Step 1- Make an appointment to lodge your passport application. The Passport Office operates an appointment system. We will not see you without an appointment.
Passports Office location:
Level 22, CITIC Square
1168 West Nanjing Road
Jing’An District
Shanghai
Appointment Link
Appointment times are normally booked-out up to 4 weeks in advance. Allow a minimum of 6 weeks to receive your new passport. Please keep this in mind when making your travel plans.
Step 2- Check your eligibility for an adult passport.
Adults who are applying for an Australian passport should use the Overseas Passport Application Form if:
- you are applying for a first ever Australian passport OR
- you are applying for a first adult passport when your child passport was issued to you at 15 years or younger OR
- you are replacing a passport reported lost or stolen OR
- you are applying for your first passport after resumption of citizenship OR
- you are applying to replace a limited validity passport, emergency passport, or other temporary travel document OR
- your passport has been expired for more than 2 years OR
- you cannot answer the security questions for the renewal form
Step 3 - Fill out your application form (Australian Passport Overseas Application). Please do not use whiteout on the declaration section. If you make a mistake, you can cross it out and initial next to the change. If you have signed incorrectly, please fill in a new form.
Online: Australian Passport Office (passports.gov.au). This link will allow you to confirm that you are eligible to apply for your adult passport and complete application form online. You will need VPN to access this website
Note: You cannot download blank forms.
After you have completed your form online, print it using the "fit to page" setting to ensure no sections are missing and sign and date the application form. Make sure there are no alterations to signatures or dates.
OR
In person: You can collect a paper copy of the application at the Australian Consulate General in Shanghai. You will need a guarantor and additional documents so we suggest that you collect this form before making an appointment to lodge your application.
Step 4 - Prove your Australian Citizenship
You must provide either an original Australian Citizenship Certificate or an original full Australian Birth Certificate to prove Australian citizenship. Extracts, commemorative birth certificate or birth cards cannot be used. If you were born in Australia after 20 August 1986, you must also provide one of the following four documents:
- Your Australian passport issued on/after 1/1/2000 that was valid for 2 years or more; or
- One parent’s full Australian birth certificate (parent born prior to 20/8/1986); or
- One parent’s Australian passport issued on/after 20/8/1986 that was valid for 2 years and was valid at the time of the applicant’s birth; or
- One parent’s Australian citizenship certificate, valid at the time of the applicant’s birth.
If you cannot provide the above documents, you must get a certificate of citizenship. Please refer to the Australian Citizenship section under Visas and Citizenship for further information.
If your Australian citizenship document does not show your sex or place and country of birth, you must provide your original birth certificate (not an extract, commemorative birth certificate or birth card) or, if you cannot present your original birth certificate, your foreign passport.
Translation of foreign documents
Any supporting documentation that is not in English will need an original full English language translation provided by a registered translation service.
Step 5 - Take three passport photos. Some photo shops may not have the most updated Australian passport photo specifications. Home-printed photos are usually not acceptable as there are strict requirements. Please carefully check on the Passport photo guidelines to avoid rejection.
The “crown of head” is where the top of your skull would be if it were visible. It is not the top of your hair or the start of your hairline. Picture yourself bald and measure from the top of your skull to the tip of your chin.
Your Guarantor (see Step 6) must endorse one photo in black pen as follows: “This is a true photo of [the applicant’s full name]”, and then sign it below. Do not use paper clips or staples to attach photos to the form as this may make them unusable.
Step 6 – Guarantor
As well as endorsing your photo, ensure Section 11 is completed by a guarantor who meets the following criteria:
- is 18 years of age or over
- has known the applicant for at least 12 months
- is not related to the applicant by birth, marriage, de facto or same sex relationship, or live at the applicant's address
- holds a current (unexpired) Australian passport that was issued with at least two years validity OR be currently employed in the following approved professional or occupational group.
- Judges
- Lawyers
- Police Officers with at least 5 years continuous service
- Branch Managers of a bank
- Accountants who are members of either the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants, National Institute of Accountants or Association of Taxation and Management Accountants.
- Teachers who are full time and who have been teaching for more than five years at schools or tertiary institutions
- Dentists
- Doctors, Nurses or Midwives
- Psychologists
- Veterinary Surgeons
Step 7 – Additional documents
You need specific documents to prove your identity. You must provide the following combinations of original documents:
- One document from category A, and
- One document from category B
- If neither of these documents shows your current address, you must also provide one document from category C that shows your current address.
Category A (All Category A documents should be current at the time of application)
- Current driving licence issued by an Australian/foreign government’s driving/traffic/motor vehicle licensing authority
- Foreign residency card
- Australian Proof of Age or Photo Card
Category B (All Category B documents must be current at the time of application, with the exception of the Australian passport)
- Health card issued by a government authority
- Credit card or bank account card with current signature on the back
- Foreign passport
- Previous Australian Passport (issued on or after 1 July 2000 with more than two years validity that has not been expired for over ten years)
Category C (All Category C documents must be no more than 12 months old at the time of application and show your current residential address)
- Utilities bills
- Bank or credit card statements
- Motor vehicle registration or insurance papers
- Property rates notice or property lease agreement
- Home insurance papers
You are required to provide original copy of an address proof (under your name). This can be either utilities bills, bank or credit card statements, or insurance papers, temporary residential registry, Hukou book, Chinese ID or property lease agreement or home insurance papers.
Step 8 – Lodge your application and pay the fee. Applications must be lodged in person at the Australian Consulate-General in Shanghai. You need to make an appointment.
Things to bring:
- The completed and signed Australian Passport Overseas Application form.
- Your most recent Australian passport (if you have one).
- Proof of citizenship (see Step 4).
- Original translation by a registered translation service, if applicable (see Step 4)
- Three passport photos (see Step 5).
- Additional documents (see Step 7).
- Payment can be made by Alipay, wechat and most of the bank cards.
- Proof of your current address
Note: Officer may require further document pertaining to your application at lodgement