Aussie exposes everything wrong with the world’s most expensive passport: ‘I paid $400 for this?’

A young woman has exposed flaws in her new Australian passport, describing it as ‘flimsy’ and low quality, despite being the most expensive in the world.

Natalie Vellozzi, 28, from Sydney, posted a video on TikTok where she compared her old and new passports and accused the government of cutting back on quality.

“The quality absolutely does not match the price of this passport,” she said.

After the Sydney woman placed both passports side by side, the difference was immediately visible, with the cover of the new one bent upwards.

‘This is my old passport that I have had for ten years. It is definitely better quality,” Ms Vellozzi said.

‘This new one looks like it was literally printed at Officeworks. I’ve had it for a day now and it’s already warping, it’s already bending.’

The new R-series Australian passport costs a whopping $398, following a 15 percent price increase in July, making it the most expensive passport in the world.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) trumpeted the new passport at its launch last year, boasting that it was made in Australia.

“The next-generation passport is packed with advanced security features designed to keep Australians’ identities safe,” the ministry said.

But since its release, questions have been raised about the quality of the expensive document and Ms Vellozzi told Daily Mail Australia the deterioration has been very noticeable.

“Maybe the material they use is different,” she said.

‘But as soon as I got it, I noticed it was already bending and bending over.

“When they made it and tied it together, they didn’t put enough weight on it to flatten it properly.”

The financial services worker added that the new identification page on the front is now made of plastic.

“I thought someone could make this,” she said.

“In the previous passport it was laminated paper and now I feel like it’s going to break.”

The 28-year-old said the way the passport was delivered also left a lot to be desired.

“It was in a paper envelope, just like when you get a letter from your bank,” she said.

‘There was no cover, there was no bubble wrap or anything like that – it was just slipped into the paper envelope.

“They have to be a little more careful with it because it could be delivered on a very rainy day and it will get damaged.”

The traveler argued that the price of the passport warranted greater care during delivery.

“In 2014, I paid about $250,” she said.

‘I was really shocked by the price increase and that this is the most expensive passport in the world.’

Ms Vellozzi is disappointed that the passport is no longer in a plastic sleeve and also says the pages are thinner.

‘It just feels like a cheaper passport. The quality just feels cheap,” she said.

“It feels like something you make the night before your school assignment, but you forgot and have to turn it in the next day, so you rush to make it.”

The 28-year-old also said the new Australian passport now comes with a ‘weird’ ribbon feature.

“There’s a little piece of fabric in the passport and I think someone just forgot to cut it and just left it there,” she said.

“It’s not attached to anything, it just looks a little weird.”

Ms. Vellozzi said she understands the price increase could be due to additional security features, but believes the costs are still “insane.”

“These safety measures should already be in place and you shouldn’t be passing those costs on to taxpayers,” she said.

“Given that our taxes are so high, I feel like the government is taking advantage of us in every way possible.”