Child passport general information

How do I get a child passport?

Our 7-step guide sets out what to do.

Who counts as a child?

The Australian Passports Act 2005 defines a child as a person under 18 years of age who has never married.

Do all parents have to consent to a child passport?

Yes, in most cases. See our parental responsibility and consent page for more information.

Can a child go into a family passport?

No. All children, including babies, have to travel on their own passports.

Do children have to sign their passports?

Children aged 10 and over have to sign section 16 of the application form (section 18 if overseas), unless a medical condition prevents this. The signature goes in the passport.

For children aged under 10, a signature is optional.

How long are child passports valid?

Children aged 15 and under get five-year passports. Children aged 16 or 17 get 10-year passports.

Why can’t people under 18 have an Auspassport account to complete applications online?

Under the Electronic Transactions Act 1999, we can only accept applications completed online by people aged 18 years and older.

I’m under 18 and have married. How do I apply for a passport?

If you’ve ever been married, use an adult passport application form from Australia Post and show us a marriage certificate issued by a government authority. You can’t complete your application online.

I’m under 18 and live independently. How do I apply for a passport?

If you’ve never married, you can use a child passport application form from Australia Post. Or you can ask someone aged 18 or over to go online and complete a child application for you.

In either case, you can lodge the form yourself. You’ll need to attach documents that show you live independently. Examples of documents we accept include evidence of employment, a Centrelink (Services Australia) health care card in your name, a receipt for rent in your name, evidence of Centrelink payments to you for living assistance or rental assistance, or other documents that show you’re self-supporting.

You’ll also need to show us some form of ID and evidence of your current address.

Unless your parents are deceased – or there’s an Australian court order that permits you to have an Australian passport, travel internationally or live or spend time with a person outside Australia – you’ll need to get consent from everyone with parental responsibility for you or make a claim under special circumstances.

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