Moving to the UK
How to renew your Australian passport in the UK
Ten years has come up and you’ve realised you need to renew your Aussie passport in the UK. It’s by post now, with no appointment. So you won’t get to see Gringotts any more, or go to Australia House. Here’s how you do it.
The spend
AUD 611, adult ten-year passport
The booking
none, it goes by post
Takes
at least six weeks
Works for
Australians in the UK renewing an adult passport
Fact check · 24 September 2026
I’m not an adviser. I renewed mine in 2017, in person. The rules below are the High Commission’s as at 24 September 2026. Check the High Commission’s postal renewal page before you send it.
1. Check you can renew by post
You can if all of these are true:
- You were at least 16 when your last passport was issued.
- It expired in 2016 or later.
- It was valid for two years or more.
- It hasn’t been lost, stolen, damaged or cancelled.
- You’re not changing your name, gender, date of birth or place of birth.
If not, you need a new application instead. The High Commission’s page tells you which.
2. Get your photos
- Go to a proper photo shop. No photobooth photos.
- I went to Snappy Snaps, or somewhere like the post office. They both have shops all around and they’ll take the photo easily. Slightly expensive.
- Send at least two.
- Write your full name on the back of one in black pen.
3. Fill in the forms
- Fill in the adult renewal application form online. Click Application portal, then the adult renewal form. Print it. Sign and date it in black pen. The date next to your signature must be within the last six months.
- Print and fill in the Payment Authorisation Form. You pay in Australian dollars only. Your UK bank may charge you for it.
4. What goes in the envelope
- The application form
- The photos
- The payment authorisation form
Don’t send your old passport or any original documents.
5. Post it
Put it in an A4 envelope, addressed to:
Passport Office (adult renewal), Australian High Commission, Strand, London WC2B 4LA
- Send it by Royal Mail, tracked. No courier.
- Keep the tracking number.
6. Wait for it to come back
Allow at least six weeks. There’s no priority or express service. If you have to travel within three weeks, the High Commission has an emergency passport route instead.
The new passport comes back to your UK address by Royal Mail Special Delivery.
7. Keep your old passport
Your old passport stays with you. It’s cancelled automatically 30 days after the new one is issued.
I prefer the old navy to the newer blue.
8. Your visa
If you’re on an eVisa, update your passport details in your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account when it arrives. Gov.uk says an out-of-date account can mean delays when you travel. You can’t change it while a visa application is waiting on a decision.