Australia Rejects 13 Categories of Names and Signatures on Passports: See the Full List

The Australian government has outlined 13 categories of names and signatures that may be rejected on official passports, warning applicants against using offensive expressions, misleading titles, numerals and political slogans on their travel documents.

The restrictions are authorised under subsection 53(4) of Australia’s Passports Act, which empowers the Minister or an appointed delegate to refuse a name or signature considered unacceptable, inappropriate or offensive.

According to the official policy guidance, the rules are designed to ensure Australian passports comply with international travel document standards, protect the rights and freedoms of other people and prevent individuals from making misleading claims about titles, awards or positions they do not hold.

The requirements affect people applying for Australian passports and those seeking to change the names or signatures appearing on their travel documents.

Australian Passport: Full List of 13 Unacceptable Names and Signatures

The Australian government has identified 13 examples of names and signatures that may be refused under its passport policy.

The list is not exhaustive, meaning other expressions or characters may also be rejected if they fall within the policy’s restrictions.

The unacceptable categories include:

1. Expletives: Names or signatures containing swear words or other offensive expressions.
2. Racial or ethnic slurs: Expressions that insult or imply discrimination against a racial or ethnic group.
3. Obscene or offensive terms, symbols or pictures: Any wording or imagery considered inappropriate or offensive.
4. Numerals: Numbers used as names or signatures.
5. Political statements or slogans: Expressions such as “all rights reserved” and “signed on behalf of”, as well as trademark (™) and copyright (©) symbols.
6. Unheld official titles, positions or ranks: Applicants cannot use official designations they do not actually hold.
7. Names of public institutions or offices: References to public institutions or public offices may be rejected.
8. Unawarded titles, awards or decorations: Titles or honours not directly conferred on the applicant by the Crown or under a Commonwealth law are not accepted.
9. Misleading claims about honours: Terms that could make people believe the passport holder has received an award or decoration they have not earned.
10. Unrecognisable strings of words: A combination of words that would not commonly be recognised as a person’s name.
11. Names that cannot be established by repute or usage: Names that cannot be supported through established usage or reputation.
12. Terms contrary to public interest: Other expressions considered inconsistent with the public interest.
13. Characters that violate international standards: Characters the Minister or delegate considers inconsistent with the requirements of the Chicago Convention.

The government notes that the examples are not exhaustive, giving passport authorities room to assess other names and signatures against the same standards.

Why Australia Rejects Certain Names on Passports

The restrictions are based on three broad considerations.

The first is compliance with international travel document standards established under the Convention on International Civil Aviation 1944, commonly known as the Chicago Convention.

Australian passports must follow the recommended practices and procedures outlined under the international agreement.

The second consideration is the protection of other people’s rights and freedoms. The government seeks to prevent official travel documents from displaying expressions that could be offensive or discriminatory towards individuals and groups.

The third is preventing misleading claims about official positions, titles, awards and decorations.

Under the policy, applicants cannot use passport names or signatures that falsely suggest they hold a public office, official rank or honour they were never awarded.

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What Happens If an Australian Passport Name Is Rejected?

Under subsection 53(4) of the Passports Act, the Minister or an authorised delegate can refuse a name or signature considered unacceptable.

This means meeting the other passport application requirements does not automatically guarantee approval of a requested name or signature.

Applicants are advised to review the government’s full passport policy before submitting their applications, particularly if they intend to use an unusual name, title or signature.

Checking the requirements beforehand could help prevent avoidable delays or refusals.

Australia Also Explains How Long Passport-Related Applications Take

The latest passport guidance follows other information published by Australian authorities concerning immigration and citizenship processing.

In a related update, Legit.ng previously reported that the Australian Department of Home Affairs provided processing estimates for citizenship applications.

According to the figures cited in that report, 90% of applications for citizenship by conferral, the most common route, were processed within six months of submission.

The department also indicated that 90% of successful applicants received an invitation to attend a citizenship ceremony within seven months of approval.

These timelines relate to citizenship applications and ceremonies, not the processing period for Australian passport applications.