PC8 Mail Instructions - Child Renewal

Instructions to submit a child renewal application by mail (PC8)
 

From 3 January 2023, child renewal applications, for children aged 15 or younger, can be submitted by mail using the five-page Application for an Australian Passport Overseas (Form PC8).

Applications for first time passports, for children aged 16 and 17 years, and applications to replace temporary or emergency passports must continue to be lodged in person, by appointment.

For child applications accompanied by Forms B4, B5, B7 or B9 (e.g. applications involving surrogacy, Australian court orders or without full parental consent), please check with your lodging office to confirm if an in-person lodgment is required. 
 

The steps to apply by mail are:

• Prepare and print your application form

• Obtain a guarantor

• Provide parental consent

• Complete and sign Sections 17 and 18

• Obtain two passport photos

• Complete your credit card authorization form

• Complete your cover sheet and delivery information

• Prepare your application kit

• Send your application kit to your passport lodging office

  • do not mail the child's original passport or any other original documents, unless requested

• You must contact your passport lodging office if you have questions about urgent travel, before mailing your application

Please see the information below for detailed instructions.
 

 

PREPARE YOUR APPLICATION FORM 

• Go to www.passports.gov.au to create an account and fill out your application online
   

• Print your completed application (colour or black & white) on Australian A4 or North American Letter-size paper. You may need to adjust your printer settings so that the application fits on Letter-size paper, especially if you use Google Chrome. Look for 'shrink to fit' or 'fit to page' in your print settings
   

• Compare your printed form with the image onscreen. Check that your printed form shows:

  • a barcode at the top right-hand corner of the printed page that starts with *111*

  • the Interviewing Officer Use Only section is showing clearly at the bottom of printed page 85F, with nothing cut off

  • the guarantor declaration is showing signature, date and daytime telephone number at the bottom of page 83F

  • parents' signatures and witness details including witness daytime telephone number are all showing at the bottom of page 84F

  • a black triangle is showing clearly in the bottom left and right-hand corners of each printed page (81F, 82F, 83F, 84F and 85F)
     

• Signatures and dates required throughout the application must completed using a using a black pen, making sure:

  • to use Australian date format (DD/MM/YYYY)

  • there are no alterations to your signature or date

  • your signature is fully contained within the white signature box and does not touch the edges of the signature box

  • to sign and date the declaration by hand; digital signatures and typed date will not be accepted.
     

• You must provide your current residential address on your application form

  • P.O. Box or Business addresses cannot be accepted

  • Please provide a statement on a B11 General Declaration form if you need to have your new passport mailed to an alternate address, and include this with your application kit

 

OBTAIN A GUARANTOR (REFEREE)

• Read the guarantor requirements

• Have your guarantor complete Section 11 of the application form and ensure:

  • they are currently employed in one of the approved occupations OR they are an Australian passport holder

  • they use the Australian date format 'DD/MM/YYYY'

  • there are no alterations to their signature or date of signing

  • they write the following statement, by hand, on the back of one passport photo:
    
    'This is a true photo of [child's full name]', then sign underneath the statement

    • you may need to ask your passport photoshop to leave one passport photo unstamped (with no supplier details), to allow room for the guarantor statement.

 

PROVIDE PARENTAL CONSENT

• Both parents should complete Sections 12 - 15 to provide parental consent. Please make sure:

  • all sections on the page are completed

    • in particular, parents' names as listed on the child's birth certificate are provided at Sections 13A and 14A

    • parents' current names are provided at Sections 13B and 14B - you can add this by hand if you did not include it in the electronic version before your application form was printed

  • you sign in front of an independent witness (see the requirements listed at Section 15 on page 84F) and the witness is:

    • not related to you or the child

    • not living at the same household

  • you use the Australian date format of 'DD/MM/YYYY'

  • there are no alterations to your signature or date
     

• Both parents must provide a photocopy of one piece of valid, government-issued photo ID (ex. driver's licence or passport). If the photo ID does not contain the parent's current residential address, then a photocopy of an additional 'Category C' document must be provided as proof of address
   

• NOTE: parental consent can be provided on two separate pages, if preferred, by printing page 84F (Sections 12-15) of the application twice.

  • Parents may sign in front of different witnesses.

  • Parents cannot witness each other

• Parents living separately may send their consent and copies of ID to the lodging office separately, if preferred. A written note should be included using Form B11, to indicate this arrangement. 

