I'll be needing to get a new Aussie passport in about a year, and am wondering is it better to get it before my visa  (retirement) renewal or after, or does it make no difference? I know that stamps have to be transferred into new passport from old, so can be this done same time as visa renewal?

Just a bit confused as to what order things should be done.

An extension can only be approved up the passport validity date.

 

If your extension expires in, say, 3 months then you will only get an extension for circa 9 months.

 

 

As said when you get your retirement extension and your passport validity is less than a year you will only get extended up to your passport expiry date.

Two ways to look at it:

Leave your passport to the last minute ( 4 months validity is probably the limit ) and your retirement extension date will change in effect meaning you have to do your extension twice in that year.

 

Renew your passport early ( more than 1 year validity ) keep your retirement extension date but losing at least a year off of your passport life.

 

I would say the deciding factor could be how much hassle do you find dealing with immigration ( extension ).

 

My retirement extension date was Dec 2024, my passport due to expire July 2025, got a retirement extension until July 2025.

Renewed passport in March 2025, did retirement extension July 2025.

 

For me it made zero difference, my retirement extension is easy, get all my documents together, present them to the IO and play on my phone for two hours.

 

Most people will renew their passport early with up to around 18 months validity.

2 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

As said when you get your retirement extension and your passport validity is less than a year you will only get extended up to your passport expiry date.

Two ways to look at it:

Leave your passport to the last minute ( 4 months validity is probably the limit ) and your retirement extension date will change in effect meaning you have to do your extension twice in that year.

 

Renew your passport early ( more than 1 year validity ) keep your retirement extension date but losing at least a year off of your passport life.

 

I would say the deciding factor could be how much hassle do you find dealing with immigration ( extension ).

 

My retirement extension date was Dec 2024, my passport due to expire July 2025, got a retirement extension until July 2025.

Renewed passport in March 2025, did retirement extension July 2025.

 

For me it made zero difference, my retirement extension is easy, get all my documents together, present them to the IO and play on my phone for two hours.

 

Most people will renew their passport early with up to around 18 months validity.

So when do you transfer stamps from old passport to new, is it when you do your extension?

48 minutes ago, giddyup said:

So when do you transfer stamps from old passport to new, is it when you do your extension?

I did mine before, shortly after getting new passport.

My IO is close to home and sparsely populated so it was easy to get it done, but a relatively quick process.

Not sure if there is any reason to do it before or at extension time, maybe others can answer that.

 

One thing i did do was go to the bank and get my account linked to new passport, thought it might compromise the bank letter needed for extension if not done beforehand.

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

So when do you transfer stamps from old passport to new, is it when you do your extension?

No - you just show up and do it.

Renew passport before, well before. I was up against a wall once when passports were taking far longer than normal and it had me on edge!

18 hours ago, giddyup said:

I'll be needing to get a new Aussie passport in about a year, and am wondering is it better to get it before my visa  (retirement) renewal or after, or does it make no difference? I know that stamps have to be transferred into new passport from old, so can be this done same time as visa renewal?

Just a bit confused as to what order things should be done.

HI. I went to immigration at Korat for 90 day report (as they knocked back my on-line application).

It was to tell me to get my new passport before my next extension as my passport runs out during the extension.

Also (as I'm old like you) I wrongly thought that I had to get the extension near the expiry date, because if I go earlier the bank letter won't show 12 months B800000 in the bank.

Imm said I can get the bank letter and do the extension 2 months before it's due. 

Imm said not to wait till the last day.

This was Korat.

Just did it.

Also I always used to get a 5 year passport as before Imm used to query all the stamps in it.

So decided to get the 10 year one and Aus embassy said why get a 10 year one as I'm already old. 

Do they know something I don't. 🙂

As I did.

Get it before.

Two visits for extension within a year. No thanks.

I did a separate immigration  visit for stamp transfer just after receiving new pp (10 yr only option). After that off to phone provider and the banks to register / renew identification.

 

Do extension as soon as possible. My due date is Oct 30.

Will go tomorrow Oct 8.

(Oct 3 didn't work out due to delayed money transfer).

30 days ahead is accepted without conditions.

 

On 10/6/2025 at 11:58 AM, giddyup said:

I'll be needing to get a new Aussie passport in about a year, and am wondering is it better to get it before my visa  (retirement) renewal or after, or does it make no difference? I know that stamps have to be transferred into new passport from old, so can be this done same time as visa renewal?

Just a bit confused as to what order things should be done.

If your visa is going to run out and not leave you 12 months clear on your existing to renew visa, then renew it b4 and transfer existing visa, I just did this as if I had not then I would only have had 9 months left and would have had to pay twice for extension.

When you apply for new PP tell them why your renewing as they asked me why, was my PP full or had I lost it, I told them no and quoted the above reason as for visa renewal.

