Ministerial Guidelines for the issue of a Diplomatic & Official Passport
Issuing Diplomatic and Official passports
Any application for a Diplomatic or Official passport for any person outside the standard categories as listed in the tables below requires special approval and must be referred to Canberra for consideration.
Unless otherwise mentioned, the passport is only to be used for official travel. Official travel means travel, the prime purpose of which directly relates to the carrying on of Government business and that business is not related to a competitive commercial activity, whether or not the commercial competitiveness includes other Australian or overseas enterprises.
See ‘ Diplomatic passports: ministerial guidelines ’ and ‘ Official passports: ministerial guidelines ’.
Diplomatic passports: ministerial guidelines
Position of Applicant |
Status of Bearer |
Validity |
Purpose |
Governor-General |
Governor-General of Australia |
5 years |
All travel |
Former Governors-General and their spouses |
(as stated) |
10 years |
All travel |
Prime Minister |
Prime Minister of Australia |
5 years |
All travel |
Former Prime Ministers and their spouses |
(as stated) |
10 years |
All travel |
President of the Senate |
President of the Senate of the Parliament of Australia |
6 years plus 6 months |
All travel |
Speaker of the House of Representatives |
Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Australia |
5 years |
All travel |
Commonwealth Government Ministers |
Minister for (Portfolio) of the Government of Australia |
5 years |
All travel |
Presiding Officers (States, NT, ACT and Norfolk Island Parliament) |
(position given) |
4 years plus 6 months |
All travel |
Leader of the Opposition |
Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Australia |
5 years |
All travel |
Deputy Leader of the Opposition |
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Australia |
5 years |
All travel |
Commonwealth Parliamentary Secretaries |
(position given) |
5 years |
All travel |
Chief Justice and Justices of the High Court of Australia, Chief Judge of the Federal Court of Australia and of the Family Court |
(Position given) of the High/Federal/ Family Court |
10 years |
All travel |
Chief Justices of State or Territory Supreme Courts |
Chief Justice in the Supreme Court of (State or Territory) |
10 years |
Official travel only |
Chief of the Defence Force and Chiefs of the Naval, the General and the Air Staffs |
(position given) Department of Defence |
5 years |
Official travel only |
Secretaries of Commonwealth Departments |
(position given—e.g. Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Director-General of Health) |
5 years |
Official travel only |
Public Service Commissioner Public Service & Merit Protection Commission |
(position given) |
5 years |
Official travel only |
Australian Government Solicitor |
(position given) |
5 years |
Official travel only |
Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security |
(position given) |
5 years |
Official travel only |
Director-General, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation |
(position given) |
5 years |
Official travel only |
Governor of the Reserve Bank |
(position given) |
5 years |
Official travel only |
Director-General, Office of National Assessments |
(position given) |
5 years |
Official travel only |
Director, Defence Intelligence Organisation |
(position given) |
5 years |
Official travel only |
Director-General, Australian Secret Intelligence Service |
(position given) |
5 years |
Official travel only |
Commissioner, Australian Federal Police |
(position given) |
5 years |
Official travel only |
Chair, National Crime Authority |
(position given) |
5 years |
Official travel only |
Ambassador |
Australian Ambassador to (country) (full title) |
5 years* |
All travel during appointment |
High Commissioner |
Australian High Commissioner in (country) (full title) |
5 years* |
All travel during appointment |
Consul-General (Consul if Head of Post) |
Australian Consul-General/Consul in (city or country) (full title) |
5 years* |
All travel during appointment |
Head of Post – Australian Representatives in Taipei (not to other officers at post) |
Observation shall make no reference to Taiwan |
5 years* |
All official travel to and from locations other than Taiwan |
Austrade Executive General Managers attached to an Australian diplomatic mission |
Position Designation (see ‘Standard formats for endorsement in passports’) |
5 years* |
All travel during appointment |
Leader of Delegation or sole Australian representative at International Conference or Bilateral or Multilateral Negotiation |
(as appropriate) |
12 months |
Official travel only |
Member of the staff of any Commonwealth Department or Instrumentality assigned to a diplomatic post overseas and notified to the receiving country as holding a recognised diplomatic rank. |
Position Designation (see ‘Standard formats for endorsement in passports’) |
5 years* |
All travel during posting |
Diplomatic couriers |
Diplomatic Courier of the Government of Australia |
One 5-year passport, two 2-year passports |
Official travel only |
State Governors |
Governor of the State of (State) |
5 years |
All travel |
Administrators of Cocos (Keeling), Christmas and Norfolk Islands, Lieutenant Governors and former Governors of a State |
Administrator of the Territory of (Territory) or Lieutenant Governor or former Governor of the State of (State) |
5 years |
All travel |
State Premier or Territory Chief Minister |
Premier of the State of (State) or Chief Minister of (Territory) |
4 years plus 6 months |
All travel |
State or Territory Minister |
Minister for (Portfolio) of the Government of (State or Territory) |
4 years plus 6 months |
All travel |
Permanent Head of Premier’s or Chief Minister’s Department (when accompanying Premier or Chief Minister) |
Permanent Head of the Premier’s or Chief Minister’s Department of the Government of (State or Territory) |
4 years plus 6 months |
Official travel only |
Person in respect of whom the Minister for Foreign Affairs considers exceptional circumstances apply |
(as approved) |
As approved |
As approved |
Spouse of person granted Diplomatic Passport providing the fare is met from official funds |
The spouse of (position) |
As for spouse |
All travel during spouse’s posting or assignment except for privately funded travel out of Australia |
Same sex spouse of person granted Diplomatic Passport providing the fare is met from official funds |
Member of the household of (position) |
As for spouse |
All travel during spouse’s posting or assignment except for privately funded travel out of Australia |
Member of staff of a State Governor (one staff member only) |
Accompanying the (as appropriate) |
Period of travel |
Official travel only |
Executive Directors of International Financial Institutions |
(position given) |
Duration of appointment plus 6 months |
All travel (unless specified in passport) |
People acting on behalf of the Commonwealth travelling to locations where there are distinct operational or security factors requiring the use of a Diplomatic Passport# |
Travelling on Government business |
Duration of posting or assignment |
All travel during posting or assignment |
* The Assistant Secretary, Passport Client Services Branch, to decide on a case-by-case basis where the duration of posting plus 6 months exceeds 5 years validity.
