Information for foreign passport holders on Medibank Private and other recent data breaches.
End of COVID-19 predeparture requirement in China
Australia’s pre-departure COVID-19 testing requirements for passengers arriving from the People’s Republic of China, including the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, will cease applying to flights that land in Australia at 12.01am on 11 March 2023.
(Click here for the full announcement from The Hon Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care)
Notice for Visiting the Australian Consulate-General, Shanghai
The Consulate-General re-commenced in-person appointments on 3 January 2023. Due to the demand in notarial and passport applications we have opened the appointment system for 3 months in advance. We urge those who are not in a hurry to renew passports/get notarials, to leave the earlier bookings for the more urgent cases.
For those seeking advice or assistance, you can also call the Consulate-General on +86 21 2215 5200 or email [email protected].
For 24 hour emergency consular support, you can also call +61 2 6261 3305 (from overseas) or 1300 555 135 (from within Australia).
Australians in China are encouraged to subscribe to Smartraveller travel advice for the latest information: China Travel Advice & Safety | Smartraveller
Appointments for passport and notarial services
Appointments are required for all passport and notarial services and must be booked via acgsh.setmore.com. Appointments will only be kept for 15 minutes. If you are not able to arrive in time, please make new bookings.
Passport appointments are available Monday to Friday. Each passport applicant requires a separate appointment. Families will require separate appointments for each adult/child applicant.
Appointment times are normally booked-out up to 4 weeks in advance. Allow a minimum of 6 weeks to receive your new passport. Please keep this in mind when making your travel plans.
Appointments are not required for passport collection or for emergency consular/passport services. Passport can be collected between 0930 -1130 on a business day.
Notarial services appointments are available Tuesday to Thursday afternoons.
Please book your appointment as early as possible.
Freqently Asked Questions: Australian in Shanghai
Travellers from China required to undertake COVID-19 testing before travel
The Australian Government will introduce pre-departure testing for COVID-19 for people travelling to Australia from the People’s Republic of China including the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. From 12:01am on Thursday 5 January 2023, travellers will be required to undertake a COVID-19 test within the 48hrs prior to travel and show evidence of a negative test result when travelling to Australia. For more information, please read the factsheet on the Department of Health and Aged Care's website here.
Information for Overseas Travellers Intending to Travel to Australia
For the latest information from the Department of Home Affairs, please click on the following link:
https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/covid19
For the latest information from States and Territories, including new security measures, please click on the following link:
https://www.australia.gov.au/states
Travellers to Australia need to comply with requirements of the state or territory of their arrival, and any other state or territories that you plan to travel to. This includes quarantine and post-arrival testing requirements. Restrictions may change at short notice. It is your responsibility to ensure that you meet entry, quarantine and post-arrival testing arrangements for each state or territory that you intend to travel to. You may be responsible for the costs of quarantine if you arrive in a state or territory without meeting entry requirements.
Applying for an Australian Passport
Shanghai Consulate specific passport information – including proof of address requirements for applicants/parents.
Passport appointments are available Monday to Friday, please make your booking at acgsh.setmore.com.
It will take more than six weeks from the day you successfully finalise your application until your passport is ready for collection. For more information, please click here.
Notarial Services
You must bring identification containing both your signature and photograph (ie your passport) so we can verify your identity and signature on any documents you sign.
Bring clear instructions from your lawyer detailing exactly which pages must be witnessed by the Consulate.
General notarial services information (including witness of signature, affidavit, certified copies, CNI, authentication).
Shanghai Consulate specific notarial information.
Notarial appointments are available Tuesday to Thursday afternoons and should be booked more than two weeks in advance using acgsh.setmore.com. The applicant needs to present in person to the Australian Consulate General Shanghai.
Alternative Shanghai notarial service providers can be found here.
Australian Visa and Citizenship Applications
Online Visa and Citizenship applications do not require certified copies.
Visa and Citizenship applications submitted in China and on paper can have copies of documents certified by Chinese citizens whose occupation is listed here.
Visa and Citizenship applications submitted outside Australia do not need statutory declarations to be witnessed at an Australian Embassy or Consulate. If your visa/citizenship application requires a witnessed declaration/form, please read the witnessing instructions on the declaration/form. The Department of Home Affairs (HA) can generally accept statements witnessed according to the legal practices of the country in which you make the statement.
All Australian Visa and Citizenship questions must be directed to the Department of Home Affairs. Online enquiries can be submitted here.
The Department of Home Affairs (HA) are trialling a Digital Assistant to answer your visa and citizenship questions. The Digital Assistant will make it easier and faster for you to find what you need on their website. You can access the Digital Assistant from the Digital Assistant tab on the bottom right hand side of the screen on most Immigration and Citizenship pages.
Travel Advice for China
Visit the Australian Government's Smartraveller website for up-to-date travel advice for China.
You can subscribe to one or more countries or to our official bulletins for information including voting, large sporting events, or widespread health or security issues. We encourage you to subscribe to this service as soon as you are thinking about holidaying, working, studying or living overseas.
Consulate Public Holidays
Year 2023
| Monday | 2 January 2023 | In Lieu of New Year's Day |
| Monday | 23 January 2023 | In Lieu of Chinese New Year's Eve |
| Tuesday | 24 January 2023 | Chinese New Year Holiday |
| Wednesday | 25 January 2023 | Chinese New Year Holiday |
| Friday | 7 April 2023 | Good Friday |
| Monday | 10 April 2023 | Easter Monday |
| Monday | 1 May 2023 | Labour Day |
| Thursday | 22 June 2023 | Dragon Boat Festival |
| Monday | 2 October 2023 | In Lieu of Chinese National Day |
| Tuesday | 3 October 2023 | National Day Holiday (Golden Week) |
| Wednesday | 4 October 2023 | National Day Holiday (Golden Week) |
| Monday | 25 December 2023 | Christmas Day |
| Tuesday | 26 December 2023 | Boxing Day |
| Wednesday | 27 December 2023 | APS Additional Day (Holiday) |
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