And for a country that does not stamp its own citizen's passports, and yet charge so much, it a money grab for either side of the political spectrum, either Coalition or Labor.
Exit Au, use exit Smartgate... no passport stamping, and yet still pay the Aust pax movement levy, Aud$60...!!! What the...
Enter Au, use incoming Smartgate, also no passport stamping, but we then have to get the little chit of paper to hand to an ABF/Home Affairs officer, might get our moneys worth if AQIS wants to inspect our bags, but other than that, its DIY nearly all the way.
Plus have to remove glasses when getting passport done, and then probably have to remove them prescription glasses too at Smargate.
Might as well be like the proverbial hermit and not travel.
But then, passport as a means of matter of showing id, bugger, still have to have it made every 10 years.
Picking up on your glasses comment. My passport photo has me wearing glasses (issued 2010) and I've had the customs officers shouting at me to remove my glasses from across the smartgates. I just pretend i don't hear them now because i'm fed up being shouted at like a child almost every time.
And for a country that does not stamp its own citizen's passports, and yet charge so much, it a money grab for either side of the political spectrum, either Coalition or Labor.
Exit Au, use exit Smartgate... no passport stamping, and yet still pay the Aust pax movement levy, Aud$60...!!! What the...
Enter Au, use incoming Smartgate, also no passport stamping, but we then have to get the little chit of paper to hand to an ABF/Home Affairs officer, might get our moneys worth if AQIS wants to inspect our bags, but other than that, its DIY nearly all the way.
Plus have to remove glasses when getting passport done, and then probably have to remove them prescription glasses too at Smargate.
Might as well be like the proverbial hermit and not travel.
But then, passport as a means of matter of showing id, bugger, still have to have it made every 10 years.
Believe it or not, although much of the SmartGate system is automated, there are still staff members who monitor the passengers going through it.
Each of them watches over a certain number of gates (this is why sometimes banks of SmartGates can be closed, as there's nobody staffed at those respective monitoring counters), and even though the passenger is cleared electronically, the photograph taken by the gate, and information about the traveller, is presented on a screen elsewhere in the airport (often to staff sitting at desks behind the SmartGate barriers). The photograph stored in the passport chip is also displayed alongside the 'live' photo for an additional comparison, so it's not completely automated.
Australia's Passenger Movement Charge is high compared to many other countries though, no doubt about that: and significantly adds to the cost of short international flights such as to New Zealand (whereas on longer, more expensive journeys, the PMC is less noticeable, albeit the same price).
One thing to keep in mind our passport is valid for 10 years. A lot of other countries only issue passports for 5 years.
A lot of developed countries like US etc are all 10 years.
As is the UK. And as a slight aside, for Frequent Travellers who need / want a second passport, the UK also issues these for 10 years. I appreciate fully that not everyone needs a second passport, but for those that do if you also have to renew that every 3 years, then the costs escalate enormously. The expedited / urgent cost of a Aus passport has always struck me as amazing. In the UK for about £30 extra you can go and get one the same day!
One thing to keep in mind our passport is valid for 10 years. A lot of other countries only issue passports for 5 years.
that would be 9 years and 6 months tbh.
What's with not accepting a passport with less than 6 months' validity? Seems like an arbitrary nonsense.
In case you end up in hospital/jail, you can likely still leave without it expiring
So you're dudded by up to 10% of the life of a passport (if it's for 5 years) on the off-chance that you spend six months in the slammer? I'd say the risk of someone's passport expiring if they simply overstay and vanishing into the ether is much higher. And that could happen regardless of how much validity you've got left...
One thing to keep in mind our passport is valid for 10 years. A lot of other countries only issue passports for 5 years.
A lot of developed countries like US etc are all 10 years.
As is the UK. And as a slight aside, for Frequent Travellers who need / want a second passport, the UK also issues these for 10 years. I appreciate fully that not everyone needs a second passport, but for those that do if you also have to renew that every 3 years, then the costs escalate enormously. The expedited / urgent cost of a Aus passport has always struck me as amazing. In the UK for about £30 extra you can go and get one the same day!
What's more, if you apply for a renewal UK passport before the old one expires, the remaining time is added to your new one for no extra charge. Why aren't all governments doing that - especially as many of them impose the "must have at least 6 more months' validity" rule.
The passport prices for 2019 have been released (https://www.passports.gov.au/news/notice-2019-passport-fees). A standard adult passport will be $11 more expensive. This surely makes an Australian adult passport the most expensive in the world with the exception of places where they don't want you to leave, like Syria. If your passport is within the last 8 months or so of it's life and $11 means a lot to you then right now is the right time to apply for a new one.
The 5 yr permanent resident visas are ridiculously overpriced. Greedy muppets. Obscene. My 10 yr Irish passport costs me a third if that.
One thing to keep in mind our passport is valid for 10 years. A lot of other countries only issue passports for 5 years.
A lot of developed countries like US etc are all 10 years.
As is the UK. And as a slight aside, for Frequent Travellers who need / want a second passport, the UK also issues these for 10 years. I appreciate fully that not everyone needs a second passport, but for those that do if you also have to renew that every 3 years, then the costs escalate enormously. The expedited / urgent cost of a Aus passport has always struck me as amazing. In the UK for about £30 extra you can go and get one the same day!
What's more, if you apply for a renewal UK passport before the old one expires, the remaining time is added to your new one for no extra charge. Why aren't all governments doing that - especially as many of them impose the "must have at least 6 more months' validity" rule.
I think they add back up to 9 months of unexpired time on existing passports. So max term would be 10 years 9 months. But I agree its a very helpful extra
And for a country that does not stamp its own citizen's passports, and yet charge so much, it a money grab for either side of the political spectrum, either Coalition or Labor.
Exit Au, use exit Smartgate... no passport stamping, and yet still pay the Aust pax movement levy, Aud$60...!!! What the...
Enter Au, use incoming Smartgate, also no passport stamping, but we then have to get the little chit of paper to hand to an ABF/Home Affairs officer, might get our moneys worth if AQIS wants to inspect our bags, but other than that, its DIY nearly all the way.
Plus have to remove glasses when getting passport done, and then probably have to remove them prescription glasses too at Smargate.
Might as well be like the proverbial hermit and not travel.
But then, passport as a means of matter of showing id, bugger, still have to have it made every 10 years.
You're not obligated to use the smartgate. You can go through the manual queue if you want to get your money's worth.
And then you can also declare a few things at quarantine/customs and really get your money's worth!
And for a country that does not stamp its own citizen's passports, and yet charge so much, it a money grab for either side of the political spectrum, either Coalition or Labor.
Exit Au, use exit Smartgate... no passport stamping, and yet still pay the Aust pax movement levy, Aud$60...!!! What the...
Enter Au, use incoming Smartgate, also no passport stamping, but we then have to get the little chit of paper to hand to an ABF/Home Affairs officer, might get our moneys worth if AQIS wants to inspect our bags, but other than that, its DIY nearly all the way.
Plus have to remove glasses when getting passport done, and then probably have to remove them prescription glasses too at Smargate.
Might as well be like the proverbial hermit and not travel.
But then, passport as a means of matter of showing id, bugger, still have to have it made every 10 years.
And of course the provision and maintenance of the smartgates, data links and associated technology to allow rapid movement through the airport all came at zero cost to the government (sarcasm)
And for a country that does not stamp its own citizen's passports, and yet charge so much, it a money grab for either side of the political spectrum, either Coalition or Labor.
Exit Au, use exit Smartgate... no passport stamping, and yet still pay the Aust pax movement levy, Aud$60...!!! What the...
Enter Au, use incoming Smartgate, also no passport stamping, but we then have to get the little chit of paper to hand to an ABF/Home Affairs officer, might get our moneys worth if AQIS wants to inspect our bags, but other than that, its DIY nearly all the way.
Plus have to remove glasses when getting passport done, and then probably have to remove them prescription glasses too at Smargate.
Might as well be like the proverbial hermit and not travel.
But then, passport as a means of matter of showing id, bugger, still have to have it made every 10 years.
Picking up on your glasses comment. My passport photo has me wearing glasses (issued 2010) and I've had the customs officers shouting at me to remove my glasses from across the smartgates. I just pretend i don't hear them now because i'm fed up being shouted at like a child almost every time.
Re: glasses/spectacles, I prefer to comply, if they want to pick on me, as I want to get through the immi self processing process as fast as possible.
On my first trip to NZ, at the 2nd stage smartgate, (nowadays they only have one stage, prior they had the small slip printer, which they don't now), I was made to remove glasses, that was about 2013.
After, these days, they don't ask me to remove glasses, but they probably will when my current Au passport expires in 2 years time.
Though, when I use Smartgate, which they seem to prefer, I am through in seconds.
I am sure if go through counter processing, they would look me up, and down, slow putting passport into reader, look at me again, they type a few things on keyboard.
I fear that.
My first coming back to Au, as an Aust citizen travelling from SIN via PER to ADL, I live in ADL, I didn't use Smartgate, and got the "it", the wand/the whole kit and kaboodle, the whole lot!
Nowadays, I just use Smartgate.
Yes, Chris, there are probably a lot of more things that go on, incoming passenger wise, like as soon as we check in overseas for our flight to Au, our data is already being worked on.
So, they already do know who is coming in and in how many hours.
(((Maybe I get pinged on something (computer) somewhere each time I come back))).
And for a country that does not stamp its own citizen's passports, and yet charge so much, it a money grab for either side of the political spectrum, either Coalition or Labor.
Exit Au, use exit Smartgate... no passport stamping, and yet still pay the Aust pax movement levy, Aud$60...!!! What the...
Enter Au, use incoming Smartgate, also no passport stamping, but we then have to get the little chit of paper to hand to an ABF/Home Affairs officer, might get our moneys worth if AQIS wants to inspect our bags, but other than that, its DIY nearly all the way.
Plus have to remove glasses when getting passport done, and then probably have to remove them prescription glasses too at Smargate.
Might as well be like the proverbial hermit and not travel.
But then, passport as a means of matter of showing id, bugger, still have to have it made every 10 years.
No passport stamping frees up pages so we can squeeze the 10 year life out of the passport. This is a plus not a negative. It is not compulsory to use smartgate. There are plenty of long queues to join to get a stamp.
elchriss0
elchriss0
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
Member since 13 Jan 2015
Total posts 80
Picking up on your glasses comment. My passport photo has me wearing glasses (issued 2010) and I've had the customs officers shouting at me to remove my glasses from across the smartgates. I just pretend i don't hear them now because i'm fed up being shouted at like a child almost every time.
Chris C.
Chris C.
Member since 24 Apr 2012
Total posts 1,116
Believe it or not, although much of the SmartGate system is automated, there are still staff members who monitor the passengers going through it.
Each of them watches over a certain number of gates (this is why sometimes banks of SmartGates can be closed, as there's nobody staffed at those respective monitoring counters), and even though the passenger is cleared electronically, the photograph taken by the gate, and information about the traveller, is presented on a screen elsewhere in the airport (often to staff sitting at desks behind the SmartGate barriers). The photograph stored in the passport chip is also displayed alongside the 'live' photo for an additional comparison, so it's not completely automated.
Australia's Passenger Movement Charge is high compared to many other countries though, no doubt about that: and significantly adds to the cost of short international flights such as to New Zealand (whereas on longer, more expensive journeys, the PMC is less noticeable, albeit the same price).
nanohits
nanohits
Member since 19 Aug 2014
Total posts 2
And how many people who have passports fly Business Class lol!! So silly.
nanohits
nanohits
Member since 19 Aug 2014
Total posts 2
A lot of developed countries like US etc are all 10 years.
Ourmanin
Ourmanin
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
Member since 08 Jun 2018
Total posts 144
A lot of developed countries like US etc are all 10 years.
