Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a new Chinese visa?
Once the passport is issued, the Embassy or Consulate-General will provide you with an official letter to inform the Visa Section of the local Public Security Bureau (PSB) of your new passport details. You should take this letter, your two passports and all the supporting documents to the local PSB where you live to apply for a replacement visa into your new passport as soon as possible.
The Beijing PSB Foreign Affairs Office is located at:
No. 2 Dong Da Jie, An Ding Men,
Dongcheng District, Beijing
北京市公安局外国管理出入境管理处
北京市东城区安定门东大街 2 号。
Tel: (010) 8401 5300 or (010) 8402 0101 (Visa Section)
How long will it take to get my new passport?
Under the Passports Australia Client Services Charter, the Passport Production Centre in Canberra will undertake to process a travel document in ten working days once the passport office has received all the necessary information. In all cases we will handle your application as quickly as possible.
Please note that the ten working days processing time does not include postal time.
You should also be aware that the Visa Section of the Chinese Public Security Bureau may also require several days to issue a replacement visa into your new passport.
Persons who need to travel urgently and require a passport may be issued with a special travel document to meet their emergency needs. Emergency passports will be limited in validity to several months and will only contain four visa pages. In most cases emergency passports will be issued within two working days. A priority processing fee will apply.
What is an ePassport?
The electronic passport - or ePassport - represents a major shift in passport technology, with the introduction of computer chips and biometrics.
The move to the ePassport is about making sure that people applying for and using passports are who they say they are. It is about keeping your identity safe.
From 24 October 2005 , eligible applicants for new or renewed passports will be issued with the ePassport.
For more information visit the Australian Passports web site.
Can I travel to the United States without an ePassport?
Yes, all full validity (10 years) passports with a machine readable zone issued prior to 24 October remain valid. You do not need to obtain a new passport until your existing one expires. It will be accepted in all countries, including the US under the visa waiver program, for the duration of its validity.
Do I need to make an appointment?
No, the Beijing Passport Office is open between 08:30 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 4:30 Monday to Friday.
Child Applications
Can my child travel on my passport?
No. A separate passport (and separate application for a passport) is required for each child.
My child already has a passport - do I need to provide full birth certificate in this case?
Yes. The birth certificate must be submitted along with an official English translation.
Can Embassy Consular staff witness parents consent (page 4 number 17) to issue passport?
No. Parental consent can not be witnessed by staff involved in the passport process.
My child's passport photo is out of date - can I change the photo without cost?
You can update the passport photo once free of charge only for children under the age of five who have been issued with a passport in the first year of their life. The passport with the new photograph will be valid only until the expiry date of the original passport issued. Please note that to update a child's photograph you must complete a new passport application and submit it with original supporting documentation and photographs endorsed and signed by a guarantor.
I live some distance from my nearest Australian Embassy or Consulate but I need to apply for my baby's first passport, am I able to do the application by post?
NO. For first passports, one or both parents must lodge the passport application
If one of the child's parents is Chinese should they sign in Chinese characters?
Parents need to sign the passport application form in the same way as their passport. Should the signature in one parent's passport be in Chinese characters then the signature on the form should also be in Chinese characters.
What is the best way to take a new born's photo for their first passport?
The best way to ensure a baby's passport photo is suitable is to have the photograph taken with the baby lying on the floor. See also photo requirements.
Our baby has just been born. Who can be nominated as a proof of identifier?
Most parents nominate a doctor who was present at the time of birth at the hospital in which the baby was born.
Our baby's proof of identifier has not known our baby for a period of a year, as stated in the passport application. What should we do?
The one year rule does not apply to new borns. The identifier can write 'since birth', or specify the number of months they have known your baby.
My child's Mother/ Father are currently overseas. How should I go about getting their consent?
If one parent lives outside the country in which you are lodging the child's passport, then that parent needs to take their passport into their nearest Passport Office in Australia or the nearest Australian Embassy if overseas. The parent must fill out the consent on the passport application for the child. This will then be forwarded along to the lodging office to allow the passport to be issued.
Can I apply for my baby's citizenship and passport at the same time?
No, you must obtain the citizenship certificate before applying for the passport.