What are the photograph requirements?
The size and quality of your passport photograph is of critical importance. The size of your head in the photograph must comply with Australian passport requirements, which differ from German passport photograph standards. Familiarise yourself with these requirements and ensure you submit compliant photos. Your application may be rejected because of unusable photographs. Do not use German photo booths as they are not set to Australian Standards.
Do I need someone to endorse my application form and photo, who can do this?
Not all passport applicants require a guarantor/referee, for more information click here.
Do I have to provide my child's full length birth certificate?
The child's full length birth certificate, showing the parent's names, must always be provided regardless of whether the child was born in Australia or overseas, or whether the child has been issued with an Australian passport previously. Any foreign language documents submitted must be accompanied by an official English translation. Further information can be found here.
My original documents (ctizenship certificate, birth certificate, marriage certificate) are in Australia and I am worried about having them posted to me in Germany as they may get lost in the mail.
Have someone (friend or family member) take them to a Passport Office in Australia. The staff there will sight the original documents and forward via email or fax the copies of the original documents sighted to the Berlin or Frankfurt office. The documents need to be presented before you lodge your application in the Berlin or Frankfurt office. Passport offices are located in all State and Territory capital cities. Locations and opening hours can be obtained by phoning 131 232 toll free in Australia or at www.passports.gov.au
Will my previous passport be returned to me after applying for a new passport?
Your previous passport will remain valid while your application is being processed and will be returned to you. It will be electronically cancelled 30 days after we have sent out your new passport.
Will the visas in my previous passport still be valid after it has been cancelled?
You should check the status of the visas with the authority which issued them, i.e. the relevant Embassy or the Foreigners' Office (Ausländerbehörde) in Germany as we are unable to provide any information about the status of the visas.
Can you provide advice and assitance in replacing or renewing my German visa?
The Passport Office is unable to provide any assistance with obtaining visas for Germany or any other country.
I have an Australian passport and a German passport; which passport do I use when entering Australia?
If you hold another country’s passport, seek advice about how it should be used. Take your Australian passport and use it to depart from and return to Australia. An Australian citizen cannot be granted a visa for Australia. When entering Australia, all Australians, including those who hold dual nationality, must be able to prove that they are an Australian citizen. An Australian passport is conclusive evidence of a person’s identity and citizenship and provides the holder with right of entry to Australia. An Australian citizen who arrives without an Australian passport may be delayed until their identity and claims to enter Australia have been checked. If a foreign passport holder claims to be an Australian citizen, immigration officers must confirm and verify this through official databases, which will cause delays. International airlines have an obligation to ensure that they only carry appropriately documented passengers to Australia. In the absence of an Australian passport, airlines are unable to verify a claim of Australian citizenship at the time of check-in and may refuse boarding. The airline may have to make inquiries with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship in Australia seeking approval to carry the passenger, which takes time and may cause delays.
I am an Australian citizen but as I did not obtain an Australian passport before departing Australia, I am using my German passport whilst I am overseas. Do I have to apply for an Australian passport in order to return to Australia?
An Australian passport is conclusive evidence of a person's identity and citizenship, and provides the holder with unfettered right of entry to Australia.
International airlines have an obligation to ensure that they only carry appropriately documented passengers to Australia. In the absence of an Australian passport, airlines are unable to assess a person's claim to Australian citizenship at the time of check-in and may decline to carry the traveller. It would therefore be in your best interests to apply for an Australian passport to enable you to return to Australia.
I am an Australian citizen and I've just had a baby. What do I have to do to get Australian citizenship and an Australian passport for him/her?
Before you can apply for an Australian passport for your child, he/she must first obtain Australian citizenship by descent. Citizenship must be applied for through the Department of Home Affairs. For further information please visit: www.homeaffairs.gov.au.
When the child has obtained Australian citizenship, you can apply for a passport in the normal way using the Application for an Australian Passport Overseas form.
I have recently been married. How do I change my name on my passport?
You will need to apply for a new passport by completing the Application for an Australian Passport Overseas form (please note that you do not qualify for a renewal form in these circumstances).
Please read our name change section for further information.
I have recently married a foreign national; how can I obtain an Australian passport for my spouse?
We can only issue an Australian passport to an Australian citizen. When you marry a citizen of another country, it does not entitle your spouse to hold an Australian passport (unless they also hold Australian citizenship). If you and your spouse would like to live in Australia you should contact the Department of Home Affairs: http://www.homeaffairs.gov.au
My passport is nearly full but is valid for another x years, is it possible to add extra pages?
