Australians who have lost their passports during Japan’s natural disaster will not have to pay to replace them.

The Australian Government will waive fees for replacing valid passports lost, damaged, destroyed or unavailable due to the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan.

The fee is normally $226 for adults and $113 for children/seniors.

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said he hopes that this small gesture means there is one less thing for Australians caught up in these tragic events to worry about.

“This is a difficult and stressful time, with many Australians just wanting to get home, and we want to do what we can to make things easier,” Mr Rudd said.

“Waiving passport fees is part of the consular assistance the Australian Government is providing to Australians caught up in the earthquake and tsunami affected areas of Japan.”

Affected passport holders or people requiring emergency passport assistance should contact the Australian Passport Information Service (APIS) on 131 232.