Emergency passports
You can apply for an emergency passport which can be issued in two business days after your application is submitted.
All ordinary (full validity) passports are processed in Australia and take up to six weeks to process. There is no fast-track option or priority service available when you apply in the UK.
Emergency passports are intended to be issued when urgent travel is required and there is not enough time to receive an ordinary passport. They should not be relied upon as an alternative to an ordinary passport.
Emergency passports have only four visa pages and the validity will be limited to meet your immediate travel needs (usually seven months validity up to a maximum of one year in exceptional circumstances). It does not contain a chip and cannot be used to enter or transit some countries.
Please research the country where you are travelling to determine if an Emergency passport is acceptable. If you are travelling to a country that requires a visa, you should check with the authorities of that country whether a visa can be issued in an emergency passport and if there is a minimum validity required for the passport.
Australia will accept an emergency passport as a valid travel document, but we cannot tell you which other countries will or won't accept an emergency passport.
Anyone who has Australian citizenship can apply for an emergency passport, as long as you can prove you have urgent confirmed travel within three weeks. This includes those who have held an Australian passport before and those who are applying for an emergency passport as their first Australian passport.
The fee for an emergency passport is AUD$259.
You must be able to show us evidence of urgency, such as a confirmed flight booking, letter from employer, visa appointment confirmation.
Please contact us to arrange an emergency appointment. Our officers will advise you which form to complete and what supporting documents are required.
You must be able to show us evidence of urgency, such as a confirmed flight booking, letter from employer, or visa appointment confirmation.
Please return to the Home Page and follow the instructions for your type of application. In addition to the documents listed in those instructions, you must also:
For Mailed-in Applications - (only permitted when applying for BOTH an emergency passport AND ordinary passport)
- Provide printed evidence of urgency (e.g. confirmed flight booking, letter from employer, visa appointment confirmation)
- Write your intended travel date in Section 1 of the application form
- Tick the box for Ordinary & Emergency Passport on your Payment Authorisation Form
- Mark the envelope URGENT so it is opened and processed immediately when we receive it
For In-Person Applications
- Provide printed evidence of urgency (e.g. confirmed flight booking, letter from employer, visa appointment confirmation)
- Write your intended travel date in Section 1 of the application form
- Advise the Interviewing Officer during your appointment that you want to apply for an emergency passport
- Pay the fee for the emergency passport
As long as you can demonstrate urgent travel, you can apply for an emergency passport only if:
- You cannot meet the application requirements for an ordinary passport
- You do not want to apply for an ordinary passport due to financial reasons
- You will not be in the United Kingdom long enough to receive the ordinary passport before you travel
You must submit your application in person. Please contact us to book an emergency appointment.
Yes. Please contact us to discuss.
You will be required to show us your evidence of urgency and provide us with payment details so we can charge the extra fee.
You must contact us at least one week before your travel date. If you submit a request with less notice, we will make our best effort to issue the emergency passport before you travel, but this may not be possible.
No. Emergency passports are based on your previous passport records.
If you have urgent travel and also need to update the name (or any other details on your passport, you will need to apply for an emergency passport in your previous name, and apply again for a name change when you return from travelling.