Determine whether your child is eligible for mail-in lodgement
Child passport renewal applications (PC8) can be mailed-in provided the applicant is:
• aged up to 15 years old and
• has held a previous passport
If you can answer yes to the above, follow the Guide for a Child Renewal Passport Application (PC8) by mail below.
For first-time child applications and applicants aged 16 or 17, the application must be lodged in person by appointment only. Please follow the Guide for a Child Passport Application (PC8) by in-person lodgement below.
Note that minors aged 16 and 17 will receive a 10 years validity passport, whereas minors under 16 will receive a 5 years validity passport.
Urgent Travel
If you have urgent travel, please contact us at [email protected] for further advice.
Guide for a Child Passport Application (PC8) by mail
1. Complete the application form (PC8) online
- The application must be lodged within six months of completion.
2. Print the application form
- Print the child renewal application on plain white A4 paper, using black 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.
3. Signing the application form
- Lodging parent must sign section 17 using black pen, within the signature box. Make sure there are no alterations or whiteout on the signature or the date.
- Children 10 years or older must provide a signature in section 18 unless there is a medical reason or disability that prevents them from signing.
- A guarantor must sign section 11 of the application form. Remember the guarantor must also endorse the back of a passport photo by writing ‘This is a true photo of [the child’s full name]’ and signing in black pen.
- Everyone who’s giving parental consent must sign section 15 of the form in front of a witness.
4. Photos
- Include two high quality colour glossy photo prints, less than six months old. Refer to photo guidelines for more information.
- No retouching of photographs permitted.
- 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.
- Please aslo email the digital version of the photo (JPEG) to [email protected] . Please put the full name of the child and the passport application number in the subject line.
- DO NOT attach the photos to the form as this may damage them
5. Parents proof of identity
- Include good quality photocopies of both parents’ identity documents that show 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)
- Name changes: If the current names of either parent are different to how they appear on the child’s birth certificate, please include certified documents that explain the change of name (e.g. marriage, divorce or change of name certificates). If the documents are not in English, then a translation needs to be attached. The translation must be prepared and stamped by a professional translator.
6. Guarantor
You will need a guarantor to endorse the child's photograph and complete section 11 of the application form. The guarantor should ideally be Australian with a current (unexpired) Australian passport that was issued with at least two years' validity. If you do not know an Australian passport holder who can meet the requirements, you may use someone currently employed in your country in the following approved professional groups. This person does not have to be Australian:
- Certified accountants, engineers, or bank managers (senior management);
- Judges, barristers, solicitors, patent attorneys, clerks of court, bailiffs, sheriffs;
- Registered medical practitioners, dentists, registered veterinary surgeons, registered nurses;
- Members of Parliament, elected city, county and district councillors;
- Police officers with at least 5 years continuous service;
- Teachers - full-time, who have been teaching for more than 5 year; or
- Civil servants - full-time, who have been employed continuously for at least 5 years by their current government.
Your guarantor must also:
- be 18 years of age or over;
- have known the child for at least 12 months (or since birth);
- not be related to the minor or the parents by birth, marriage, de facto or same-sex relationship, nor live at the same address;
- be able to endorse the back of one photograph in English by writing "This is a true photograph of (applicant's full name)" and sign in black pen.
7. Payment
- Payment can be made remotely in RUB or AUD, depending on your bank card.
- Please email [email protected] advising whether you hold a bank card issued in our outside of Russia, and requesting to pay for a Child Passport Renewal.
8. Post the application
- Post your application here: Consular and Passports Section | Australian Embassy| 13 Kropotkinsky Lane | Moscow | 119034.
9. How long will it take?
- Please allow a minimum of six weeks to receive a new passport once payment has been taken. PLEASE NOTE incomplete applications will cause delays. We note that are currently experiencing delays with passport deliveries from Australia due to circumstances beyond our control. We strongly recommend that applicants do not make travel arrangements or undertake travel on their current/uncancelled passport from the moment the passport application is lodged and up until the new passport is received.
Guide for a Child Passport Application (PC8) by in-person lodgement
1. Complete the application form (PC8) online
- The application must be lodged within six months of completion.
2. Print the application form
- Print the child renewal application on plain white A4 paper, using black 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.
3. Signing the application form
- Lodging parent must sign section 17 using black pen, within the signature box. Make sure there are no alterations or whiteout on the signature or the date.
- Children 10 years or older must provide a signature in section 18 unless there is a medical reason or disability that prevents them from signing.
- A guarantor must sign section 11 of the application form. Remember the guarantor must also endorse the back of a passport photo by writing ‘This is a true photo of [the child’s full name]’ and signing in black pen.
