Passport Services
All appointments for passport services are held in Geneva only.
Passport Processing Times
Passport processing times are currently around 6 weeks (not including postage and transit times). Australian citizens (including dual citizens) should plan well-ahead of their intended travel to ensure they have a valid passport. The requirement of many countries (including transit points) is a minimum of 6 months validity on your passport from your return date.
Passport Photos
Two identical high quality, heavy-weight, glossy colour photos (200 gsm minimum) are required for all passport applications. The photos must meet particular requirements. We recommend you check the requirements before you have your photos taken and ensure the person taking the photos understands these requirements. Photos not meeting these requirements will be rejected and new photos will be requested resulting in passport processing delays.
Adult Passport - Streamlined Renewal - Applying by mail
Child Passport - Renewal - Applying by mail
Child passport renewal applications can be lodged by mail provided the applicant is:
- aged 0 -15 years old and
- has held a previous passport
For all first-time child applications and applicants aged 16 or 17, the application must be lodged in person at an appointment. Information on scheduling an appointment can be found in the section "All Other Passport Applications" below.
All Other Passport Applications - How to apply
All of the below passport applications must be lodged in person at the Australian Consulate-General in Geneva.
- First Adult passport - your most recent Australian passport was issued when you were a child
- First Child passport - your child has never held an Australian passport
- Adult renewal - renewing a passport issued before 1 January 2006 (not eligible for the streamlined renewal)
- Child renewal - aged 16 or 17 (not eligible for mailed-in renewal. Will be issued with a 10-year valid passport)
- Name Change (or other changes) in your passport
- Replacement of a Lost, Stolen or seriously Damaged passport
Additional Important Information
Do both parents need to attend child application appointments?
Both parents are required to attend appointments for all Child First passports, Emergency passports and all Child passport applications from neighbouring countries.
Incomplete applications (including missing documents and incorrectly executed parental consent) will not be accepted. You will be required to rebook an appointment or, if applying by mail, your application will be returned to you. We recommend downloading and using the detailed checklists from our website to assist you in preparing your application.
Urgent / Confirmed Travel
If you have confirmed travel plans or need to travel urgently, it may be possible to have an Emergency Passport. Emergency Passports take 2 business days to process (once the application has been finalised). There is an additional Emergency Passport fee. More information can be found at APO Emergency Passports. If you have urgent or confirmed travel plans, please email us at [email protected] to discuss your situation.
Medibank Private/ahm, Optus or Medlab Data Breach
I've been affected by the Medibank Private/ahm, Optus or Medlab data breach. What should I do?
Medibank Private/ahm have advised the Australian Passport Office (APO) that no Australian Travel Document information was compromised in this breach.
Foreign passports for international students were compromised through this cyberattack. Medibank Private/ahm are contacting impacted customers directly.
If Medibank Private/ahm have advised you that your foreign passport information was compromised, you should contact the government that issued the passport for advice on what to do. This is also the case for all data breaches that impact foreign passport holders, including the recent breaches at Optus and Medlab.
More information:
Medibank/ahm impacted customers:
- Call Medibank on 134 148 (within Australia) or +61 3 9862 1095 (International)
- Contact Medibank’s 24/7 Student Health and Support line (Medibank international students call 1800 887 283 and ahm international students call 1800 006 745)
- Visit Medibank Cyber Event Updates and Support page medibank.com.au/cybersecurity
- Go to ID Care’s dedicated Medibank and ahm breach response plan).
- See the Australian Cyber Security Centre's Medibank Private alert.
Optus impacted customers:
- Contact Optus customer service directly on 133 937 (within Australia), or +612 8082 5678 (International), or go to their Passport Information(link is external) webpage.
- Go to our Frequently Asked Questions on the Optus data breach and passport information
- See the Australian Cyber Security Centre's Optus data breach(link is external) alert.
Medlab impacted customers:
Contact Medlab customer service directly on +61 1800 433 980, or go to their data breach web page(link is external).