About U.S. Passports - American Citizen Services

Passports

Please follow the U.S. Consulate General’s instructions outlined below when preparing to apply for a U.S. passport in Australia.

Passports submitted to support an application for a new passport will be canceled and returned with the applicant’s new passport. Please refer to our information regarding current processing times and passport validity.

Note for dual nationals: U.S. immigration laws require that all U.S. citizens enter and depart the United States on a valid U.S. passport at all times, regardless of age or possession of foreign passports. Please be aware that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have the authority to issue fines and refuse entry to any American citizen who chooses to disregard this law. For further information please refer to Dual Nationality.

Applications by mail:
- Renewal of an adult’s passport issued less than 15 years ago
- Change of name or correcting information on a passport issued:
  - more than a year ago
  - less than a year ago
- Replace a limited validity (emergency) passport
Applications requiring personal appearance:
Additional visa pages
- Adding additional visa pages

For additional information, please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions.

Child Support and Passport Issuance

Under Section 51.70 (a) (8) of Title 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations, a passport, except for direct return to the United States, will not be issued in any case in which the applicant has been certified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services as notified by a state agency to be in arrears of child support in an amount exceeding $2,500.00. Your passport will be revoked if you fall under this regulation, including when you apply for additional pages, seek a renewal or process a Report of Birth application.

Please direct any questions to the appropriate State child support enforcement agency. You may go to the Department of Health and Human Services - State Child Support Enforcement Web Site for a listing of HHS state and local agencies.

Passports for minor children may also be denied in the cases of Child Custody Disputes.

Last update: Wednesday, 16 December 2009 GMT+1100

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