Ambassador of Australia to the Russian Federation
with non-resident accreditation to the Republics of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Turkmenistan.
Mr Graeme Meehan
Mr Meehan is a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently Head of Post, Consulate-General, Shanghai. He has previously served overseas as Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Embassy, Beijing; Deputy Head of Post, Australian Representative Office, Taipei; and Counsellor, Australian Embassy, Beijing.
In Canberra Mr Meehan has served as Assistant Secretary, East Asia Branch; Deputy Head, China Free Trade Agreement Taskforce; and Director, Asia Section, International Division, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Mr Meehan holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Melbourne. He speaks Russian and Chinese.
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News, Updates and Events
Medibank Private/ahm and other recent data breaches – advice for foreign passport holders
22 November 2022
Medibank Private/ahm have advised the Australian Passport Office (APO) that no Australian Travel Document information was compromised in this breach.
Foreign passports for international students were compromised through this cyberattack. Medibank Private/ahm are contacting impacted customers directly.
If Medibank Private/ahm have advised you that your foreign passport information was compromised, you should contact the government that issued the passport for advice on what to do. This is also the case for all data breaches that impact foreign passport holders, including the recent breaches at Optus and Medlab.
More information:
Medibank/ahm impacted customers:
- Call Medibank on 134 148 (within Australia) or +61 3 9862 1095 (International)
- Contact Medibank’s 24/7 Student Health and Support line (Medibank international students call 1800 887 283 and ahm international students call 1800 006 745)
- Visit Medibank Cyber Event Updates and Support page medibank.com.au/cybersecurity
- Go to ID Care’s dedicated Medibank and ahm breach response plan).
- See the Australian Cyber Security Centre's Medibank Private alert.
Optus impacted customers:
- Contact Optus customer service directly on 133 937 (within Australia), or +612 8082 5678 (International), or go to their Passport Information(link is external) webpage.
- Go to our Frequently Asked Questions on the Optus data breach and passport information
- See the Australian Cyber Security Centre's Optus data breach(link is external) alert.
Medlab impacted customers:
Contact Medlab customer service directly on +61 1800 433 980, or go to their data breach web page(link is external).
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (1926 - 2022)
The Australian Embassy in Moscow would like to express our sadness at the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and extend our sincere condolences to members of the Royal Family.
Consular Support and Travel Advice
Do not travel to Russia and Belarus due to the security environment and military conflict with Ukraine. If you’re in Russia or Belarus, leave immediately using the limited commercial options available or private means, if it’s safe to do so. Flight availability could change or be disrupted at short notice. The security situation could deteriorate further with little warning. Remain vigilant and avoid any protests or demonstrations. Our ability to provide consular assistance may be limited. For more information, read the travel advice for Russia and Belarus.
More information is available on our Consular Assistance page.
Invasion of Ukraine by Russia
Australia joins our partners in condemning Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.
The invasion is a breach of international law, including the UN Charter, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Australia stands in staunch support of Ukrainians together with the international community, including by imposing coordinated sanctions and measures to inflict a cost to those who bear responsibility, and providing humanitarian assistance to support those in greatest need.
Media releases and statements as well as information on sanctions and Australia’s humanitarian assistance can be found here.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates
COVID-19-RELATED BORDER RESTRICTIONS LIFTED
The Australian Government is removing COVID-19-related border restrictions.
From 12.01 am AEST 6 July 2022, you'll no longer need to:
- fill out a Digital Passenger Declaration or Maritime Travel Declaration when entering Australia
- declare or prove your vaccination status
- seek exemptions to enter Australia.
Remember that destinations, airlines and cruise ships may have their own COVID-19 vaccination, testing and masking requirements you must meet.
You'll still need to comply with requirements of the state and territory you arrive in. Read more about current state and territory travel restrictions here.
For ongoing travel advice updates, please subscribe to and monitor our official travel advice on Smartraveller.
APPOINTMENTS
We have now introduced limited passport and notarial appointments. We also continue to provide some services remotely.
To book an appointment or for more information on remote services, please email us at [email protected] describing your circumstances. We will continue to prioritise consular services to those in genuine need.
If you require urgent consular assistance during business hours (9am - 5pm Monday to Friday), please contact us on +7 495 956 6070. Contact details of our Honorary Consulates in St Petersburg and Almaty are also available here. Outside business hours, please contact the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 62613305. Please subscribe for updates and monitor our official travel advice on Smartraveller website.
COVID-19 TEMPORARY PASSPORT ARRANGEMENTS
From 23 February 2022, customers who have been issued with a 10-year Australian passport since 2005 or who are applying for a child passport will be able to upload their application via the Australian Passport Office website.
More information is available on our Passport Services page.
PASSPORT PROCESSING AND DELIVERY TIMES
The Australian Passport Office in Canberra is currently seeing strong demand for passports. For this reason, it is advising its customers to apply for or renew their passport well ahead of their planned travel dates. You should allow eight to ten weeks from lodgement/ passport appointment to get a new passport.
Child passport applications also have extra security checks and can often take longer to process.
Applications that don’t have all the necessary documents and information or haven’t met all requirements will also take longer.
You should not book travel until you have a valid passport (your passport number will change when you renew it).
Passport delivery to Russia and CIS countries is currently delayed, due to disrupted logistics.
If you need to travel urgently, we can issue an Emergency Passport (up to 7 months validity) usually within 2-3 working days, depending on our workload. If you would like to apply for an Emergency Passport, please email us at [email protected] for more information.
Did you know that…
… Australia is the fourth largest economy in the Asian region and is the 12th largest economy in the world?
… Australian Indigenous art is the oldest ongoing tradition of art in the world?
… English is Australia’s national language but 300+ languages are spoken in Aussie homes?
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