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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The website includes information and links aimed at answering most of the commonly-asked questions about Australia, including on visas and immigration; services for Australian citizens living or travelling abroad; Australian culture; business opportunities; international activities and government services.
Whether you are interested in doing business with or investing in Australia, going on holiday, studying or just learning more about our country, we hope you find this site of use.
News, Updates and Events
Latitude Financial Services data breach
13 April 2023
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is aware of a cyber incident impacting Latitude Financial Services.
Copies of approximately 103,000 identity documents have been stolen from Latitude Financial. This includes a small number of passports.
Latitude Financial Services is contacting impacted customers directly and continues to investigate the matter to determine the full extent of the cyber-attack.
Foreign passports were also compromised through this cyberattack. If Latitude Financial Services 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.
Impacted passports are still safe to use for international travel. Your passport number cannot be used to obtain a new passport. Robust controls are used to protect passports from identity takeover, including sophisticated facial recognition technology. Further information on how your passport may be impacted can be found on the APO website(link is external).
Advice on safeguarding your personal information can be found on the APO’s webpage on protecting against scams and identity theft(link is external).
Customers can also seek help from IDCare(link is external), a not-for-profit organisation that specialises in providing advice and support to the Australian community in responding to identity theft.
Advice on how to protect yourself and your family from cyber security incidents is available on the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s (ACSC) webpage at: www.cyber.gov.au(link is external)
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.
Consular and Passport Updates
COVID-19-RELATED BORDER RESTRICTIONS LIFTED
The Australian Government has removed COVID-19-related border restrictions.
From 6 July 2022, you 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.
URGENT CONSULAR ASSISTANCE
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.
APPLYING FOR A PASSPORT
The Australian Embassy in Moscow can assist Australian citizens with applying for their first Australian passport, renew an expired passport or replace a passport that was lost or stolen.
There are several lodgment options available to eligible applicants located in Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan:
- Digital upload function on the Australian Passport Office website
- Mail-in - for passport renewals only
- In person - by appointment only
Applicants should allow a minimum of six weeks to receive a new passport once payment has been taken.
More information on ldogement options is available on our Passport Services page.
NOTARIAL SERVICES
Explore this page for information about notarial services available through the Australian Embassy in Moscow.
To request a notarial service, please email us at [email protected] attaching the scans/photos of the relevant forms and documents for us review.
Please note that Australian Honorary Consuls delivering consular assistance in St Petersburg and Almaty (Kazakhstan) are NOT permitted to provide notarial services.
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