According to News Corp Australia reported on May 6, the federal government introduced a new measure in the 2024 budget released on Tuesday night, and Australians who are keen to travel will soon be able to get a new passport or renew their existing passport in a few days.
Australians only need to pay an extra $100 to get a fast passport, and the new passport will be completed within 5 working days. This change will take effect on July 2.
(Image source: News Corp Australia)
This Australian spending on fast-track passport processing is expected to generate an additional $27.4 million in revenue for the government over the next five years. This additional funding will be reinvested into the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Currently, according to the Australian Passport Office, it usually takes about 6 weeks to get a new passport or renew it.
For Australians who are in dire need of travel documents, there is already a 'priority processing' option that allows them to get their passports in as little as two business days. But there is also a $252 to pay in addition to the basic passport fee of $346.
The announcement follows the chaos of the post-pandemic era, when some people had to queue outside passport offices after travel restrictions were lifted.
This "pent-up demand" has resulted in the Australian Passport Office processing up to 15,000 applications a day.
(Image source: News Corp Australia)
In February, an auditor-general's report to parliament found that passport delivery times were spiraling.
The report noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade was "inefficient".
The report also found that a quarter of applications took more than six weeks starting in May 2022. These long waiting times are especially prominent for adults and children who want to apply for a new passport for the first time.
A number of other changes were also announced on Tuesday night, mainly to ease the cost-of-living pressures faced by the average Australian.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers unveiled his third Budget, the first time in nearly 20 years that he had recorded two consecutive years of surpluses to $9.3 billion.
(Image source: News Corp Australia)
He announced that from July 1, every Australian household will receive a $300 energy subsidy. The Treasurer elaborated on Labour's plan to make Medicare "stronger" and medicines "cheaper". This includes a commitment of $3 billion to reduce drug prices and improve community pharmacies that distribute medicines, as well as freezing the maximum cost of PBS prescription drugs.
联邦租金援助计划（Commonwealth Rent Assistance）也将增加19亿澳元，费率将 上调10%。