By default, the Australian Passport Office requires both parents (or legal guardians) to provide their consent for a child’s passport.
There are, however, circumstances in which obtaining the consent of one party is impossible, e.g. due to broken contact with the father.
And now, you must be wondering:
Is there a special application for a child’s passport without the father’s consent? Should I contact the Australian Passport Office before submitting the passport application papers?
The answer?
Yes. Read along to find out more details about applying for a child’s Australian passport with missing consent.
In this article:
- Applying for a child passport without the father’s consent
- Getting a child passport without the father’s consent: a court’s ruling
- Getting a child passport without the father: other circumstances
Applying for a child passport without the father’s consent
In Australia, the government has foreseen a possibility to apply for a child’s Australian passport with the father’s written consent missing when the mother has been given the sole parental responsibility or the child’s birth certificate has only one parent mentioned.
But there is also a way to get an Australian passport for your child without their father’s signature, even if the child’s dad is alive and has parental responsibility.
However, such an option is available only in specific circumstances, and each case is determined individually.
There are generally two ways you can apply for a child passport with only one parent’s signature:
- getting an Australian court’s ruling;
- applying using the special circumstances procedure.
Now, depending on the nature of your case, different steps will be required.
Getting a child passport without the father’s consent: a court’s ruling
If there is a court ruling granting your child an Australian passport without the father’s consent (in other words: that your child is allowed to travel), you must deliver the original document to the Australian Passport Office.
An Australian court order is the only way that guarantees your child will receive a passport without the father’s consent.
What is more, you should fill in a special application form that confirms there are no other ongoing legal proceedings.
Looking for more tips for your passport application? Look no further:
- Apply for Australian Passport: A How-to Guide
- Child Passport Renewal in Australia
- Rejected Infant Passport Photo
- Renew Expired Australian Passport: A How-to Guide
- Visa-Free Countries for Australian Passport Holders in 2024
- Can You Use an Expired Passport as ID in Australia?
- Do You Need a Passport to Go to New Zealand?
Getting a child passport without the father: other circumstances
In any other case than a court order—such as lack of contact with the father—you will have to file for a special circumstances procedure.
The special circumstances procedure is foreseen for situations that are unclear and need consideration by the clerks at the Passport Office.
Based on the authorities’ assessment, the permission to issue a child’s passport will be either granted or rejected. Unlike with court orders, there is no guarantee of what the outcome will be.
Special circumstances usually apply when:
- there is no contact with the father for a substantial (not specified) period of time;
- there are existing child welfare orders;
- there is an international court order allowing the child to travel.
This is not a complete list but just some of the examples. Each case is dealt with individually, therefore, if your situation is different from the ones above, it does not mean that your request for a child’s passport with missing consent will be declined.
What is more, Australian citizens willing to claim the special circumstances path, apart from a child’s passport application, are obliged to lodge additional documents, such as:
- B8: One parent only on the child’s birth certificate, or
- B9: Child without full consent or an Australian court order permitting the issue of a travel document, or
- B10: Child subject to an order made under state or territory child welfare law.
It is advised to deliver any documents supporting your claim for the special circumstances processing, such as medical or police reports, foreign court orders, or family violence orders.
Based on your documents, the Australian Passport Office will consider whether your claim for a child passport application is rightful or not.
Passport Photo Online
No passport application is complete until there is a proper passport photograph.
Taking passport photos of babies and kids can be a challenge, but Passport Photo Online offers an easy solution. With their app, you can conveniently take a baby passport photo from the comfort of your home, without having to worry about the hassle of going to a photo studio.
Passport Photo Online is a professional application that transforms your images into passport photos in 3 seconds, appreciated for its innovativeness by Forbes, National Geographic, Glamour and more.
A sophisticated AI system scans the image uploaded by you, crops it to the desired passport photo size, and replaces any background with a plain white one. You no longer need to look for a white wall or visit a professional studio—Passport Photo Online is your personal photo booth that fits into your pocket.
Passport Photo Online may truly be a lifesaver when taking photographs of kids, as you get unlimited tries, and can snap the picture with any background—that means you can take the photo while your baby is in bed, on a sofa, or anywhere they feel comfortable. No stressful environment of a photo studio or photo booth.
Child passport without father’s consent: FAQ
Below you can find answers to the frequently asked questions about one-parent baby passports.
Can I get my child an Australian passport without the father’s consent?
Yes, the Australian government has foreseen an option to apply for a child’s passport without the father’s written consent. To do so, you should apply for your child’s passport using the special circumstances procedure.
How do I get my child an Australian passport without the father’s consent?
In order to apply for a child passport without the father’s consent, Australian citizens must submit the standard baby passport application alongside special circumstances documents. The latter allows the passport agents to determine whether your child is eligible for a single-parent passport, e.g. if the father has broken contact or there is a court order.
Can you get an Australian child passport with only one parent’s signature?
Yes, you can get an Australian child passport with only one parent’s signature. Australian citizens can apply for their child’s passport with only one signature in specific circumstances, such as the death of the other parent or the inability to contact the father or mother. Each case is examined one by one by the Passport Office, granting a personal approach.
Can a single parent get an Australian passport for their child?
Yes, a single parent can get an Australian passport for their child. The Australian law foresees the possibility for single parents to get passports for their children—even if the other parent is still alive and grants no consent. However, in order for the child’s passport to be issued with only one’s parent’s signature, the guardian must prove to the Australian Passport Office the inability to get consent from the other parent.
Applying for a child passport without father’s consent: closing thoughts
Generally, Australian law requires both legal guardians of a child to provide signatures on a passport application. Such an obligation is, among other things, supposed to protect the child against separation from the other parent.
However, if you find yourself in a situation where the father’s consent is challenging to get, there are ways foreseen by the Australian Passport Office to get your child a passport.
One of such is to receive a court order, which grants your child the right to travel internationally and, thus—to get a passport.
The other way is to use the special circumstances procedure, which allows you to present your case to be evaluated by the passport agents.
In both cases you will need a proper passport photo, though. For that, it may be best to use Passport Photo Online to take your child’s passport pictures right from your home.
Sources
Adam is an SEO & Digital PR writer with a child’s curiosity about the surrounding world. His superpower to dig out juicy facts got him citations in Forbes, Social Media Today, and 90+ other news outlets. Adam enjoys snapping pictures and won the national Huawei Next Image Award.
