How to Renew a Passport or Licence Online in Australia

Renewing a passport used to mean forms, photo booths and a trip to the post office. These days you can fill in most of an Australian passport renewal from your armchair, online, and then drop into a post office for the last quick step. A driver licence is handled by your state or territory, and many now let you renew it online too, so it pays to know what each one needs.

Here’s how both work, with the official websites so you can avoid the copycat sites that charge extra for nothing. If you are helping an older parent get online, see our wider guide to helping a parent go online.

Renewing your passport

1. Go to the official site

Open your web browser and type passports.gov.au, the official site run by the Australian Passport Office, part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Take care to use this exact address. Other sites may look similar but charge a fee to pass on your details, which you don’t need.

2. Fill in the online application

Open the application portal and follow the prompts. The site asks you some questions and directs you to the right form, which most people can complete online. If you’ve held a passport recently, the renewal is shorter than a first-time application.

3. Lodge it at a post office

Once the form is done, you book a time and lodge your application in person at a participating Australia Post outlet. They take your passport photo there, so you don’t need to organise one yourself, and they check your documents. Bring your old passport and any paperwork the site asks for.

4. Pay and wait for it in the post

Pay the fee when you lodge, then your new passport arrives in the post. Allow about six weeks for a standard application, so renew well before any travel. A priority service is available for an extra fee if you’re short of time.

Renewing your driver licence

Driver licences are run by your state or territory, not the federal government, so where you go depends on where you live, such as Service NSW, Service Victoria or VicRoads, Service SA, or Transport and Main Roads in Queensland. Many now let you renew online in a few minutes, as long as your current photo can be reused and nothing else needs checking. If a new photo is required, you visit a service centre to have it taken.

Rules for older drivers vary from state to state. Some ask for regular eyesight or medical checks from a certain age, and a few require an annual medical certificate from your doctor. If that applies to you, it’s worth booking your doctor’s visit ahead of time so the certificate is ready. Your state or territory transport site sets out exactly what’s needed where you live.

Government services online are safe when you use the official sites. If you’d like to feel surer about spotting the real ones, our guide on the best apps for seniors and our wider scam safety articles are worth a read.