Services for Australians

The Australian High Commission in New Delhi is now accepting passport and notarial services by appointments only.

For enquiries and appointments please email: [email protected] For urgent consular assistance, please call Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 155 135 within Australia or +61 2 6261 3305 from outside Australia.

Services for Australians

Consular and Passport Section

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) provides help to Australians who find themselves in trouble overseas. This support is known as consular services. If you require consular or passport assistance while in India you can contact:

Australian High Commission in New Delhi
Australian Consulate-General in Mumbai
Australian Consulate-General in Chennai

DFAT also provides Australians with emergency consular services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can call the Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135 within Australia or +61 2 6261 3305 from outside Australia.

What we can and cannot do

The Consular Services Charter outlines the consular services that are provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. There will be circumstances in which our ability to provide consular support may be limited.

Travel information for Australians

Smartraveller has the latest, authoritative travel advice so you can be informed and prepared about overseas travel. Subscribe to receive travel advice updates - by simply supplying your name and email address - straight to your inbox.

You can now also subscribe to the new SMS service - by supplying your mobile number - to receive critical alerts in the event of a crisis overseas.

In a crisis, Smartraveller will activate a crisis page on its website. It will make it easier for you or someone you know to contact the Australian Government if you need help. It will supplement the consular emergency hotline.

Visit www.smartraveller.gov.au to subscribe or connect with Smartraveller on Facebook and Twitter.

As always, we encourage Australians overseas to stay in touch with friends and family and let them know you’re safe.

Passports

Since the reopening of Australia’s international border on 1 November 2021, the Australian Passport Office is experiencing significant increase in demand for new passports. As a result, applications lodged overseas could take up to nine weeks to be issued. Please ensure you allow sufficient time before your travel to renew/apply for a new passport.

Temporary Passport Arrangements during COVID-19 Pandemic:

Digital upload function on the Australian Passport Office website

From 04 March 2022, passport applications can no longer be lodged electronically. To submit a passport application, please contact the Australian High Commission in New Delhi or the Australian Consulates in Mumbai or Chennai to schedule an appointment.

Fees

Passport fees increased on 1 January 2022. From 1 January 2022, the fees for:

a 10-year passport for people 16 and over will cost $308
a 5-year passport for people under 16 or 75 and over will cost $155
emergency and replacement passports will cost $193
the priority processing fee will be $225
the overseas surcharge for adult and senior applicants will be $138
the overseas surcharge for child applicants will be $67.
(Note: the overseas surcharge is not charged for emergency or replacement passports.)

Please refer to the below fee structure for a full list of travel documents and relevant fees applicable from 1 January 2022.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to apply if I'm not planning to travel?

Local law requires that being a foreign national your passport and Indian visa should always be valid. Even if you do not plan to travel it is best practice that your passport remains valid. You can make an appointment with our office to renew your passport.

What happens if my passport expires during this time?

The Australian High Commission, New Delhi is now accepting passport and notarial services by appointment only. To make an appointment, please email [email protected].

What if I don’t feel safe travelling to your office?

We understand that you may not feel it is safe to travel at this time. We suggest you to contact us and discuss the matter, please email [email protected]

What if I need to travel unexpectedly due to an emergency?

You may apply for an emergency passport which is usually issued within 2 working days.

Do I have to replace my temporary/emergency passport in person at your office?

Yes. If you are issued with a temporary or emergency passport, you must lodge a new application using the Application form for an Australian Passport Overseas (not the renewal PC7 form) in person at one of our offices. For child applications, the application must be lodged at an office in the country where the child is physically located by one parent.

When will you stop accepting mail applications for temporary passports?

Since there are no travel restrictions in India passport applications are lodged in person. Mail in applications are only allowed in special circumstances. We understand that you may have compelling circumstances for which you may not feel it is safe to travel at this time. Please do not send your passport application through mail without discussing the matter with us.

Passport Announcements

Phasing out of Frequent Traveller Passports

From 1 December 2017, applications for Frequent Traveller Passports (FTP) will no longer be accepted in Australia or overseas. This is due to an overall decline in demand for FTP’s as more countries are issuing electronic visas. As an alternative to the FTP, the Australian Passport Office will introduce a new and less expensive replacement passport option for passport holders with full visa pages. Please discuss options on replacement passports with your nearest diplomatic mission.

PR labels no longer accepted as evidence of citizenship

From 1 April 2016, the Permanent Residency (PR) visa label of parents will not be accepted as evidence of an applicant’s citizenship. If the applicant was born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986 and one (or both) parents were Australian permanent residents at that time, the applicant must provide evidence of their own Australian citizenship with a citizenship certificate issued by the Department of Home Affairs.

Applicants will need to apply for their citizenship certificate using Form 119 – Application for evidence of Australian citizenship. You should take into account the processing times for citizenship certificates and passports before booking any travel. Further information can be found at the Department of Home Affairs website.

10-year validity child passports issued to applicants aged 16-17 years

From 1 January 2016, child applicants aged 16 or 17 will be issued with a 10-year passport instead of the five-year passport currently issued to children under 18. Applications must still include parental consent, and they must be personally lodged by the applicant together with a parent. The application fee will be the same as for adults, reflecting the longer validity of the passport to be issued.

Notarial Services

The Australian High Commission in New Delhi is now accepting passport and notarial services by appointments only.

For enquiries and appointments please email: [email protected].

Notarial services are provided by the Australian High Commission and Consulates-General in India when the documents are Australian in origin or for use in Australia.

Notarial services available include:

Authentications and Apostilles (and the binding of documents presented)
Certifying copies of original documents
Witnessing of signatures on certain documents
Issuing of Certificates of No Impediment to marriage
Witnessing of statutory declarations
Administering of affidavits, oaths and affirmations

Apostilles can be issued on original Australian public documents and can be issued by the Australian High Commission and Australian Consulates-General in India.

High Commission staff will make copies from all original documents presented by clients. Unfortunately, photocopies provided by clients cannot be certified.

Fees apply for these services. Payment must be made in Indian Rupees, by either bank card or cash.

PLEASE NOTE: The Australian High Commission is not able to provide advice on which notarial service you may need. Please ensure that you know which notarial service(s) you wish us to perform and, if necessary, confirm with the organisation or agency that requires your documents to be notarised.

For more information on notarial services and document legalisation overseas, see the Smartraveller website.

Letters of No Objection

The Australian High Commission in New Delhi does not issue personalised letters of no objection for individual Australian citizens. Instead, Australian citizens in need of a letter of no objection can download our universal letter of no objection, free of charge.

Relevant authorities in India are aware of this policy.

Services for Australians