- Everyone who’s giving parental consent must sign section 15 of the form in front of a witness.
4. Photos
- Include two high quality colour glossy photo prints, less than six months old. Refer to photo guidelines for more information.
- No retouching of photographs permitted.
- 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.
- Please aslo email the digital version of the photo (JPEG) to [email protected] . Please put the full name of the child and the passport application number in the subject line.
- DO NOT attach the photos to the form as this may damage them
5. Collect supporting documents
To qualify for a passport, you need to confirm your child's Australian citizenship and prove identity, using original documents:
- Original of the minor’s Australian Citizenship Certificate (if born outside Australia). For information on how to apply for citizenship by descent, please visit either Department of Home Affairs - Citizenship by Descent or Australian Embassy, UK - Visa, Migration and Citizenship information.
- Original of the minor’s full birth certificate. If the certificate is not in English, then a translation needs to be attached. The translation must be prepared and stamped by a professional translator. In addition, if the birth certificate does not state the minor’s gender please attach Passport Form B11 stating the minor’s gender.
- The lodging parent’s passport.
- The non-lodging parent’s passport (a copy will do).
- If any of the parents' current names differ from those shown on the child's birth certificate, original documents that explain the difference must be presented (e.g. marriage, divorce or change of name certificates). If the documents are not in English, then a translation needs to be attached. The translation must be prepared and stamped by a professional translator.
- A child's passport is issued in the name recorded on their birth or citizenship certificate, unless a different name has been formally registered with an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or a foreign equivalent authority (e.g. ZAGS in Russia) and you can provide an original change of name certificate or an original of the revised birth certificate. Please contact the Passports Section for additional information.
- Proof of residential address (e.g. registration documents, driver’s licence, property lease, or other document proving current address).
- The minor’s previous passport (if applicable).
If you are a single parent or your minor was born through surrogacy, please contact the Passports section for additional information.
6. Guarantor
You will need a guarantor to endorse the child's photograph and complete section 11 of the application form. The guarantor should ideally be Australian with a current (unexpired) Australian passport that was issued with at least two years' validity. If you do not know an Australian passport holder who can meet the requirements, you may use someone currently employed in your country in the following approved professional groups. This person does not have to be Australian:
- Certified accountants, engineers, or bank managers (senior management);
- Judges, barristers, solicitors, patent attorneys, clerks of court, bailiffs, sheriffs;
- Registered medical practitioners, dentists, registered veterinary surgeons, registered nurses;
- Members of Parliament, elected city, county and district councillors;
- Police officers with at least 5 years continuous service;
- Teachers - full-time, who have been teaching for more than 5 year; or
- Civil servants - full-time, who have been employed continuously for at least 5 years by their current government.
Your guarantor must also:
- be 18 years of age or over;
- have known the child for at least 12 months (or since birth);
- not be related to the minor or the parents by birth, marriage, de facto or same-sex relationship, nor live at the same address;
- be able to endorse the back of one photograph in English by writing "This is a true photograph of (applicant's full name)" and sign in black pen.
7. Lodge your child's passport application in person
You must lodge the application in person. Remember to take along your original identity documents, which will be checked and returned to you at the time
- At least one of the parents is required to attend the interview. If the minor is under 16, they are not required to attend the interview with the parent. Minors aged 16 and 17 must attend the interview with the lodging parent.
- To lodge your application at the Australian Embassy, Moscow, you must email [email protected]. Interviews for passport applications can also be arranged at the Australian Consulates in St. Petersburg and Almaty, Kazakhstan. To lodge your application through our consulates, follow these steps.
- Remember to bring the originals of all the relevant documents (which will be returned to you at the time), endorsed photos and the means to pay the passport fee at the interview.
- Fees can be paid in RUB by bank card only over the counter or remotely. Cash payments are not accepted.
- Please note that Passport Fees change every month. For the latest fee in RUB please email or call the Embassy directly to confirm the required amounts prior to making payment.
8. How long will it take?
- Please allow a minimum of six weeks to receive a new passport once payment has been taken. PLEASE NOTE incomplete applications will cause delays. We note that are currently experiencing delays with passport deliveries from Australia due to circumstances beyond our control. We strongly recommend that applicants do not make travel arrangements or undertake travel on their current/uncancelled passport from the moment the passport application is lodged and up until the new passport is received.
If you have further queries, please check www.passports.gov.au as most likely the answer to your question can be found there. If you are still unable to resolve your query, you can contact the Australian Embassy's Passports Section at [email protected] or on +7 (495) 956 6070.