Which passport-change route applies?
| Your situation | First step to check |
|---|---|
| You hold an ETA 601 | Check the new ETA rule. The old ETA cannot be transferred to a new passport. |
| Another visa or pending application, visible in ImmiAccount | Use Change of passport details for the applicant concerned. |
| You cannot import the application, or a listed exception applies | Check the New Passport Details web-form list on Home Affairs’ current page. |
| You hold an Australian passport | The New Passport Details web form is not for Australian passport holders. Check citizen travel-document guidance. |
The visa subclass and your own application record determine the channel. Read the relevant section and the current Home Affairs passport page before sending details. This summary does not update a government record.
Is the application pending, granted or an ETA?
Start with the subclass on your application acknowledgement or visa grant notice and the passport used for it. Home Affairs says new passport details should be linked to both pending visa or citizenship applications and existing visas. Its new-passport page provides the update route; the ETA (subclass 601) is expressly excluded from that transfer route.
If your visa has been granted, compare the notice with the passport you now intend to use. A visa label in the passport is generally unnecessary because the visa record is electronic, but an old passport number in the visa record still needs attention. Check every family member separately.
Home Affairs new-passport instructions · What to check on a grant →
Use “Change of passport details” in ImmiAccount
- Sign in to ImmiAccount and select the application.
- Choose Edit or View details to open its application home screen.
- Select Update details, then Change of passport details.
- Select the applicant, enter the new passport details and the reason for the change, and submit.
This is Home Affairs’ quickest published route. It currently says linking through ImmiAccount takes 3 business days. That is a published processing indication, not permission to assume a record has already changed or a guarantee for an urgent flight. Keep the submission acknowledgement and check the current page again if travel is near.
If you did not previously use ImmiAccount, Home Affairs says you may be able to create an account and import the application before using the online change. Do not make a duplicate visa application just to change a passport number.
Exact ImmiAccount update steps and times · Manage or import an application
Check the New Passport Details web-form exceptions
Home Affairs says to use the New Passport Details web form when the application cannot be imported, the travel document is a Titre de Voyage or Certificate of Identity, a Partner application is not visible in ImmiAccount, an acknowledgement application ID begins “IRIS”, or the change also involves sex, gender or date of birth. Read its exact list for your circumstances before choosing the form.
The department currently publishes a 14-day processing indication for the web form. It specifically says the form is not for Australian passport holders. Australian passport holders should follow the government's citizen travel-document guidance rather than treating this as a universal visa form.
Web-form exceptions and current timing · Australian citizen entry guidance
A new passport needs a new ETA
An Electronic Travel Authority is linked to the passport used for the ETA. Home Affairs says that if this passport expires or you get a new one, the ETA ceases and cannot be transferred. If you still need an ETA and meet its rules, apply for a new ETA using the new passport through the official Australian ETA app. Do not submit an ordinary passport-change notification expecting the earlier ETA to move over.
Check the new passport's eligibility and all ETA application answers before paying the app service charge. Wait for the written decision before relying on the new ETA for travel. If the new travel document or purpose is not ETA-eligible, use the official visa finder for another route.
Official ETA passport and new-application rule · Compare short-visit visas →
Check the linked record and carry the right documents
For a current visa that is in effect, VEVO shows the subclass, expiry, last arrival date, period of stay and conditions. It does not show a visa that is not yet in effect, so a missing future visa in VEVO does not by itself establish a refusal or cancellation. Read the full grant notice as well as any later Home Affairs message if your record looks wrong.
Home Affairs’ border page says to bring a current valid passport or travel document and any expired passport or travel document linked to the visa. The airline can check visa status before boarding. If the update has not appeared or your travel is imminent, use the official instructions and contact channel for your case before relying on a booking. A passport change can also require updating other travel arrangements or destination visas; check those separately with the relevant authorities.
What VEVO can and cannot show · Official border travel-document guidance · Other changes after lodging →
Record the update steps on your device
Print the one-page record or use the editable text version. Keep passport numbers and visa references on your own device. No email is required. Editable .txt ↓
Get source-checked document guidance
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