After the second price hike in less than a year, the Australian passport remains the most expensive in the world, according to Compare the Market’s 2025 Passport Price Index.
A 10-year passport sets Australians back $412, up from $346 in early 2024 before two more increases were announced in the months since.
The travel insurance comparison experts analyse passport prices every year, and their 2025 report details how the Australian passport is just one of the nine nations that have had a price increase in 2025, out of 23 countries analysed.
Mexico’s passport also jumped $14.68 (MX$180) on 1 January, while the UK passport increased $24.61 (£12.00) in April 2025.
Most expensive passports in 2025
Each of these passports is valid for 10 years.
- Australia $412.00
- Mexico $335.95
- USA $251.21
- New Zealand $225.62
- Italy $206.10
- Austria $198.99
- UK $193.78
- Canada $177.61
- France $152.67
- Fiji $152.67
In contrast, some of the cheapest passports on the list haven’t seen a price increase in years, despite cost-of-living pressures. The cheapest in the world is in India, where it costs just $26.63 for a passport with 10-years’ validity.
Brazil, South Africa, Spain and Poland are also among the cheapest, all costing $59 or less.
Cheapest passports in 2025
- India $26.63
- Brazil $49.19
- South Africa $50.85
- Spain $53.33
- Poland $58.29
- Malaysia $71.53 (only valid 5 years)
- Sweden $79.48 (only valid 5 years)
- Singapore $83.15
- Kenya $88.82
- Hungary $88.88
Compare the Market’s report also includes a breakdown of the cost per number of countries a passport holder can travel to without needing a visa.
Yet again, the Australian passport is the most expensive at $2.23 per country (access to 185 visa-free countries).
In contrast, a UK passport, which also allows a holder to visit 186 countries visa-free, costs just $1.04 per visa-free country. It also boasts a significantly lower upfront cost for the same 10-year validity as the Australian passport.
Spain, Brazil, Poland and Malaysia are among the best-value passports for travelling abroad without a visa, each coming in at around $0.40 or less per country. This means Australia is paying more than five times the cost per visa-free country compared to passport holders from these nations.
General Insurance executive general manager Adrian Taylor said: “No one goes on holiday anticipating that they’ll lose or damage their passport, but as many as 30,000 Aussie passports are reported lost or stolen every year. Given that our passport is the most expensive in the world, it’s likely not a cost that Australians are factoring into their travel budget.
“People may not be aware that some travel insurance policies can help cover the cost of replacing your passport if you do lose it or it becomes damaged on your travels. It can be a stressful time – especially if you need to replace your passport in a hurry – and travel insurance can give you peace of mind in case the worst happens,” Taylor added.
“Always contact the Australian Passport Office or your nearest Australian diplomatic or consular mission as soon as possible if you damage or lose your passport. And don’t forget to pay careful attention to a travel insurer’s Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) to help you understand the limits, exclusions or restrictions of any given policy.”
