Price of a passport takes off

THE price of a passport has doubled since 2002, rivalling the rise of tobacco and alcohol.

Such has been the pace of the increase, first-time international travellers can get their flights for less than their passports.

The surge has also made Australian passports among the most expensive in the world — well over twice the price of UK travel documents and 90 per cent more than what Americans pay.

Only one nation has to fork out more: Switzerland.

News Corp Australia’s analysis of past Budgets reveals successive governments have gouged travellers, driving up the price of a passport from $136 in 2002 to $277 since January – a rise of 104 per cent.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ alcohol and tobacco index has not even risen that rapidly. It is up 101 per cent. When the 2002 Budget lifted the cost of a passport by $8 to $144, an additional $17.4 million was generated over four years.

The move in last year’s Budget to hike the price by $20 to $277 will net 10 times extra — $173 million — to “offset the increased cost of providing consular services and fund policy priorities”.

However, the Australian Federation of Travel Agents has estimated passports will deliver the Government $100 million more than its costs this financial year. And that was before the $20 bump on January 1. AFTA has previously told the Government that the high cost of passports is “another barrier to travel”, but wouldn’t say that when asked by News Corp Australia.

Carriers such as Scoot and Jetstar are selling seats to New Zealand and South-East Asia for as little as $99 one-way.

And the price of fares is much more influential on travellers than the cost of a passport.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade would not rule out a further increase in passport prices in the Budget.