How to obtain an Australian passport in Mexico

The Passports office at the Embassy of Australia in Mexico City is open from Monday to Friday, from 8.30am to 5.15pm. The Embassy will be closed for the following public holidays for the year 2008:

Tuesday 1 January, Monday 28 January, Monday 4 February, Monday 17 March, Friday 21 March, Monday 24 March, Thursday 1 May, Monday 9 June, Tuesday 16 September, Monday 6 October, Monday 17 November, Thursday 25 December and Friday 26 December.

The size and quality of your passport photographs is of critical importance. The size of your head in the photograph must comply with Australian passport requirements, which differ from other passport photograph standards. Familiarise yourself with these requirements and ensure you submit compliant photos. Your application may be rejected because of unsuitable photographs.

Application

The suggested procedure for preparing your passport application form is as follows:

1. Find out what type of form that you need to use.

PC8

PC7

2. Read the instruction sheets for that form.

3. Access the online forms and complete the proper application.

4. Print the completed application form.

5. Read the checklist for your form and ensure that you are submitting all the items necessary for your application.

PC8 Adult

PC8 Child

Guarantor

6. Guarantor for PC8 only. If you do not know an Australian who can meet the requirements as your Guarantor at section 11 on page 3 of the application, you may use a Guarantor who does not hold an Australian passport as long as he or she is currently employed in one of the approved professional or occupation groups listed below, and:

• is not related to you by birth or marriage,
• is not in a de facto relationship with you,
• does not live at the same address,
• is over 18 years of age,
• has known you for at least 12 months, and
• is readily available to discuss your application during normal business hours.

Approved professional or occupation groups

• Bailiff
• Bank manager, but not the manager of a bank travel center
• Certified Practicing Accountant
• Clerk of a court
• Current law enforcement officer with five or more years of continuous service
• Current member of the armed forces with five or more years of continuous service
• Dentist
• Elected Representative in the House of Representatives or a state house of representatives or a local or city council
• Elected Senator in the Senate or a state Senate
• Engineer licensed by a federal, state or local government authority
• Judge of a court
• Lawyer or attorney registered with a state bar association
• Marriage celebrant
• Medical practitioner licensed by a federal, state or local government authority
• Permanent employee of the Federal Government or a state government or a local government with five or more years of continuous service with their current employer
• Pharmacist
• Postal Manager of a national postal service
• Registered Nurse
• Sheriff
• Tax Agent enrolled or licensed to represent taxpayers or a state or local government taxing authority
• Teacher employed on a full-time basis at a school or tertiary education institution with five or more years of service
• Veterinary surgeon licensed by a federal, state or local government authority

 Travel Document Fees – as at August 2008

Fees are payable in cash or bank cheque made out to “Embajada de Australia” in Mexican pesos or United States dollars and the cheque must be from a US affiliated bank. The Embassy is not able to accept payment by credit card.
Passports are valid for 10 years (adults) or 5 years (children and adults aged 75 years and over).

Please note that fees are subject to monthly exchange rate variations.

7. You have to lodge a passport application in person if you are applying for a first ever Australian passport and your first Australian passport from the age of 18 and if you are replacing a lost/stolen passport or a badly damaged passport.

Processing time

8. The processing time for a passport is 10 working days from the lodging of a complete application.

Return courier

9. If you wish for your passport be sent to you via courier, please include the corresponding fee in the bank cheque or cash when lodging your application.
If you have any further questions please contact the Consular and Passports Section of the Australian Embassy in Mexico City at +52 (55) 1101 2256.