If a person with parental responsibility for a child has died, we need to see evidence of the death. Documents we accept are:
- a death certificate, or
- a coroner’s report, or
- a cremation certificate, or
- a medical certificate, or
- an Australian birth certificate that records the death.
If you can’t provide any of these documents, we’ll consider that the person hasn’t consented to the passport and assess whether special circumstances apply.
If everyone with parental responsibility for the child has died, you can only lodge a passport application if you bring us:
- documents we accept which show that the child’s parents are deceased, and
- documents that show you have caring responsibilities.
Examples of documents we accept as evidence of caring responsibilities include a benefit statement from Centrelink (Services Australia) for a payment to the carer to assist in raising the child, a Medicare card with the name of the child and the carer, or a last will and testament of a biological parent that nominates the carer.
You may also need to provide additional forms:
- a B7 - No further court orders (child application) (PDF 567.21 KB) if there are any orders from an Australian family court in relation to the child
- a B10 - Child subject to a state/territory child welfare law (PDF 633.34 KB) if there are any orders from an Australian state or territory court that transferred parental responsibility or guardianship under child welfare law
- a B8 - One parent only on child's birth certificate (PDF 149.58 KB) if the child’s birth certificate only names one parent, if there’s no need for a B10 form, and if there’s no Australian court order that permits the child to have an Australian passport, travel internationally or live or spend time with a person outside Australia
- if none of the above apply and there are two parents on the birth certificate and they are both deceased, a B11 - General declaration by passport applicant (PDF 127.03 KB) that states whether there is anyone else who has a legal interest in the child and that there are no court orders or proceedings in existence or pending that may affect parental responsibility or guardianship or custody of the child.
See also:
- What does ‘parental responsibility’ mean?
- How do I consent to a child passport?
- What if not everyone consents to a child passport?
- What if nobody consents to a child passport?
- Do these rules apply to replacement passports?