Applications · Passports
Lost or stolen passport with an Australian visa: what to do
An Australian visa is not inside your passport. It is a record linked to the passport's details. Losing the passport does not cancel the visa, but you have to report the loss and link the visa to the new passport before you travel.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Visa lost with passport?
- No, it is electronic
- Lost or stolen
- Report it, Form 929
- ETA (601)
- Cannot move, apply again
- Before you fly
- Check VEVO
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About the CPD →Your visa is not in your passport
Australia does not normally put visa labels in passports. The visa is a record held by the Department and linked to your passport number. Airlines, the border and employers check it through the Department's systems and VEVO. That is why a lost passport does not mean a lost visa, and why the new passport has to be linked before anyone can see your visa against it.
The steps, in order
- Report the loss or theft to the police where it happened and to your country's passport authority; keep the report
- Get a replacement passport or emergency travel document from your embassy or consulate
- Tell the Department. For a lost or stolen passport the Department uses Form 929 rather than the ordinary passport update; check the current process on the Home Affairs website, because the online form may not accept a lost or stolen reason
- Wait for confirmation that the visa is linked to the new passport
- Check VEVO with the new passport number before you rely on it with an employer, a university or an airline
Visas that cannot move to a new passport
An Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) is tied to the passport it was granted on and cannot be transferred; you apply for a new ETA with the new passport. An eVisitor may also need a fresh application. Check the rule for your visa before you book travel.
If an application is pending
Update the passport details on the pending application as well as on your current visa. A grant recorded against the lost passport has to be corrected afterwards, which can delay travel and work checks. If you hold a bridging visa, check it moves too.
Before you travel
Do not fly on the assumption that the link has gone through. Airlines check electronically at check-in, and a passport that is not linked can mean being refused boarding or delays on arrival. Wait for the Department's confirmation, check VEVO, and carry the police report and any correspondence with you.
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General information only. Forms and processes for passport changes are set by the Department of Home Affairs and change; check the current instructions before you act. Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent, MARN 1576536.
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MARN 1576536 · practising since 2015 · contact details
Questions we get asked first
Do I lose my visa if I lose my passport?
No. Australian visas are recorded electronically against your passport details, not stamped into the passport. You keep the visa; what you need to do is report the lost passport and have the visa linked to the new one.
How do I link my visa to a new passport?
Through ImmiAccount or the Department’s passport details form, depending on your situation. For a lost or stolen passport the Department uses a specific form (Form 929) rather than the ordinary update; check the current process on the Home Affairs website.
Can an ETA be moved to a new passport?
No. An Electronic Travel Authority is tied to the passport it was granted on. With a new passport you apply for a new ETA.
Can I travel before the new passport is linked?
You risk being refused boarding or delayed at the border. Wait until the Department confirms the new passport is linked, and check it in VEVO, before you fly.
My passport was lost while my application is pending. What now?
Tell the Department of the new passport through ImmiAccount for the pending application as well, so the grant is recorded against the right document.
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