Australian passport fees now over $400!
Brace yourself for another price hike! Australian passport fees are set to increase yet again, with travellers now required to pay over $400 for a 10-year option. This substantial increase is bound to hit the pockets of frequent flyers and holiday-goers alike, leaving many shocked and frustrated. The rising cost of travel documents adds another layer of expense to already pricey international travel.
Starting next year, Australians will need to pay over $400 for a 10-year passport.Due to annual indexation, the cost for those over 16 will rise to $412 from January 1, an increase of $14.This marks the second fee hike in six months, Following a 15% increase on July 1 by the Albanese government. Australia now holds the title for the world's most expensive passport, with costs rising by $104 since Labor's return to office in 2022. The fee for a five-year passport,available to children under 16 and those over 75, will increase from $201 to $208. Emergency and replacment passportswill see a rise from $250 to $259.Austalians applying for passports abroad will face additional surcharges ,with the Australian High Commission in the UK setting the total cost at $596 for a 10-year passport from January 1. Shadow Foreign Minister Simon Birmingham criticised the Labor government , stating that ''Australian are paying record sums for the privilege of a passport that should be a basic entitlement, not an expensive luxury.''
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