The US DS-3053 Parental Consent Form: Getting It Notarised in Australia

The DS-3053 is the form an American parent signs when they cannot come to the passport appointment with their child. The United States normally wants both parents to consent to a passport for a child under 16, and the DS-3053 is how the absent parent gives that consent in writing.

If your child's application is going to the US Embassy or a US consulate in Australia, there is a good chance you do not need a notary for it. The embassy says the form can be notarised by a public notary or a Justice of the Peace. The details below are what gets the form accepted either way.

What the form is

The current edition of the form (DS-3053, 10-2024) is titled Statement of Consent: U.S. Passport Issuance to a Child. It goes with the child's DS-11 application when one or both parents cannot appear in person. For a child under 16, the consent must be signed and sworn before a passport authorising officer or a notary. The form can also be requested for 16- and 17-year-olds.

The form says a separate notarised written statement containing all the same details may be submitted instead of the form itself. In practice, using the form is simpler: it prompts for everything the passport officer looks for.

Who can witness it in Australia

Two official sources say slightly different things, and the difference matters.

• The form says that in certain countries it must be notarised at a US embassy or consulate rather than by a local notary, and tells you to check the embassy's own webpage.
• The US Embassy in Australia's page on children's passports says the non-applying parent should complete the DS-3053 and have it notarised by either a public notary or a Justice of the Peace.

So for an application lodged at a US post in Australia, an Australian JP — who witnesses free — or an Australian notary are both acceptable on the embassy's current guidance. No apostille is mentioned.

Two situations change that:

• The application will be lodged in the United States, or at a US post in another country. The embassy's general notarial page says Australian JPs are not recognised in the United States. Use an Australian notary, and ask the office receiving the application whether it wants an apostille on the notary's signature.
• The embassy's page has changed by the time you read this. Check it the week you sign.

The details that get a DS-3053 rejected

The form is short. The rejections come from small things.

1. It is more than 90 days old. The form says consent is valid for 90 days from the date the notary or authorising officer signs it. The embassy's page says "less than three months". Work to the stricter figure: sign it no more than 90 days before the appointment, and if the appointment moves, check the date again.

2. The dates do not match. The parent's date and the witness's date must be the same day. Sign in front of the witness, not before.

3. The dates are ambiguous. The embassy asks for dates in US format (month/day/year) or with the month written as a word. In Australia, 04/05 means 4 May; to a US officer it means 5 April. Write "4 May 2026" and the problem disappears. Tell your JP or notary before they date their part too.

4. The ID details are missing. The embassy says the JP or notary must record the details of the identification the parent shows when signing — not the JP's own registration number. Make sure the witness writes the ID type and number where the form asks for it.

5. No copy of that ID is attached. The form requires a clear photocopy of the front and back of the government-issued photo ID the parent showed to the witness. Bring a copy to the appointment, or have one made there, and staple it to the form. The embassy asks for a copy of the ID presented at the time the form was notarised — use the same document.

6. The witness is a relative. The form says the notary must not be related to the person signing. Choose an independent witness.

At the appointment

The absent parent, not the applying parent, attends. Bring:

• the DS-3053, filled in but unsigned
• the photo ID they will show — an Australian passport, US passport or driver licence
• a photocopy of both sides of that ID
• the child's details as they appear on the DS-11

The parent swears or affirms and signs in front of the witness, who completes the witness section, records the ID details, signs, dates and stamps it. The whole thing takes minutes.

The applying parent then brings the signed original, and the ID copy, to the child's passport appointment, where the DS-11 itself is signed before a consular officer.

When the absent parent is not in Australia

If the other parent lives in the United States, they sign before a US notary there. If they are in a third country, the form's own instruction applies: some countries require the DS-3053 to be notarised at the US embassy or consulate rather than by a local notary. They should check the US embassy page for the country they are in.

When a DS-3053 is not the right document

The DS-3053 is for a parent who agrees but cannot attend. If a parent has sole legal custody, cannot be located, or does not agree, the State Department describes other routes — for example, evidence of sole custody, or a separate statement explaining special family circumstances. Read the US Embassy's guidance for your case. Where there is a dispute about the child's passport or travel, speak to a family lawyer before applying; an Australian parenting order may also be relevant.

Frequently asked questions

Does a DS-3053 need an apostille in Australia? Not for an application lodged at a US post in Australia, on the embassy's current guidance. If it is going to a passport office in the United States, ask that office.

Can the applying parent witness the absent parent's signature? No. The witness must be a JP, notary or authorised officer, and independent.

Can we use the same DS-3053 for two children? The form has space for the child's details; follow its instructions. If in doubt, complete one per child.

Does signing a DS-3053 give the other parent permission to travel with the child? It consents to the passport being issued. It is not a travel consent letter. For international travel with one parent, see our guide to notarising a child travel consent.