As is the UK. And as a slight aside, for Frequent Travellers who need / want a second passport, the UK also issues these for 10 years. I appreciate fully that not everyone needs a second passport, but for those that do if you also have to renew that every 3 years, then the costs escalate enormously. The expedited / urgent cost of a Aus passport has always struck me as amazing. In the UK for about £30 extra you can go and get one the same day!
Rufus1
Rufus1
Member since 04 Dec 2013
Total posts 70
So you're dudded by up to 10% of the life of a passport (if it's for 5 years) on the off-chance that you spend six months in the slammer? I'd say the risk of someone's passport expiring if they simply overstay and vanishing into the ether is much higher. And that could happen regardless of how much validity you've got left...
maq
maq
Jetstar Airways - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 05 Jul 2017
Total posts 4
And how many people who have passports fly Business Class lol!! So silly.
Exactly - and of those that do, how many are actually paying the fare from their own pockets?
outthere1000
outthere1000
Air Canada - Aeroplan
Member since 28 Feb 2015
Total posts 10
A lot of developed countries like US etc are all 10 years.
As is the UK. And as a slight aside, for Frequent Travellers who need / want a second passport, the UK also issues these for 10 years. I appreciate fully that not everyone needs a second passport, but for those that do if you also have to renew that every 3 years, then the costs escalate enormously. The expedited / urgent cost of a Aus passport has always struck me as amazing. In the UK for about £30 extra you can go and get one the same day!
What's more, if you apply for a renewal UK passport before the old one expires, the remaining time is added to your new one for no extra charge. Why aren't all governments doing that - especially as many of them impose the "must have at least 6 more months' validity" rule.
TheCelt
TheCelt
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 08 Jul 2017
Total posts 8
A standard adult passport will be $11 more expensive.
This surely makes an Australian adult passport the most expensive in the world with the exception of places where they don't want you to leave, like Syria.
If your passport is within the last 8 months or so of it's life and $11 means a lot to you then right now is the right time to apply for a new one.
The 5 yr permanent resident visas are ridiculously overpriced. Greedy muppets. Obscene. My 10 yr Irish passport costs me a third if that.
Ourmanin
Ourmanin
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
Member since 08 Jun 2018
Total posts 144
A lot of developed countries like US etc are all 10 years.
As is the UK. And as a slight aside, for Frequent Travellers who need / want a second passport, the UK also issues these for 10 years. I appreciate fully that not everyone needs a second passport, but for those that do if you also have to renew that every 3 years, then the costs escalate enormously. The expedited / urgent cost of a Aus passport has always struck me as amazing. In the UK for about £30 extra you can go and get one the same day!
What's more, if you apply for a renewal UK passport before the old one expires, the remaining time is added to your new one for no extra charge. Why aren't all governments doing that - especially as many of them impose the "must have at least 6 more months' validity" rule.
I think they add back up to 9 months of unexpired time on existing passports. So max term would be 10 years 9 months. But I agree its a very helpful extra
stmaus
stmaus
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
Member since 20 Nov 2017
Total posts 45
You're not obligated to use the smartgate. You can go through the manual queue if you want to get your money's worth.
And then you can also declare a few things at quarantine/customs and really get your money's worth!
worldwanderer
worldwanderer
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 13 Jan 2017
Total posts 17
And of course the provision and maintenance of the smartgates, data links and associated technology to allow rapid movement through the airport all came at zero cost to the government (sarcasm)
Andrew Barkery
Andrew Barkery
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 21 Mar 2011
Total posts 433
Re: glasses/spectacles, I prefer to comply, if they want to pick on me, as I want to get through the immi self processing process as fast as possible.
Andrew Barkery
Andrew Barkery
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 21 Mar 2011
Total posts 433
Though, when I use Smartgate, which they seem to prefer, I am through in seconds.
patrickk
patrickk
Qantas
Member since 19 Apr 2012
Total posts 731
No passport stamping frees up pages so we can squeeze the 10 year life out of the passport. This is a plus not a negative. It is not compulsory to use smartgate. There are plenty of long queues to join to get a stamp.