Stock photo: GettyThe number of passports issued in the past year has dropped by almost two-thirds as Australians' overseas travel plans are wiped out by COVID-19. Despite the downturn, the Australian Passport Office continues to receive about 10,000 passport applications per week and more than 14 million Australians, or about 57 percent of the population, have a passport. The fall in valid passport numbers raises the possibility that the office will be swamped by applications when overseas travel is revived. "Some Australians overseas may find it hard to lodge passport applications. A 10-year Australian passport costs $A301.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 27, 2021 21:00 UTC