The Burrow
Aug 15, 2025
Whether you’re jetting abroad on a plane, hopping on a cruise or crossing international borders using another form of transportation, you’ll need a passport to get to your destination.
These essential booklets may seem simple enough, but they contain valuable information that authorities require to verify your identity, nationality and movements when travelling overseas. If you’re visiting a country that requires a visa, these are often linked directly to your passport as well.
While individual countries have their own rules around issuing passports to citizens, one thing nations have in common is that there’s usually a cost involved in obtaining and holding a passport.
As this article explains, the cost can be quite substantial, which is why we, as travel insurance comparison experts, understand how locking in a travel insurance policy can help with recouping the cost of replacing a passport that’s lost, damaged or stolen abroad.
With this in mind, we’ve compared the cost of passports around the globe to find out who’s spending the most on this important travel document and which give the most value for money in 2025.
To see prices from 2024, you can click here.
We compared passports across 23 countries, using metrics around:
Here’s what we found.
Australia is renowned for winning gold on a global scale and its passport tops the list as the most expensive in the world. The fee for a 10-year Australian passport increased in early-2025, and the document now costs AU$412.00, ahead of Mexico (AU$335.95/MX$4,120.00) and the USA (AU$251.21/US$165.00).
It also comes in more expensive than passports from New Zealand (AU$225.62/NZ$247.00), the UK (AU$193.78/£94.50) and Canada (AU$177.61/CA$160.00).
Interestingly, a five-year passport for Saudi Arabia technically comes in 12th at AU$121.55 (SR300.00) but the cost to hold the passport for 10 years is just AU$8.11 cheaper than a US passport, assuming no price changes.
At the other end of the scale, passports from India (AU$26.63/₹1,500.00), Brazil (AU$49.19/R$180.00), South Africa (AU$50.85/R600.00), Spain (AU$53.33/€30.00), and Poland (AU$58.29/zł140.00) are among the cheapest in the world.
A 10-year Indian passport is $385.37 more affordable than the Australian passport. At the current price, you could hold an Indian passport for around 150 years for the cost of one 10-year Australian passport.
| Rank | Nation | Cost of passport 2025 (AUD) | Valid for (years) | AUD/ year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇦🇺 Australia | $412.00 | 10 | $41.20 |
| 2 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | $335.95 | 10 | $33.59 |
| 3 | 🇺🇸 USA | $251.21 | 10 | $25.12 |
| 4 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | $225.62 | 10 | $22.56 |
| 5 | 🇮🇹 Italy | $206.10 | 10 | $20.61 |
| 6 | 🇦🇹 Austria | $198.99 | 10 | $19.90 |
| 7 | 🇬🇧 UK | $193.78 | 10 | $19.38 |
| 8 | 🇨🇦 Canada | $177.61 | 10 | $17.76 |
| 9 | 🇫🇷 France | $152.67 | 10 | $15.27 |
| 10 | 🇫🇯 Fiji | $142.94 | 10 | $14.29 |
| 11 | 🇩🇪 Germany | $127.27 | 10 | $12.72 |
| 12 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | $121.55 | 10 | $24.31 |
| 13 | 🇫🇮 Finland | $97.64 | 5 | $19.53 |
| 14 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | $88.88 | 5 | $8.89 |
| 15 | 🇰🇪 Kenya | $88.82 | 10 | $8.88 |
| 16 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | $83.15 | 10 | $8.32 |
| 17 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | $79.48 | 5 | $15.90 |
| 18 | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $71.53 | 5 | $14.31 |
| 19 | 🇵🇱 Poland | $58.29 | 10 | $5.83 |
| 20 | 🇪🇸 Spain | $53.33 | 10 | $5.33 |
| 21 | 🇿🇦 South Africa | $50.85 | 10 | $5.08 |
| 22 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | $49.19 | 10 | $4.92 |
| 23 | 🇮🇳 India | $26.63 | 10 | $2.66 |
Of the passports compared, 39% have seen their prices increase in 2025, with two of the top three most expensive passports jumping in price this year.
The 10-year Australian passport jumped to AU$398.00 in July 2024 and rose again in January 2025 to AU$412.00.
Mexico’s passport also jumped by AU$14.68 (MX$180.00) on 1 January, while the UK passport increased by AU$24.61 (£12.00) in April 2025.
In contrast, some of the cheapest passports on the list haven’t seen a price increase in years, despite cost-of-living pressures.
Sweden, Kenya, Hungary and Finland are the only countries in the bottom 10 that have seen an increase in 2025 so far, with prices jumping by AU$15.89 (100 kr), AU$32.29 (KSh3,000), AU$26.67 (6,000 Ft) and AU$19.53 (€11.00) respectively.
