BB Fact Sheet – Travel – Passports & Visas

Covering yourself before you go  

• Your holiday is important and so are your Passports & Visas.

• Take a moment to consider how inadequate Passports or Visas may impact your trip, and take into consideration the likely time for Governments to properly processed & send then back to you before you go.

• Enquire about your Passport & Visa needs, via phone or the internet, from your Travel Agent or the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, and seek information about specific Visa requirements for each country you plan to visit.

• Find out what you can do to improve your chances of entering a country smoothly, and without incident.

Baby Boomers and Passports & Visas  

• Over 180,000 cases of Australians provided with consular assistance occurred in 2007-2008, some of whom were Baby Boomers.

• Without an adequate Visa, many countries will refuse you entry, causing disruption to travel plans. Sometimes a country you may have visited in the past will have tightened border controls in the mean time, so it is always wise to double check. 

What can I do?

• 6 months before you plan to travel, check that your Passports are up to date, and that there are a minimum of two clean pages for every country you intend the visit.

• Discuss your Visa requirements with your Travel Agent, or visit www.passport.gov.au for individual destination country Visa requirements.

• Be aware that many countries do not accept unexpired visas that are in cancelled passports even if you have a new passport; you may have to get a new visa in the new passport. Many countries also require travellers to have at least six months validity remaining on their passports. Immigration authorities may refuse entry if you arrive with less than this.  Contact the country concerned prior to travelling.

• If you need to update your passport, check which of your local Post Offices handle Passport renewals, or where you local Government Passport Office is located.

• Register your travel & contact details with the Australian Government Dept. Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT) - https://www.orao.dfat.gov.au/orao/weborao.nsf/

To Report Lost or Stolen Australian Passport: 131 232 (Australian Passport Information Service) 

24-hour Consular Emergency Centre: +61 2 6261 3305 or

                                                          - 1300 555 135 (local call cost within Australia).

Australia – https://www.passports.gov.au/Web/index.aspx

Applying for a Visa online - http://www.visalink.com.au/

Priority Passport Processing Service - https://www.passports.gov.au/Web/PriorityProcFee

Australian Passport offices in your Capital City - https://www.passports.gov.au/WhereApply

Change of Name (married or divorced)  - https://www.passports.gov.au/Web/NameChange

A Guide to Acceptable Passport Photos - https://www.passports.gov.au/Web/Requirements/Photos

Australia Post Outlet Locator - http://www.nowwhere.com.au/austpost/postofficelocator/default.aspx

Emergency Contacts Overseas – List of Australian Embassies

- http://www.dfat.gov.au/missions/index.html

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This article was created by Elisabeth Watkins for babyboomers.com.au - Australia's leading website for Baby Boomers. Sources include the Australian Government  Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade & www.smarttraveller.gov.au. Babyboomers.com.au is a resource to help people find information and services on Health, Money, Travel & recreation.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this section should not be used for individual advice. Please seek further information from your Travel Agent, or the Australian Governmentt if you have concerns or specific questions relating to your Passports or Visas.

Copyright 2009 Babyboomers Pty Ltd. All rights Reserved.