Visas, Passports To Cost More
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday May 14, 2008
TRAVELLING overseas is about to become more expensive, with the cost of obtaining new passports set to rise.
The fee for an adult passport will rise from $200 to $208 next financial year, while the cost for children and seniors will increase from $100 to $104.The budget says this fee rise will increase Government revenue by $31 million over the next four years. Departure tax will also rise by $9 to $47.While leaving the country will become more costly for Australians, visiting Australia will also become more expensive for foreigners. Tourist visas are increasing by $25 to $100. Visa extensions will also become more costly, rising from $215 to $240. Temporary residence visas will also increase by $60. These changes will "better reflect visa processing costs", the budget papers say.Meanwhile, faced with condemnation over the announcement it was slashing the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade budget, the Rudd Government has reduced the amount of the cuts by over $10 million. This year the Government was criticised after revelations it was cutting diplomatic posts as a part of a reduction in the department's budget by $33 million.This was at a time when the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, announced several ambitious new foreign policy objectives. Buried in the budget yesterday was the announcement that this amount has been decreased to $21.2 million while a review into the department's resources is being undertaken in the coming financial year.
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald