The world's most expensive passport - Australia's - just got more expensive

Australia's passport is the most expensive in the world, and it has just become more expensive.

As of January 1, 2025, a 10-year passport for Australians 16 and over costs $412, up from $398.

A five-year passport for children 16 years and under and seniors 75 years and over now costs $208, up from $201.

A passport takes around six weeks to process, but if you want to receive your passport sooner, you can pay for priority two-day processing for $300, up from $290.

Compare the Market data from November 2024 showed the Australian passport was 10 times more expensive than the Indian or Hungarian passport.

January 2025 figures show it is ahead of other countries including the USA, New Zealand, Canada and the UK.

Compare the Market spokeswoman Sarah Orr said Australia already had the most expensive passport in the world and this year Aussies will need to cough up an extra $14.

"Replacement and emergency passport costs have also jumped to $259 - a 3.59 per cent increase compared to last year," she said.

"We know Aussies are looking to stretch every dollar a little further so these price adjustments do hurt. This is the second increase we've seen since July last year."

Ms Orr encouraged travellers to obtain a travel insurance policy which covers the cost of lost or stolen passports.

According to the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), over 30,000 Australian passports were lost or stolen between 2023 and 2024, and over 8,000 emergency travel documents were issued.

The top five countries for lost passports were:

The top five countries for stolen passports were:

Over 15 million Australians, or 55 per cent of the population, have a current passport, as Australia experiences a travel boom.

DFAT issued over 2.5 million passports, or around 10,400 each business day, from 2023-2024.

According to the 2024 Henley Passport Index, Australia's passport is the fifth most powerful in the world, allowing visa-free access to 189 countries.

Compare the Market said there are many factors affecting the cost of the Australian passport, including increased passport technology and anti-fraud upgrades. The fees also contribute to continually updating the nation's passport services and systems.

DFAT said the Australian passport has sophisticated security features that meet the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). These security features prevent unauthorised reading of information or 'skimming' of data stored on the chip.