Big passports to be phased out

Frequent traveller passports – the 66-page documents popular with Australia’s international road warriors – are set to be phased out, with the move revealed in a presentation by Smartraveller chief Brek Batley at the Travel Industry Exhibition last month. Batley also unveiled a number of other changes to passports, including the availability of ten year passports for children aged 16 and 17, while fees no longer apply for lost and stolen passports. He also made the surprising revelation that contrary to expectations the most common countries where passports are stolen are Italy, the USA, the UK, France and Spain, warning travellers to carefully guard the documents wherever they are. Key issues with passports include validity, with passengers turned back on departure every day because they have less than six months before their passports expire. Other reasons for refusal of departure include damaged passports, and he warned that these situations do not entitle travellers to urgent re-issue. Batley noted that despite the discontinuance of the frequent traveller passports, a reduced fee will apply for replacement passports if required because an existing one has run out of pages.

Key issues with passports include validity, with passengers turned back on departure every day because they have less than six months before their passports expire.