Unfortunately it is not possible for pages to be added to Australian passports so you will have to apply for a new passport by completing a passport renewal form.
Can I get my children added to my Australian passport?
A child who is an Australian citizen must have their own Australian passport as it is not possible to include a child on a parent's passport.
My child's mother/father is overseas - how do I get consent?
A number of legal requirements must be met before a passport may be issued to a child. Specifically, each person listed on the full birth certificate or each person who has legal caring responsibility for the child must supply his or her consent.
If the non lodging parent is overseas, he/she can provide their consent at an Australian Passport Office in Australia or at an Australian High Commission or Embassy in the country in which they reside.
Further information about children passports can be found here.
I am unable to obtain the consent of my child's father/mother as I am no longer in contact with him/her; what can I do?
If you are unable to obtain the consent of all persons with parental responsibility for your child, you can request that the child's passport application be considered under the special circumstances provisions in passports legislation.
Child passport applications that do not include full consent take longer to process. Normal turnaround times do not apply. Priority service cannot be provided until the application has been assessed and approved for passport issue. As there is no guarantee the application will be successful, it is advisable not to make firm overseas travel plans until you know whether a passport will be issued.
My passport is damaged (washed, torn), do I have to apply for a replacement passport?
Click here for further information.
My husband/wife is not an Australian citizen; can he/she lodge our child’s passport application?
Either of the consenting parties can lodge the passport application as there is no requirement for the lodging party to be an Australian citizen. The parent submitting the application must provide photo identification and proof of address.
Do you accept notarised/certified copies of documents?
If you are submitting an application by post, please provide copies as per the guidelines. When attending your appointment in person, please bring originals. If you need to obtain original documents from another country, we can accept scanned copies from certain authorised sources, e.g. a Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Australia, an Australian Passport Office or an overseas Australian diplomatic mission.
Can I travel on my passport if the name differs to the name on my airline ticket?
Any specific questions regarding what an airline will accept as proof of identity should be directed to the airline.
I made a mistake when I was completing the passport application form; should I use white out/correction fluid/correction tape?
Never use correction fluid or similar products on a passport application form as it will invalidate that section of the form. You will have to complete another form.
I put the wrong date on the declaration on the passport application form; how can I correct it?
If you completed the application form online, you should re-print the relevant page. If you completed a hard copy form which was sent to you by this office, you can request that a replacement page be sent to you or if you are under a time constraint to submit the passport application, you may cross out the incorrect date, complete the correct date and initial next to the change.
I have just completed my passport application online, did you receive it?
All passport applications completed online must be printed by the applicant and either sent by post or lodged at a passport office together with relevant supporting documents, fee, etc. There is currently no way to lodge an Australian passport application electronically.
Why can’t I use the renewal form?
If you cannot access the Overseas Passport Renewal form online then you may not be eligible to use that form. Alternatively you may be answering one of the security questions incorrectly. The answer to this question must exactly match what is on your passport records in order for you to proceed. If you have exhausted all of these possibilities and still believe you are eligible for a renewal form, please email either Berlin or Frankfurt (the office where you intend to lodge your application) with the following details: Your full name, date of birth, passport number, mother's maiden name, phone number and address. Please explain in your email that you were unable to print your renewal form and need a form sent to you.
I am completing the form online and whenever I enter my current address (which is an overseas address) I get a message advising that my address cannot be verified. What do I do?
The Passports Australia website cannot verify overseas addresses. This message is just a warning. As long you are satisfied that the address you have entered is correct, you can proceed by pressing the next button.
I am trying to complete the application form online but I keep going around in circles/getting error messages. What do I do?
If you are going around in circles, it is likely that you have made an incorrect choice at some stage. The most common problem is that you are selecting the wrong answers to “Are you residing in Australia?” (the answer should always be “no” for someone applying in Germany) or “Do you wish to renew an Australian passport “ (“Yes” if you qualify for a renewal form (PC7) and “No” if you have to use an Application for an Australian Passport Overseas form (form PC8).
Do I have to complete Section 16 of the Application for an Australian Passport Overseas form?
If you do NOT have a valid Australian Drivers Licence then leave this section blank.
Section 3b - Are you presenting a Citizenship Certificate.
If your citizenship certificate has a client number, you must use this number for section 3B in the PC8 application form. If your citizenship does not list a client number then the certificate number should be used in section 3B. eg. ACC12345678 or ROC0123456.
Can I lodge my application in Germany if I do not live in Germany?
Applicants who reside outside Germany should lodge their application at the High Commission/Embassy/Consulate where they reside.