DFAT provides a range of services to the Australian community. The department provides 24-hour consular and passport services to Australians travelling overseas and their families in Australia through its network of overseas missions and honorary consulates, the consular operations centre in Canberra and consular cooperation arrangements with other countries. The services the department provides include: assisting Australians who are hospitalised, imprisoned or require welfare assistance overseas; helping family members when Australian travellers die or go missing; and coordinating evacuations from international trouble spots.
Consular services are available to Australians at 164 locations overseas. The department keeps Australian travellers informed about international developments through media briefings and travel advice notices. In 2001-02 the department helped more than 24,000 Australians in difficulty.
The department provides secure travel documents to eligible Australians under the authority of the Passports Act 1938 (Cwlth). Passport services are provided through passport offices located in Australia's major cities and diplomatic and consular missions overseas.