this post was submitted on 04 Apr 2026
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Why does Australia have an overpriced passport? (lemmy.zip)
submitted 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) by LtDan@lemmy.zip to c/australia@aussie.zone
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I've heard that it's around 420 AUD for an 10 year adult passport, like why? (Apparently, it's the third most expensive globally) To put it into perspective: most European nations will price it for either less or within 50-100 EUR making it affordable to travel. It used to be cheaper but for some reason there is a price hike to the point it's a rip off.

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[–] observes_depths@aussie.zone 6 points 3 weeks ago

This article gives some insight, https://7news.com.au/news/australian-passport-fees-to-jump-again-in-2025-heres-what-youll-pay--c-17225775

It sounds to me that it's the most expensive in the world because it can be and it raises money. The government and DFAT say it's expensive because of the technological sophistication, which is why it's highly trusted worldwide, and the cost pays for it's expensive production.

But New Zealands is just as powerful and only costs $205 AUD, and Singapore's is considered the worlds most powerful and only costs $83 AUD. Maybe the sophistication isn't so important, maybe the costs are just way lower there, or maybe it's subsidised.

I bet if it becomes a political issue they'll drop the price in a heartbeat to make themselves look good. Australian (Libral party) governments have a history of cutting costs and raising prices in every way they can get away with to make their budget look good.

Another interesting point is the US passport was $252 AUD back in 2024, but comparethemarket.com.au lists it as $414 in 2026. Massive hike. Probably because Trump.