Step 1 - Prove the child’s identity and Australian citizenship
Initial child passport applications must be supported by the child’s original Australian Citizenship Certificate or original full Australian Birth Certificate to prove Australian citizenship. Extracts, commemorative birth certificate or birth cards cannot be used. If your child was born in Australia after 20 August 1986, you must also provide one of the following four documents:
- The child’s Australian passport issued on/after 1 January 2000 that was valid for 2 years or more; or
- One parent’s Australian birth certificate; or
- One parent’s Australian passport, issued after 20/8/1986, that was valid at the time of the applicant’s birth; or
- One parent’s Australian citizenship certificate, valid at the time of the applicant’s birth.
If you are unable to provide the above documents, you must get a certificate of citizenship. To obtain a "Citizenship by Decent" for your child, you may contact VFS Global on +632 790 4900, email [email protected]. For further information, please refer to the Department of Home Affairs website: Department of Home Affairs
If the child was born outside of Australia, you must provide the child’s original birth certificate and the original Australian citizenship certificate. You can apply for citizenship by descent online or by paper form. Paper forms are submitted at the Australian Visa Application Centre in the Philippines. Due to the high volume of applications, the processing time for citizenship by descent applications may take several months. See the Australian Citizenship section under Visas and Citizenship for further information.
If the child has a birth certificate in a language other than English, you must provide a translation prepared by a registered translation service.
Step 2 - Fill out your application form (Australian Passport Overseas Application) (PC8).
You may complete your form by online by visiting this link: https://online.passports.gov.au/.
Note: You cannot download blank forms.
After you have completed your form online, print it and sign inside the white box and date the application form. Make sure there are no alterations to signatures or dates.
Children aged 10 and over need to sign the application form in the box provided separately from the declaration (which is signed by a parent or a person with parental responsibility).
Step 3 – Written consent from parents
Written consent must be given by each person who has parental responsibility for the child. Generally, people with parental responsibility are the parents named on the child's full birth certificate.
If those with parental responsibility are in different locations when the child's passport application is lodged, the non-lodging parent can provide written consent through a passport office in Australia, at Australia Post or an Australian diplomatic or consular mission overseas.
The consent declaration must be read and signed by the parents or persons with parental responsibility for the child. Section 13 (A) and 14 (A) must be your exact name as shown on your child’s birth certificate. Section 13 (B) and Section 14 (B) must be your most current name as shown on your ID documents, eg. your Australian Passport or any valid government identification.
The signatures must be witnessed as instructed on the application form. The witness cannot be related to the child and the family by birth or marriage or be in a de facto relationship with either of the child's parents or live at the same address. This includes your domestic helper as your helper resides with you. A different person may witness the signature of each person giving consent. The child's guarantor may witness the consent.
If you are unable to provide evidence of full consent for the child to be issued with a passport, you can request that the child’s passport application be considered under special circumstances provisions. Please email [email protected] to request an appointment once the application form and supplementary forms are completed.
Step 4 - Take two passport photos. Some photo shops may not have the most updated Australian passport photo specifications. Home-printed photos are usually not acceptable as there are strict requirements. Please carefully check on the Passport photo guidelines to avoid rejection.
The “crown of head” is where the top of your skull would be if it were visible. It is not the top of your hair or the start of your hairline. Picture yourself bald and measure from the top of your skull to the tip of your chin.
Your Guarantor (see Step 6) must endorse one photo in black pen as follows: “This is a true photo of [the applicant’s full name]”, and then sign it below. Do not use paper clips or staples to attach photos to the form as this may make them unusable.
New policy on passport photos
Australia Passport Office no longer allows glasses in passport photos taken from 1 July 2018. Glasses may be allowed in rare circumstances where glasses cannot be removed for medical reasons (e.g. the applicant has severe light sensitivity or recently had eye surgery and glasses are necessary to protect their eyes). In these cases, a medical certificate is required to be presented at lodgement of the passport application. The medical certificate must be signed by a medical practitioner and state the medical reason glasses cannot be removed.
