STATUTORY RULES
1966 No. 100
REGULATIONS UNDER THE PASSPORTS ACT 1938-1948.*
I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Passports Act 1938-1948.
Dated this twenty-second day of June, 1966.
CASEY
Governor-General.
By His Excellency’s Command,
Amendments of the Passport Regulations†
Commencement.
1. These Regulations shall come into operation on the first day of July, 1966.
Renewal of passports.
2. Regulation 7 of the Passport Regulations is amended—
(a) by inserting after the words “ British passport ” the words “ , other than an Australian passport,”; and
(b) by inserting after sub-regulation (1.) the following sub-regulation:—
“ (1a.) An authorized officer may, from time to time, renew an Australian passport by extending the date on which the validity of the passport will expire to a date specified by him in the passport, not being a date that is more than five years after the date on which the passport was issued.”.
The Schedule.
3.—(1.) The Schedule to the Passport Regulations is amended by omitting Part I. and Part II. and inserting in their stead the following Parts:—
Part I.
For the issue of an Australian passport.............. | Four dollars |
For the renewal of a British passport............... | Twenty cents for each year of renewal |
For the endorsement of a British passport made after issue of the passport | Twenty cents |
For the issue of a certificate of identity.............. | Two dollars |
For the issue of a document of identity.............. | One dollar |
For the renewal of a certificate of identity............ | Twenty cents for each year or part of a year of renewal |
For the renewal of a document of identity............ | Twenty cents for each year or part of a year of renewal |
* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on 30 June. 1966.
† Statutory Rules 1939, No. 47 as amended by Statutory Rules 1945, No. 183; 1948, No. 52; 1949, Nos. 7 and 41; 1952, No. 67; and 1956, No. 45.
16339/64.—Price 5c (6D.) 9/6.6.1966
Part II.—Visé Fees Payable in Australia.
For a visé on a passport—
(a) in the case of a transit visé | Twenty cents |
(b) in the case of a visé other than a transit visé | Eighty cents |
(2.) Notwithstanding the last preceding sub-regulation the fee for the issue of a passport, where the application was made before the commencement of these regulations, is Two dollars.
By Authority: A. J. Arthur, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra
Overview
The Passports Regulations 1966, made under the Passports Act 1938-1948, were enacted to amend existing regulations concerning passport issuance, renewal, and fees. The problem these regulations addressed was the need to update the procedures and fees associated with passports, especially to differentiate between Australian passports and British passports. The Governor-General, with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, issued these regulations to reflect changes in policy and to streamline the administrative processes surrounding passport services. The primary policy objective was to ensure that passport regulations remained current and efficient, facilitating travel and identification for Australian citizens while maintaining necessary security measures.
Scope and Application
The Statutory Rules 1966 No. 100, which amend the Passport Regulations under the Passports Act 1938-1948, apply to all Australian citizens and residents who are seeking to obtain, renew, or have endorsed a passport or a certificate of identity. The Regulations also apply to individuals who are required to obtain a visé on their passport for international travel. These Regulations have a national reach, governing passport-related activities across the Commonwealth of Australia. The Regulations specify fees for the issuance, renewal, and endorsement of passports and related documents, and detail the circumstances under which these fees apply. Notably, the Regulations allow for the renewal of Australian passports by extending their validity period, but restrict this renewal to a maximum of five years beyond the original issue date. The Regulations came into effect on the first day of July, 1966, and any applications made before this date will be subject to the previous fee structure. Subordinate instruments may further extend or restrict the application of these Regulations, aligning them with any amendments to the broader legislative framework or policy changes.
Key Provisions
These Regulations under the Passports Act 1938-1948 amend existing provisions concerning passport fees and renewal processes. The most significant changes are detailed in Regulation 2, which modifies the renewal process for Australian passports (sub-regulation 1a). It allows authorised officers to extend the validity of an Australian passport up to a maximum of five years beyond the original issue date. The amendment specifies that this extension can be determined by the authorised officer and the new expiration date must not exceed five years from the passport’s initial issue date.
The Regulations impose specific obligations on authorised officers regarding the renewal of Australian passports, ensuring that the extended validity does not surpass the stipulated five-year limit. Additionally, the Regulations outline the fees associated with various passport-related services, such as the issuance, renewal, and endorsement of Australian and British passports, as well as certificates and documents of identity. These fees are detailed in the Schedule, which replaces previous parts of the Passport Regulations with updated rates effective from 1 July 1966.
Breaching the provisions of these Regulations, particularly those related to the improper extension of passport validity, may lead to legal consequences. While the specific penalties for such breaches are not detailed within these Regulations, under the general provisions of the Passports Act, unauthorised extensions or alterations of passport validity could be considered illegal and may result in administrative penalties or other legal actions. The exact penalties would be determined by the courts based on the circumstances of the breach and relevant provisions of the Act.