Starting January 1, 2025, Australian card charges will increase by 3.5 %, with the cost of a typical 10-year child card rising from$ 398 to$ 412. A 5-year kid passport will cost$ 208, and a replacement card will then cost$ 29 The opposition has criticized this price increase, accusing Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of starting “another income get from Australians” in the new year.
The rate hike
The price of a standard 10-year Australian passport, already the most expensive globally, will rise by$ 14 to$ 412 in the new year, marking a$ 104 increase since the Labor government took office in 2022, according to news.com. une.
Meanwhile, the cost of five-year passports for children and seniors aged 75 and over will rise from$ 201 to$ 208, and the price for a replacement passport will go up from$ 250 to$ 259.
rate increase earlier in July
This rate increase is included in the annual adjustment mandated by law and comes in addition to the 15 % raise that was implemented on July 1, 2024. Due to this price increase, American passports are now the most expensive on the planet. Prior to this, Mexican documents were in the top echelon, selling for$ 346.
According to documents submitted to parliament earlier this year, the 15 % increase in application fees, which took effect on July 1, was projected to generate$ 924.5 million in revenue and$ 529 million in profit, as reported by news.com. une.
” Government ringing in new season with another duty get”
Opposition director Simon Birmingham criticised the improve, saying, as quoted by 9 News,” It’s expected the Albanese state is ringing in the new year with another duty get from Australians”. Labor are on track to earn nearly$ 1 billion annually from taxpayers thanks to their previous three flagrant price increases for Australian passports, he added.
According to Birmingham,” Some Australians scrimp and save money to book a special trip to Bali or Fiji, only to find that the cost of a passport is comparable to the cost of an airplane.”
Authorities defends rate boost
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade explained that the Consumer Price Index is a component of the annual rate adjustment. They defended the charge, stressing the passport’s value and safety features, which allow visa-free traveling to over 180 nations.
” The American id is respected worldwide as a high-quality go document”, they said, as quoted by News 9. ” It has a higher level of technological style, backed by thorough anti-fraud steps, which ensures its integrity. This is a crucial reason why American card holders receive visa-free access to over 180 places”, they added.
