Passports
A passport application for a child must be lodged by a parent or other person with a parental responsibility for the child.
The person lodging the application must also provide proof of their identity.
Children cannot be included in an adult's passport. Each child, including a newborn infant, must be issued with their own passport.
A renewal form cannot be used to apply for a child's passport. A new application must be lodged on each occasion.
If you are lodging an application for a child overseas, you must complete the overseas application form.
Children's passports are normally valid for 5 years
Children in care applications can take up to 3 months to come through. Therefore, carers are advised NOT to purchase travel tickets unless the have insurance that covers the failure of delivery of the new passport in time.
Before a passport may be issued to a child the written consent of all persons with parental responsibility for the child is needed.
The Australian Passports Act 2005, Section 11, also permits a passport to be issued to a child if an Australian court order allows the child to travel internationally, as well as in certain other circumstances where full consent has not been obtained see Non-Consenting Parents (NCP) section below).
If you wish to make an application for a waiver of consent you must complete a statement on a form B9 and provide details of the circumstances(Download Form B9 The application will be referred to an Approved Senior Officer for decision.
If only one parent is named on the child's birth certificate the form B8 must be completed. (Download Form B8).
Things you will need to provide with the application
- When you apply for a child's Australian passport, you must provide the child's FULL birth certificate as well as any previous Australian passport that the child may have had.
- If the child was born in Australia, you will need to provide an original document that confirms one parent's Australian citizenship or permanent residency AT THE TIME OF THE CHILD'S BIRTH. Applicants born of New Zealand parents must present an "Evidence of Australian Citizenship" or an equivalent citizenship certificate.
- If the child does not have an Australian birth certificate, you will need to provide the child's full overseas birth certificate (with an English translation if necessary) and proof of the child's Australian citizenship.
- If the child was born overseas and has no birth certificate, complete Form B6 (Download Form B6).
- If you are presenting Court Orders with the application, you must complete Form B7 - No Further Court Orders - LINK (Download Form B7).
- You may also be required to complete a B11 form - General Declaration in order to provide additional information on a particular issue (Download Form B11).
Non-Consenting Parents
(Information taken from the Australian Passports Determination 2005)
2.1 Special circumstances
(1) For paragraph 11 (2) (a) of the Australian Passports Act, subject to subsection (2), each of the circumstances mentioned in subsection (3) is a special circumstance in which the Minister may issue a passport to a child even though a person who has parental responsibility for the child (the non consenting parent) has not provided his or her consent to the child travelling internationally.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply if the Minister has been provided with court documents demonstrating that there are proceedings before a Commonwealth, State or Territory court that may affect the rights of the child to travel internationally.
(3) The circumstances are as follows:
(a) where the application is made by or on behalf of the child, neither the applicant nor the Minister has been able to locate or contact the non consenting parent for a reasonable period;
(b) the non consenting parent is missing and presumed dead;
(c) the non consenting parent is medically incapable of providing consent;
(d) there has been no contact (including contact in person or by telephone, mail or e mail) between the child and the non consenting parent for a substantial period before the application is made;
(e) where the application is made by or on behalf of the child — the child:
(i) is at least 16 years old; and
(ii) has had no contact (including contact in person or by telephone, mail or e mail) with the non consenting parent for at least:
(A) if the child is self supporting and living independently of all persons with parental responsibility for the child — 1 year before the application is made; or
(B) otherwise — 2 years before the application is made;
(f) the non consenting parent:
(i) is not an Australian citizen; and
(ii) separated from the person whose consent has been obtained before that person arrived in Australia; and
(iii) has not had contact with the child since the child’s arrival in Australia;
(g) a family violence order has been issued against the non consenting parent;
(h) if the child is outside Australia — there is evidence of family violence;
(i) an order of a court in a country that, under the Family Law (Child Abduction Convention) Regulations 1986, is a convention country, permits the child to travel internationally;
(j) in the case of a child who is outside Australia — the Minister considers that there is a need for the child to travel internationally;
(k) an order of a State or Territory court, made under a child welfare law, grants parental responsibility or guardianship of the child to:
(i) a parent of the child other than the non-consenting parent; or
(ii) a person other than a parent of the child.
(4) In this section, child welfare law, family violence and family violence order have the same meaning as in Part VII of the Family Law Act 1975.
(5) In paragraph (3) (i), the reference to an order of a court permitting a child to travel internationally includes an order of a court permitting the issue of a passport to the child.
Possible Referral Sources
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Passports)
www.passports.gov.au
