Guide for Child renewal application (PC8) by courier

Renewing a child passport by courier

Child passport renewal applications (PC8) can be lodged by courier provided the applicant is: 

• aged up to 15 years old and
• has held a previous Australian passport  

If you can answer yes to the above, complete a PC8 passport application online.  

For first-time child applications and applicants aged 16 or 17, the application must be lodged in person by appointment.

 

Guide for a child renewal passport application (PC8) by courier

1. Complete your renewal application form online

• The application must be lodged within six months of completion.
• You cannot download blank forms.
   

2. Obtain Compliant Photos

• Two recent identical colour photos, taken less than six months from the application submission. Refer to photo guidelines for more information.
• Do NOT attach the photos to the form as this may damage them.
• The back of one photo must be endorsed by the child’s guarantor, writing ‘This is a true photo of [the child’s full name]’ and signed in black pen.

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 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.
 

3. Parents' Proof of Identity and Address

• Parents must provide a copy of their IDs indicating their name, photo, signature and current address (i.e. both parents or those with parental responsibility for the child who signed section 17 on the application form)
• If a parent does not have an ID indicating their current residential address, kindly provide an alternative proof of address (i.e. Utility Bills, Bank Statements, Credit Card Statements etc.)

Name changes:
If a parent's name differs than that on the child’s birth certificate, please include copies of documents which explain name change. For example:

• If you have changed your name/surname due to marriage, please include a copy of your marriage certificate.
• If you have changed your name/surname due to other reasons, please provide a copy of your RBDM-issued Name Change Certificate or Deed Poll
   

4. Print and Sign the Application Form (page 85F)

• Print the child renewal application on plain white A4 paper, using blank ink only. Make sure the form has been printed in full and isn't cut off at the top or bottom of the page.
• US standard letter paper or US legal paper sizes are also acceptable, but only if they’re scaled properly. Refer to more information on printing your application form.
• The parent residing with the child must sign and date their signature (in DD/MM/YYYY format)  within the signature box. 

NOTE: Children who are 10 years old and above must provide a signature unless there is a medical reason or disability that prevents them from signing.
 

5. Guarantor (page 83F)

• A guarantor must complete and sign Page 83F of the application form. 
• A guarantor must also endorse the back of a passport photo by writing ‘This is a true photo of [the child’s full name]’

Your guarantor must meet 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
• If an Australian citizen, he/she must hold a current (unexpired) Australian passport that was issued with at least two years validity OR
• If a non-Australian citizen, he/she must be currently employed in the following approved professional or occupational groups:
  • 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 (i.e. barangay captains, district representatives)
  • 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

6. Parental Consent (Page 84F)

• Parental Consent is required every child passport application. Parents named on the child's birth certificate must complete the relevant fields on page 84F (Sections 12 to 15).
• Parents' signatures must be witnessed. The witness can’t be related to the child by birth or marriage or be in a de facto relationship with any person who has parental responsibility or lives at the same address.
• The child's guarantor may witness the consent.

 

NOTE: What if parents are in different locations?

If parents in different locations want to consent to a child passport, the quickest option is:

• the parent who will lodge the application generates it online and emails it (in full or just the relevant page) to the other parent
• the other parent prints out the form, makes sure that sections 12 to 14 are completed correctly, signs the consent in section 15, and emails a scan of that page to the first parent to submit with the rest of the application.

If that won’t work for you, then the parent who’s not going to lodge the application can ask for a child passport form at an Australia Post(link is external) outlet or from an Australian diplomatic or consular mission(link is external) overseas, complete sections 12, 13 and 15, and then either:

• send a scan of that page to the person who’s lodging the application to include with the rest of the application paperwork, or
• submit the consent in person at an Australia Post outlet, a capital city passport office (no appointment necessary) or an Australian diplomatic or consular mission overseas.

If you’re submitting a consent in person, you’ll need to bring ID.
 

7. Payment

• Payment options will be provided to you once the application has met all requirements. Please do not pay or include payment until advised to do so. 
• You may view the current fees on: Passport Fees
   

8. Review the Child Renewal Checklist

• Before posting your application, review the child renewal checklist
• NOTE: We no longer require certified/legalized copies of documents 

 

9. Courier your application

• Courier your application to:

c/o Consular Section
Australian Embassy
Level 23  Tower 2, RCBC Plaza 6819 Ayala Avenue
Makati City 1200, Metro Manila, The Philippines

Please include a prepaid self-addressed envelope from your courier (if you wish to have the passport couriered back to you).  If your courier does not offer prepaid envelopes, the Embassy is aware that this service is available from JRS Express courier service.
 

10. How long will it take?

• Processing time is  a minimum of six (6) weeks - you are discouraged from making any travel plans if you do not have a valid passport.
• Express options are not available for applications lodged outside of Australia. 
   

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I mail-in a first-time child passport application?

• No. First time child applications must be lodged in person at your nearest mission. Applicants aged up to 15 years old who have held a previous passport are eligible to apply by mail.

2. Do I include the applicant’s previous passport with the application?

• No need to send the physical passport

3. Do I need to include a copy of the applicant’s previous passport bio data page?

• No 

4. Do I need to include a copy of the applicant’s birth certificate?

• No 

5. Do I need to include a copy of the applicant’s citizenship certificate?

• No.

6. Where do I mail the application to?

• c/o Consular Section
  Australian Embassy
  Level 23  Tower 2, RCBC Plaza 6819 Ayala Avenue
  Makati City 1200, Metro Manila, The Philippines

7. How will I know if/when my application has been received at post? 

• Unless you are contacted directly about your child's passport application, acknowledgement of payment in your bank records is confirmation your application has been received.

8. Will the Embassy send the child’s new passport to me?

• If you wish to receive the passport via courier to your postal address in the Philippines, please provide a prepaid pouch/envelope when you send the application.  The Embassy has been advised that JRS Express offers this service.  For more information on JRS branches and services, please visit JRS Express
• If you would like to collect your child's passport at the embassy, wait for a second email notifying the time and date when you may collect the passport. Please bring the old passport for physical cancellation. If the lodging parent is unable to collect, the lodging parent should issue an authorisation letter to his/her representative. The representative must bring valid ID of the lodging parent in addition to his/her valid ID and the child's passport for physical cancellation.

9. What if I cannot access the online portal to complete and print a PC8 application to renew my child’s passports?

• Contact your nearest Australian mission on +63 2 7757 8100 or [email protected] for further advice.