# The Assistant Secretary, Passport Client Services Branch, to decide on a case-by-case basis taking into account the purpose of travel, how it would be facilitated by the issue of a Diplomatic passport, and possible threats to personnel or official material through the use of other than a Diplomatic passport. The question of appropriate security vetting of individuals (for example, private sector contractors) will be determined between Passport and Security Branches.
Official passports: ministerial guidelines
Position of Applicant |
Status of Bearer |
Validity |
Purpose |
Member of Parliament (Commonwealth) |
Member of the (Senate / House of Representatives) in the Parliament of Australia |
5 years |
All travel |
Member of Parliament (State or Territory) |
Member of the Legislative Council / Assembly in the Parliament of (State / Territory) |
4 years plus 6 months |
All travel |
Justices of State or Territory Supreme Courts, Justices of Federal Courts, or other State equivalent |
(position given) |
10 years (or expected retirement date) |
All travel |
Other Justices, Judges, Commissioners of the Industrial Relations Commission and Magistrates of any Federal, State or Territory Court |
(position given) |
10 years |
Official travel only |
Officers of Commonwealth Parliamentary and Departmental bodies (including those recognised in legislation) and their State and Territory equivalents |
Travelling on Government business |
Duration of assignment requiring official travel plus 6 months. Maximum of 5 years# |
Official travel only |
Officers working for Prescribed Agencies under the FMA Act and the CAC Act and their State and Territory equivalents |
Travelling on Government business |
Duration of assignment requiring official travel plus 6 months. Maximum of 5 years# |
Official travel only |
Officers who are attached to or posted to overseas diplomatic or consular missions |
Travelling on Government business |
5 years* |
All travel |
Spouses of Members of Parliament (Commonwealth) |
Spouses of Members of the Senate/House of Representatives in the Parliament of Australia |
As for spouse |
For travel when accompanying Senators and Members of Parliament, at official expense |
Spouses of Justices and Judges |
The spouse of Justice or Judge |
Period of travel when accompanying Justice or Judge at official expense plus 6 months |
For travel when accompanying, Justice or Judge at official expense |
Spouse (including same sex spouse) of officer on long-term posting |
The spouse of (status shown in the officer’s passport) Member of the household of (status appearing in spouse’s passport) |
5 years* |
Same as officer except for privately funded travel out of Australia |
Spouse (including same sex spouse) of other Official passport holder |
The spouse of an official travelling on Government business Member of the household of an official travelling on Government business |
Period of travel when accompanying official at official expense plus 6 months. Maximum of 5 years |
For travel accompanying official at official expense |
Staff employed by the Prime Minister, Ministers, Leader and Deputy Leader of the Opposition under the M.o.P (S) Act |
Travelling on Government business |
Duration of assignment requiring official travel plus 6 months. Maximum of 5 years# |
As approved |
Chiefs of Staff of Premiers / Chief Ministers |
Travelling on Government business |
Duration of assignment requiring official travel plus 6 months. Maximum of 5 years# |
As approved |
People representing the Commonwealth travelling to locations or on assignments where an Official passport is essential for the performance of the Government’s business |
Travelling on Government business |
Duration of assignment requiring official travel plus 6 months. Maximum of 5 years# |
As approved |
Person in respect of whom the Minister for Foreign Affairs considers special circumstances apply |
As approved |
Duration of assignment plus 6 months. Maximum of 5 years |
As approved |
* The Assistant Secretary, Passport Client Services Branch, to decide on a case-by-case basis where the duration of posting plus 6 months exceeds 5 years validity.
# Sponsoring agency should provide supporting documentation to justify period of validity requested.