to represent the Australian Government overseas in an official capacity. These passports may sometimes be issued to dependents of the principal applicant, where necessary to facilitate their travel or safety.

These passports may only be issued to Australian citizens whose role or purpose of travel fits within the Ministerial Guidelines[29]. Issuance is tighly controlled, due to the significance of formally representing an individual as acting, overseas, on behalf of the Australian Government.

Unlike Ordinary passports, individuals have certain legislative and contractual obligations to the Australian Government, when using or holding these passports. Diplomatic and Official passports may be cancelled without notice, if used beyond the relevant provisions in the Ministerial Guidelines.[28]

In limited circumstances, Australian citizens may be issued passports outside of the usual requirements. Such passports will always be issued in one of the above categories: Ordinary, Official, or Diplomatic. Other than for an Emergency Passport, their appearance is identical.

A concurrent passport is a further passport issued to an individual, where they already hold a valid passport of the same category (Ordinary, Official, or Diplomatic). Issuance of these is very tightly controlled, granted to facilitate travel in exceptional circumstances.[30]

Concurrent passports are most often granted when travelling (or transiting) a country that will not accept evidence of travel to certain places[31], or where significant delays will result in having to wait for return of the passport following (unrelated) visa issuance. Other circumstances may be considered, requiring authorisation by more senior staff[27].

The validity of concurrent passports is limited to a maximum of three years, except for where it is an Emergency Passport, in which case the maximum is twelve months. The validity period will usually be limited to the duration of travel needs plus six months.[27]

Emergency Passports are issued to Australian citizens in circumstances where they cannot meet all requirements for passport issue, but can satisfy their citizenship and identity, or need to travel urgently and cannot wait for a regular passport. Issuance is strictly controlled, particularly where usual requirements cannot be met.[32]

The validity of emergency passports is limited to an absolute maximum of twelve months[33], though will normally be valid for seven months.

Limited Validity passports are issued to Australian citizens in circumstances where full documentation cannot be met, provided their identity and citizenship have been confirmed. The purpose is to benefit applicants with incomplete or inconsistent documentation, by allowing them to travel in the interim.[34] They are exactly the same as regular passports, just with shorter validity.

Most commonly Limited Validity passports are offered to applicants with incomplete or inconsistent documentation around name or gender[35]. This may be following name change, where cardinal documents such as birth certificate differ, and the applicant lacks sufficient documentation to corroborate the difference.

Limited Validity passports are issued for a maximum of twelve months, from within Australia or London only.[34]

On completion of a full application and satisfaction of usual requirements, a Limited Validity passport may be exchanged for a full validity passport, for free[36].

Australia N series ePassport information page

The Australian passport includes the following data:

• Photo of passport owner
• Type (P for passport)
• Code of issuing state (AUS)
• Document No.
• Name
• Nationality (Australian)
• Date of birth
• Sex
  • Male (M)
  • Female (F)
  • Intersex/Indeterminate/Unspecified (X)
• Place of birth (only the city or town is listed, even if born outside Australia)
• Date of issue
• Owner's signature
• Date of expiry
• Authority ("Australia" if issued in Australia, or the name of the issuing diplomatic mission if issued overseas – e.g. London[37])

The information page ends with the machine readable zone.

Australian Government policy is to record gender and not sex[38]. Australian travel documents allow for recording of non-binary gender[39][40], one of less than 10 countries known to do so. Replacement passports are issued for free to applicants whose details have changed in the course of gender transition[36].

Applicants may choose to have the "Sex" (this name being an ICAO requirement[41]) field on their passport recorded as M, F, or X. While unavailable on passports due to ICAO requirements[41], a Document of Identity may be issued with the sex field blank[42].

The sex recorded does not need to match that on a birth certificate or any other documents[40]. For those without revised identity documents, who have not previously been issued a passport in the desired gender, a brief statement by a registered doctor or psychologist is sufficient[39]. Where unable to get a letter from a doctor or psychologist, applicants are encouraged to inform the APO, so alternative arrangements can be considered[43].

Administrative policy of the APO and Department of Foreign Affairs aim to prevent unnecessary distress or offense. Refusal of applications from sex and gender diverse applicants, for lack of documentation or otherwise, is prohibited. Staff are required to not ask for extra information or documents, when applications are made. After lodgement, applications from sex and gender diverse applicants are required to be handled at all times by Executive Level officers with suitable sex and gender diverse training.[40]

The passports contain inside the front cover a note that is addressed to the authorities of all other states, identifying the bearer as a citizen of Australia and requesting that he or she be allowed to pass and be treated according to international norms:

The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, being the representative in Australia of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, requests all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer, an Australian Citizen, to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford him or her every assistance and protection of which he or she may stand in need.

The passport is printed in English. French translation is found on the identity information and chip page.

The embedded chip stores the owner's digitised photograph, name, sex, date of birth, nationality, passport number, and the passport expiry date. This is the same information that appears on the printed information page of every passport. Facial recognition technology was introduced with the release of the ePassport to improve identity verification and reduce identity-related fraud.

• Microprinting – for example, horizontal lines on the notice/bearer's information pages are made up of microprinted words.
  • In L-series passports, the first verse of Advance Australia Fair is used.
  • In M-series passports, the words are from Waltzing Matilda.
  • In N-series passports, the lines are made up of the word "Australia" repeated.
  • N-series passports also feature microprinted words from Clancy of the Overflow on the visa pages.
• The laminate of the identity information page on M-series and later passports contains retro-reflective floating images of kangaroos.