By incorporating figures from the Henley Passport Index, we can calculate a new score – the cost per number of countries a passport holder can travel to without needing a visa.1
The 10-year Australian passport is the most expensive in this regard. Despite visa-free access to 185 countries, Australians are paying AU$2.23 per visa-free country. In contrast, a UK passport, which also allows a holder to visit 186 countries visa-free, costs just AU$1.04 (£0.51) 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 AU$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.
| Rank | Nation | Cost of passport 2025 (AUD) | Visa-free countries | Cost per visa-free country (AUD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇦🇺 Australia | $412.00 | 185 | $2.23 |
| 2 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | $335.95 | 158 | $2.13 |
| 3 | 🇫🇯 Fiji | $142.94 | 90 | $1.59 |
| 4 | 🇺🇸 USA | $251.21 | 182 | $1.38 |
| 5 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | $121.55 | 89 | $1.37 |
| 6 | 🇰🇪 Kenya | $88.82 | 71 | $1.25 |
| 7 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | $225.62 | 187 | $1.21 |
| 8 | 🇮🇹 Italy | $206.10 | 189 | $1.09 |
| 9 | 🇦🇹 Austria | $198.99 | 188 | $1.06 |
| 10 | 🇬🇧 UK | $193.78 | 186 | $1.04 |
| 11 | 🇨🇦 Canada | $177.61 | 184 | $0.97 |
| 12 | 🇫🇷 France | $152.67 | 189 | $0.81 |
| 13 | 🇩🇪 Germany | $124.27 | 189 | $0.66 |
| 14 | 🇫🇮 Finland | $97.64 | 189 | $0.52 |
| 15 | 🇿🇦 South Africa | $50.85 | 103 | $0.49 |
| 16 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | $88.88 | 185 | $0.48 |
| 17 | 🇮🇳 India | $26.63 | 58 | $0.46 |
| 18 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | $83.15 | 193 | $0.43 |
| 19 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | $79.48 | 188 | $0.42 |
| 20 | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $71.53 | 181 | $0.40 |
| 21 | 🇵🇱 Poland | $58.29 | 185 | $0.32 |
| 22 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | $49.19 | 170 | $0.29 |
| 23 | 🇪🇸 Spain | $53.33 | 189 | $0.28 |
When we take the time of validity into account, the rankings change.
Looking at the cost per years valid for a first-time passport applicant, the Australian passport remains the most expensive at AU$41.20, followed by Mexico (AU$33.59/MX$412.00) and the USA (AU$25.12/US$16.50). The Saudi Arabian passport also climbs significantly, with an annual cost of AU$24.31 (SR60.00).
Meanwhile, the Indian passport is the least expensive when considering an annual cost, with a fee of just AU$2.66 (₹150.00). Other cheap passports based on an annual cost ranking include Brazil (AU$4.92/R$18.00), South Africa (AU$5.08/R60.00), Spain (AU$5.33/€3.00), and Poland (AU$5.83/zł14.00).
| Nation | AUD/year |
|---|---|
| 🇦🇺 Australia | $41.20 |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | $33.59 |
| 🇺🇸 USA | $25.12 |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | $24.31 |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | $22.56 |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $20.61 |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | $19.90 |
| 🇫🇮 Finland | $19.53 |
| 🇬🇧 UK | $19.38 |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $17.76 |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | $15.90 |
| 🇫🇷 France | $15.27 |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $14.31 |
| 🇫🇯 Fiji | $14.29 |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $12.43 |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | $8.89 |
| 🇰🇪 Kenya | $8.88 |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | $8.32 |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | $5.83 |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $5.33 |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | $5.08 |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | $4.92 |
| 🇮🇳 India | $2.66 |
While Australia’s passport is one of the most powerful in the world, it comes at a cost. Many factors influence that price, including increased passport technology and anti-fraud upgrades. The fees also contribute to continually updating the nation’s passport services and systems.
Australians can also expect to fork out significantly to replace lost passports or order emergency passports overseas, each coming in at AUD$259.2
Executive General Manager of General Insurance, Adrian Taylor, said the cost of travel insurance can often be cheaper than overseas replacement costs.
“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,” Mr Taylor said.
“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.
“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.”
The cost (in local currency) and validity of each passport was researched manually, by using official government websites and sources where possible.
When multiple, mandatory fees were involved in obtaining a passport, they were combined into one total cost.
When passports had multiple options with different page counts, or with different prices depending on method of application or shipping, the cheapest option was used.
All passports recorded are reflective of a first time, adult applicant (not children or seniors) with no special requirements or concessions.
The cost of a passport was converted from each local currency to AUD using XE Currency Converter on 14/07/25.
Additional Sources