SIGN SECTIONS 17 AND 18 

• One parent should sign and date the declaration at Section 17 and ensure:

  • to use the Australian date format 'DD/MM'YYYY'

  • there are no alternations to the signature or date
     

• Children 10 years of age and older must sign the form at Section 18, using a black pen. Make sure:

  • the child signature is fully contained in the white signature box and does not touch the edges

  • there are no alterations to the signature

OBTAIN TWO PASSPORT PHOTOS

• Obtain two passport photos that meet the Australian passport photo standards. Refer to the Australian Passport Office website, including for the camera operator guidelines 

  • photos from pharmacies and department stores tend to be poor quality and are generally not accepted

  • no selfies allowed

  • no background removal

  • photos must be printed on a dye sublimation paper (no inkjet prints)

  • we recommend also obtaining a digital version of the photo (.jpg) from your photoshop, which can later be emailed to our office if requested, as this may assist in correcting photo rejections
     

• Make sure the guarantor has correctly endorsed the back of one photo (see 'Obtain a Guarantee' details above)

• Make sure ink from the guarantor-endorsed photo doesn't smudge on to the face of the second photo

• Do NOT attach your photos to your form (no paper clips, staples or  tape). Protect your photos in a small envelope

 

COMPLETE YOUR CREDIT CARD AUTHORIZATION FORM

• Print a credit card authorization form and complete the details for Visa or MasterCard only. Payment cannot be made by debit card, cash or cheque
   

• Mark the boxes on the form to authorize payment for Passport Application Fee and Postage Fee (registered mail), plus Emergency Passport Fee, if applicable
   

• Alert your bank to the upcoming charges. Some transactions are declined because your card is not physically present, particularly if you are out of province. If your transaction is declined, your application may be returned.
   

• Check our Fees page for current application fees. Fees are charged in Canadian dollars

 

COMPLETE YOUR PC8 CHILD COVERSHEET AND DELIVERY INFORMATION 

• Print a PC8 Child Coversheet (printable PDF) (HTML) and complete it and include this with your application. Only one PC8 Coversheet is required per family group
   

• Please provide a statement on a B11 General Declaration form to request your new passport be sent to a different address (e.g. business address). Passports are sent by Canada Post registered mail and someone must sign on delivery. If you do not include this form your passport will automatically be sent to the residential (home) address you have listed on your application

 

PREPARE YOUR APPLICATION KIT

Your application kit must include:

• PC8 Child Coversheet (one per family group)

• The completed passport application form 

• Two passport photos - one endorsed by the guarantor

• Photocopy of photo ID and proof of address - for both parents

• Credit card authorization form

• If you have travel booked, a copy of your itinerary

• A completed B11 General Declaration if you need your passport delivered to an alternate address

• If the current passport is damaged - a handwritten statement using the B11 General Declaration form explaining how/when/where the passport damaged occured, plus a photocopy of the photo page of the passport

• *DO NOT mail the child's original passport with your application, or any other original documents, unless requested by the passport office.

 

SEND YOUR APPLICATION KIT TO YOUR PASSPORT LODGING OFFICE IN CANADA

• Find out which passport office accepts mailed-in applications from your province or territory in Canada . Applications sent to the incorrect office will be returned.
   

• Make sure your envelope is clearly marked to the attention of the Passport Office
   

• If you are applying for an Emergency Passport for urgent travel, you must contact your passport office before mailing your application.
   

• You must clearly write 'EMERGENCY PASSPORT'  on the outside of your envelope.
   

• We recommend you use a mail or courier service that provide a tracking number so you can confirm delivery.

 

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

After delivery, allow up to 2 weeks for processing of your application to begin. You will know that we are working on your application once you see the charges appear on your credit card statement.

Monitor your email and your voicemail, in case we need to contact you for further information

If your application is complete, it will be forwarded to Australia for further processing and for your passport to be printed.

 

The Australian Passport Office (APO) advises that you should allow a minimum of 6 weeks to receive a passport, no matter where you apply

Note: Standard processing time does not include additional postage delivery time in Canada

If you have questions about urgent travel, please contact the passport office where you have mailed your application.

We will send you an automated email advising your application is complete when we receive your new passport from Australia. Your new passport will be sent to you via Canada Post registered mail, approximately 1-2 business days after it has been received from Australia. Please contact Canada Post directly for information on registered mail delivery times in Canada.

If you are part of a family group your passport will be sent once all the passports are ready and all group members have received their automated message.