The Australian passport is the most expensive in the world – and the travel document is set to rise by an extra $50 next year as the news outrages travelers.
Australians already had the most expensive travel document, which cost $325 for ten years.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced on Wednesday that passport fees will rise 15 percent to $373.75 from July 1 next year.
The most expensive passport after Australia is Mexico, with an equivalent of $255, and the third is Switzerland, where the document costs $210.
The Australian passport is the most expensive in the world – and the travel document will increase by an additional $50 next year
News of the passport price hike frustrated many Australians who targeted the government.
'All Labor does is cause problems, tax people, waste money!' said someone on social media platform
'Get more money out of the people!' said another.
“With an already expensive passport, further additional costs are questionable at best,” a third tweeted.
The federal government has claimed the increase in the cost of an Australian passport, which will raise $349 million over three years, is a “one-off measure”.
“The money from this one-off increase will be reinvested to make our passport systems and services more modern,” a spokesperson said on Wednesday.
“This includes helping to protect Australians from rapidly evolving identity security threats.
The federal government has claimed the increase in the cost of an Australian passport, which will raise $349 million over three years, is a “one-off”.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced on Wednesday that passport fees will rise 15 percent to $373.75 from July 1 next year
'Global economic and supply chain pressures have also driven up the costs of key components used in the production of passports.'
The rate increase was hidden in the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook released Wednesday.
The document stated that funds raised from the measure would “be used to support priorities in the Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio.”
According to data released earlier this year by insurance company William Russell, the United States was fifth with the most expensive passport on the list, at $195, and Britain was 13th at $150 out of 38 countries.
The cheapest passport on the list was for people living in the Czech Republic. Their passport only earned them $40.
Australia also has the sixth most powerful passport in the world, with the travel document allowing Australians to enter 188 countries without a visa, according to the Henley Passport Index.
Singapore is considered the best passport in the world, with visa-free access to 193 countries.