Step 5 – Guarantor
As well as endorsing the child’s photo, ensure Section 11 is completed by a guarantor who meets the following criteria:
- is 18 years of age or over
- has known the applicant for at least 12 months (or, for children under one year, since birth)
- is not related to the applicant by birth, marriage, de facto or same sex relationship, or live at the applicant's address
- holds a current (unexpired) Australian passport that was issued with at least two years validity OR be currently employed in the following approved professional or occupational group.
- Accountants with membership of an association
- Bailiffs & Sheriffs
- Barrister, Solicitors & Patent Attorneys
- Bank Managers
- Chartered Professional Engineers
- Civil Servants - with at least 5 years continuous full-time service
- Clerk of Courts or Petty Sessions
- Dentists
- Elected Representatives/Officials
- Judges
- Marriage Celebrants (i.e. parish priests, imams)
- Registered Pharmacists
- Registered Chiropractors
- Registered Physiotherapists
- Registered Optometrists
- Registered Mid-wives
- Police Officers - with at least 5 years continuous full-time service
- Postal Managers
- Registered Medical Practitioners (Doctors and GPs only)
- Registered Nurses
- Registered Veterinary Surgeons
- Registered Teachers - with at least 5 years continuous full-time service
Step 6 – Additional documents – check the Australian Passport Office’s Children’s Passport page to see if you need to provide supplementary information.
If yours or the other parent’s current name is different to the name as it appears on the child’s birth certificate, you must provide documents as proof of name change such as a marriage certificate, divorce certificate or name change certificate.
The lodging parent/s is/are required to provide original proof of their current residential address. This can be either utilities bills, bank or credit card statements, motor vehicle registrations or insurance papers, property rates notice or property lease agreement or home insurance papers.
Step 7 – If you have completed the form online, print the application and sign and date the application form IN BLACK PEN. Make sure there are no alterations to signatures or dates.
Children aged 10 and over need to sign the application form in the box provided separately from the declaration (which is signed by a parent or a person with parental responsibility).
Step 8 – Lodge your application and pay your fee. Appointments for passport applications must be booked online. Before booking an appointment, please read the relevant information and ensure you have all the requirements as we cannot proceed with your application if you do not bring the correct documentation.
- All first passport applications must be lodged in person by a parent or a person with parental responsibility.
- For children ages 16 and 17, the child and at least one parent are required to attend the interview.
Things to bring:
- The completed and signed Australian Passport Overseas Application form.
- The child’s most recent Australian passport, if applicable.
- Proof of the child’s citizenship and birth certificate (see Step 1).
- Two passport photos (see Step 4).
- Lodging parent's address proof and any other additional documents (see Step 6).
- Proof of your own identity that has a photo and signature. If you have an Australian passport please bring that along.
- A (Mastercard/Visa) credit or debit card to pay for the fee or manager's check payable to "Australian Embassy in The Philippines".
- Prepaid self-address envelope from either JRS Express or EMS Express courier service (if you wish to have the passport delivered to you)
Passport fees
- You can view more information on passport fees
- Payment can be made in Philippine Pesos or Australian Dollars
To book an appointment, please click on the 'book appointment' button below.
Cancelling or rescheduling your appointment
- You will be sent an email notification through setmore.com each time an appointment is booked – it will contain an appointment cancellation/modification link and will appear as per below:
- If you want to modify an appointment, click "Reschedule" and you will receive a message on a new tab allowing you to modify the appointment.
- If you want to cancel an appointment, click "Cancel Appointment" and you will receive a message on a new tab asking you to confirm cancellation.
- If you require assistance, please send your email to [email protected].
Step 9 – Allow up to six (6) weeks of processing
Kindly allow up to six (6) weeks to process your passport application. You may choose either to collect your passport or have it sent to your local address by courier. If choosing the courier service, kindly provide a self-addressed prepaid envelope either from JRS Express courier service. Your envelope is what we will use to send your passport to your nominated address.