Passport came within 2 weeks and did not pay for the urgent service which is double the fee.

Immigration, I told them b4 I renewed and they said just come to see us with both Passports when you receive the new one and we will transfer.

I said do i need letter to transfer from embassy in BK they said no worry just come straight to immigration no need for letter, all done and put new 90 day report in the back as well, cost me 1000 Bhat all done.

1 hour ago, kiwikeith said:

If your visa is going to run out and not leave you 12 months clear on your existing to renew visa, then renew it b4 and transfer existing visa, I just did this as if I had not then I would only have had 9 months left and would have had to pay twice for extension.

When you apply for new PP tell them why your renewing as they asked me why, was my PP full or had I lost it, I told them no and quoted the above reason as for visa renewal.

Passport came within 2 weeks and did not pay for the urgent service which is double the fee.

Immigration, I told them b4 I renewed and they said just come to see us with both Passports when you receive the new one and we will transfer.

I said do i need letter to transfer from embassy in BK they said no worry just come straight to immigration no need for letter, all done and put new 90 day report in the back as well, cost me 1000 Bhat all done.

Did you go to Aussie embassy or did you do it online/post?

16 hours ago, giddyup said:

Did you go to Aussie embassy or did you do it online/post?

Online with the identification process get your pp photos from shop and get them loaded onto a stick which you take with you to the shop take pp as well so they know size 300 bhat not worth trying to take on your phone as they can be rejected 

Just now, kiwikeith said:

Online with the identification process get your pp photos from shop and get them loaded onto a stick which you take with you to the shop take pp as well so they know size 300 bhat not worth trying to take on your phone as they can be rejected 

You need a referee, friend with aussie pp need to quote his pp number address and dob and phone number and how long he or she's know you 

2 hours ago, kiwikeith said:

Online with the identification process get your pp photos from shop and get them loaded onto a stick which you take with you to the shop take pp as well so they know size 300 bhat not worth trying to take on your phone as they can be rejected 

 Do you mean get the size of the photos loaded on to a stick? I imagine the photos are sent by post with all your other details like birth certificate etc.

16 hours ago, giddyup said:

 Do you mean get the size of the photos loaded on to a stick? I imagine the photos are sent by post with all your other details like birth certificate etc.

No you load the photos from a memory stick the shop takes the photos for you the right size and no birth certificate needed just all your I'd info and copy of passport and friends pp info the online app guides you go online and it will tell you what to do 

1 hour ago, kiwikeith said:

No you load the photos from a memory stick the shop takes the photos for you the right size and no birth certificate needed just all your I'd info and copy of passport and friends pp info the online app guides you go online and it will tell you what to do 

Sorry to be so dumb, but how do I get the photos the shop takes onto a stick, does the shop do that for you? And how does somebody sign the photos if they are on a stick? 

9 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Sorry to be so dumb, but how do I get the photos the shop takes onto a stick, does the shop do that for you? And how does somebody sign the photos if they are on a stick?

You just go to the photo shop.

 

Ask for hard copies and then also ask them to put the photo's onto your usb stick.

They will transfer for you.

A mail in application is very clearly described by your embassy....here.....

 

https://thailand.embassy.gov.au/bkok/Mailed_in_passport_applications.html

38 minutes ago, Will27 said:

You just go to the photo shop.

 

Ask for hard copies and then also ask them to put the photo's onto your usb stick.

They will transfer for you.

Why do the photos need to be on a usb stick if the signed hard copies are being sent by mail?

4 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Why do the photos need to be on a usb stick if the signed hard copies are being sent by mail?

If for some reason the Embassy don't accept the hard copies.

It happened to me.

 

It's no problem to get digital copies, so just do it in case you need them.

7 minutes ago, Will27 said:

If for some reason the Embassy don't accept the hard copies.

It happened to me.

 

It's no problem to get digital copies, so just do it in case you need them.

If they wouldn't accept the hard copies why would they accept the digital, they are identical? Plus the digital are unsigned.

10 minutes ago, giddyup said:

If they wouldn't accept the hard copies why would they accept the digital, they are identical? Plus the digital are unsigned.

I can't remember the actual wording, but it was something about the hard copies not being sharp enough.

 

At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter,

They requested digital copies, so I had to go back and get them put onto a usb stick and then email them back to the Embassy.

 

As I said, just do it when you get the hard copies printed.

On 10/12/2025 at 7:14 AM, giddyup said:

Sorry to be so dumb, but how do I get the photos the shop takes onto a stick, does the shop do that for you? And how does somebody sign the photos if they are on a stick? 

The shop puts the photos on your stick and gives you copies as well just plug it into your computer and download a pic from the stick when you get to that section of the application no need for birth certificate or sign photos ask friend for passport details Ph no and dob and address and add info on the application once completed you pay for pp and send it app will guide you