Frustrated Aussie travelers have taken to social media over the persistently curling covers on their brand new expensive passports.
The new R-series Australian passport is now the second most expensive in the world with the cost soaring to $398 after a 15 per cent price hike in July, beaten only by the tiny European country of Lichtenstein.
But despite the hefty price tag, some of those who got their hands on the new model expressed concerns about its build quality.
Last year, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) trumpeted the launch of the new passport along with the fact that it was manufactured in Australia.
“Did you know Australia has an innovative new passport known as the R Series?,” the department said.
‘The next generation passport is packed with advanced security features designed to keep Australians’ identity safe.
‘Your passport is designed, printed and assembled in Australia to strict security standards.’
Security features aside, users on Reddit agreed the curl covers made the passport look cheap.
Aussie travelers have taken to social media to talk about a problem with their new R-series passports, its non-stop curling cover
The Australian passport is now the most expensive in the world (stock photo)
A Reddit post titled ‘Is the Australian passport owned?’ got strong reactions from Aussies.
The original poster asked: ‘Something is seriously wrong with my passport, does anyone else’s passport behave like this?’
This was followed by a laughing/crying emoji.
The photograph with the mail shows the passport placed vertically, with the front and back pages extremely curled.
‘Mine was like this when I got it. You have to squeeze the bunyips out from under some heavy books.’
“Finally settling down,” one Reddit user wrote.
Another had a rather blunt response: ‘Mine does the same, most expensive passport in the world, like ***show.’
One user claimed to have inside knowledge and offered a suggestion.
“I did a job at the passport manufacturer place, they new (sic) it was going to happen and there (sic) wasn’t much they could do to fix it because of how the pages were put together.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs trumpeted the launch of the new R-series passport last year. ‘Your passport is designed, printed and assembled in Australia to strict security standards’
‘My recommendation to anyone getting one of the new passports (anything from 2023ish to now) is as soon as you get it put it under some heavy books for a week or so to prevent it.’
Another user offered some unusual, yet useful advice.
‘I keep mine in his condom. Plus only used it for Id. Mine normally behaves sorry.’
Canadian passport holders are also experiencing similar curl coverage problems with their new passports.
DFAT has the curl issue on its side website.
‘You may notice a slight crease on the cover of your R-series passport. This sometimes occurs due to changes in humidity.’
‘This is not a manufacturing fault and does not affect the validity of your passport’
“Holding your passport tightly will help prevent this curling.”
‘For example, you can use an envelope or passport holder to store and protect your passport between uses.’
