Services for Australians

 

 

Consular Services

Photo: Tourism Australia

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) provides consular support to Australians living or travelling overseas. If you require urgent assistance, please call the 24-hour consular emergency helpline on +61 2 6261 3305.

What We Can and Cannot Do

We provide consular assistance to Australian citizens travelling or living abroad through our offices in Australia and diplomatic missions (embassies, high commissions, consulates) overseas. Our capacity to assist you is influenced by local laws and conditions, international rules governing consular work, and by the cooperation offered by persons and organisations outside the Australian Government. For further information on what we can and cannot do, please see the Consular Services Charter.

Consular Privacy Collection Statement

Providing consular assistance to Australians overseas is a core function of DFAT. In order to provide effective consular assistance, DFAT is required to collect, use and disclose an individuals’ personal information.

The privacy of consular clients and their families is a fundamental aspect of managing consular cases. This statement outlines how DFAT collects, uses, discloses and stores personal information related to consular cases in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988. This notice is provided pursuant to Australian Privacy Principle 5. To read the statements please see the Privacy Statement.

Travel Advice

For the latest travel advice on Jordan, see http://smartraveller.gov.au/Countries/middle-east/Pages/jordan.aspx.  

Notarial Services and Document Legalisation Overseas

As part of DFAT's role as the local authority for a number of international conventions or arrangements, we provide the following notarial acts overseas:

• Administering an oath or receiving a declaration or affirmation.
• Effecting, or attempting to effect, service of a document and issuing a certificate or affidavit of service or attempted service of a document.
• Witnessing a signature or seal on a form or declaration.
• Preparing a declaration or other document.
• Verifying and certifying a copy of a document or part of a document.
• Signing a document, or affixing a seal to a document or other article.
• Witnessing the execution of a will.
• Transmitting a document or other article through official channels.
• Transferring funds through official accounts, other than for the purposes of the realisation of a deceased estate.
• Preparation and issue of an Apostille certificate.
• Preparation and issue of an Authentication certificate.
• Preparation and issue of a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage.

How Much Does it Cost?

From 2018 onwards, the notarial service fee will increase annually in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Costs, in Australian dollars, will be displayed in the reception area of the mission. Payments will be taken by credit or debit card and in local currency only.

Method of payment: From September 2021 we can only accept payment by debit and credit cards.

Consular & Passports Section will provide notarial services to clients by appointment only, Sunday through Thursday between the hours of 9:00am to 12.00pm.

Appointments must be booked via our online booking page. To book your appointment please Click here.

You should arrive 10 minutes prior to your appointment to allow time for a security screening. If you arrive late for your appointment, you may be asked to reschedule to another day.

Original documents must be presented. Laminated documents are not accepted and cannot be certified.

Information on notarial services we may provide overseas is available on the Smartraveller website.

Passport Services

From 2017 onwards, passport fees will include an annual CPI indexation.

Passport applications lodged overseas incur an additional fee (overseas surcharge). The additional fee will be $134 for all adult applications, and $65 for all child applications. The fee will not apply to emergency or replacement passport applications. 

Passport fees from 1 January 2023 (AUD)

Method of payment: From September 2021 we can only accept payment by debit and credit cards.

The Australian Passport Office (APO) is currently seeing strong demand for passports. For this reason, it is advising its customers to apply for or renew their passport well ahead of their planned travel dates.

The APO is therefore recommending, at least for now, that they allow a minimum of 6 weeks from lodging date to receive the passport.

Appointments must be booked via our online booking page. To book your appointment please Click here.

For further information about passports for Australian Citizens, please visit the passports website at http://www.passports.gov.au/. 

Voting Overseas

If you will be overseas on the day of an Australian election, you can still have your say.

Voting is compulsory in Australia. All eligible Australian citizens must enrol and vote in federal elections, by-elections and referendums. Penalties may apply if you do not vote.

For information on enrolling and voting while overseas, please visit the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) website at www.aec.gov.au/overseas.

For updates on federal elections, please check the Australian Electoral Commission's website and follow their Twitter account.

If you are thinking of travelling overseas during an election period, plan ahead. For more information, go to http://smartraveller.gov.au/guide/all-travellers/Pages/voting-overseas.aspx.

Useful Links – Living Overseas

• Citizenship
• Centrelink enquiries
• Gateway to benefits and payments
• Taxation issues
• Birth, marriage and death certificates
• Police clearances
• Marriage overseas

Authentications and apostilles

International Driving Permits

An International Driver's Permit is not a licence – you must also have a current Australian licence. To obtain an International Driving Permit (IDP), please contact the relevant IDP authority in your state:

          New South Wales
          NRMA

          Queensland
          RACQ

          Victoria
          RACV

          South Australia
          RAA

          Western Australia
          RAC

          Tasmania
          RACT

          Northern Territory
          AANT

Returning to Australia

Handy information for Australians or residents returning from a holiday or moving back to Australia. See here for information on taking cats and dogs to Australia.

Contact Us

If you require urgent consular assistance, please call us on +962 (0) 6 580 7000. You can also call the Consular Emergency Cenre in Canberra out of hours on  +61 2 6261 3305.

For general enquiries on consular, notarial and passport services, please email [email protected]

For immigration services, please email [email protected]