Form 1229 Child Consent: Signing and Certifying It

Form 1229 is the Home Affairs consent for a child under 18 to be granted an Australian visa. The parent who is not travelling signs and dates it, and attaches certified copies of the child's birth certificate, their own photo ID and any custody orders. The current version has no witness section, so the certified copies are what need care.

Key takeaways

• Form 1229 is signed by the non-accompanying parent, or anyone with parental responsibility.
• If one parent has sole responsibility under a court order, only that parent signs, with the order attached.
• The current form has no witness section; the parent signs and dates the declaration.
• The attachments must be certified copies, and one ID document must show the parent's signature.
• Certifiers must meet Home Affairs' rules: not related to you and in a listed occupation.
• A notary is not required, though a notary or lawyer can certify where the rules allow.

What is Form 1229 for?

When a child under 18 applies for an Australian visa, the Department of Home Affairs wants to know that the people with parental responsibility agree. Form 1229, "Consent to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years", is how a parent who is not travelling with the child, or not included in the application, gives that consent. It applies to temporary and permanent visas, and the form asks whether the purpose is a temporary visit, permanent residence or both.

Home Affairs notes that the form is not used for Resident Return visas, Electronic Travel Authorities or eVisitor applications for under-18s. For other visas, the visa's own checklist will say whether Form 1229 is needed. It is common in partner, child, parent, student and visitor applications where one parent is staying behind. Our guide to partner visa documents covers the wider paperwork for one of the most common cases.

Who signs Form 1229?

The form is signed by the child's non-accompanying parent or parents, or by anyone else with parental responsibility, which the form describes as anyone who can lawfully determine where the child is to live. Where both parents share responsibility and neither is travelling, both may need to sign. Where one parent has been lawfully made solely responsible for deciding where the child lives, the form says only that parent needs to sign, and they attach the evidence, such as a court order.

If the parents disagree, or one parent cannot be found, the form alone cannot solve the problem. Get advice from a family lawyer about orders, in Australia or in the country where the child lives, before the visa application goes ahead. Home Affairs will assess each case on its evidence.

Does the signature need a witness?

Not on the current version. The version of Form 1229 on the Home Affairs website at the time of writing (design date 11/23) has a declaration for each parent, with a signature and date, but no section for a witness to complete. The parent reads the declaration, which includes a warning that giving false or misleading information is a serious offence, and signs it.

Older versions of the form, and some checklists or agents' instructions, may still mention a witness. Always download the current form from the Home Affairs form listing, check its design date, and follow the instructions printed on it. If a case officer asks for something extra, follow the officer's request.

Which documents must be certified?

The form says the parent must attach certified copies of the following. Check the current form, since requirements can change.

Attachment	When needed	Tip
Child's birth certificate	If not already lodged with the application	Use the version showing both parents' names
Parent's photo ID, personal details page	Always	Passport, driver licence, national ID card or birth certificate
ID showing the parent's signature	At least one of the ID documents	The signature should resemble the one on Form 1229
Court or custody order	If one parent has sole responsibility	Include every page of the order
English translation	If any document is not in English	Follow Home Affairs' translation requirements

Who can certify the copies?

Home Affairs publishes its rules on certified copies. The certifier must be an Australian citizen, must not be related to you by birth, marriage or de facto relationship, and must work in one of the listed occupations. The list is long and includes justices of the peace, legal practitioners, pharmacists, police officers, medical practitioners, registered migration agents, full-time teachers, and bank officers with five or more years of service, among others.

If the parent is outside Australia and does not know an Australian citizen, Home Affairs says the copies can be certified by a citizen of the country they are in who is not related to them and who works in one of the listed occupations. An Australian consular officer may also be able to certify, if that service is available at the nearest embassy or consulate.

A notary is not specifically required. In Australia, most notaries are experienced solicitors, so they fall within the legal practitioner category, but a JP or pharmacist on the list does the same job for this form. Overseas, a local lawyer or notary is often the easiest certifier to find. Our guide to notaries and visa documents explains when a notary actually adds something.

What must the certifier write?

Home Affairs sets out the wording. On a single-page document, the certifier writes or stamps "This is a certified true copy of the original as sighted by me". For a document with more than one page, they certify the first page with a statement covering the number of following pages, and initial every other page. They must also add their signature, full name, occupation, phone number and the date, and may add their address. The certifier must see the original and compare it with the copy; they cannot certify from a scan or a copy of a copy.

What if names do not match?

Case officers compare the names on Form 1229 with the child's birth certificate and the parent's identification. If a parent's name has changed since the child was born, for example through marriage or divorce, the birth certificate will show the old name while the passport shows the new one. Attach a certified copy of the document that links the two, such as a marriage certificate or change of name certificate, so the connection is clear. The same applies where a child's surname differs from a parent's. A short covering note explaining the difference can also help. Providing the link up front is usually quicker than waiting for a request for more information.

What if the parent is in a third country?

Sometimes the parent who must consent lives neither in Australia nor where the child lives. The same rules apply: the parent signs the form where they are, and has the copies certified by an Australian citizen in a listed occupation or, if they do not know one, by a citizen of the country they are in who meets the rules. They then send the signed form and certified copies to the applicant for upload. Scan everything before posting it, so nothing is lost in transit.

How do you complete Form 1229?

1. Download the current form. Get it from the Home Affairs form listing and check the design date.
2. Complete it in English. Type or use block letters, as the form instructs, and include the Transaction Reference Number for an online application.
3. Gather the originals. The child's birth certificate, the parent's photo ID with a signature, and any custody order.
4. Get certified copies. From a certifier who meets Home Affairs' rules, with the required wording and details.
5. Arrange translations. For any document not in English, following Home Affairs' requirements.
6. Sign the declaration. Each parent who needs to consent signs and dates their part.
7. Lodge it. Upload it through ImmiAccount for an online application, or send it to the processing office for a paper one.

Common mistakes to avoid

The most common mistake is sending plain photocopies. The form asks for certified copies, and uncertified ones can delay the application while the case officer asks again. The second is using a certifier who is related to you, or who is not in a listed occupation. The third is a signature on Form 1229 that looks nothing like the signature on the parent's ID, which invites questions. Sign normally, the way you sign official documents.

Another mistake is using an old version of the form found on an agent's website or saved from a previous application. Download the current form each time. Finally, do not treat Form 1229 as a substitute for sorting out a custody disagreement; if the other parent will not consent, get legal advice first. Our guide to travel consent letters covers the separate question of consent for a child travelling overseas from Australia.

Here is an illustration, not a real case.

Mateo lives in Manila. His daughter is moving to Brisbane with her mother, who is applying for a partner visa that includes the child. Mateo downloads the current Form 1229 and completes his part in English. He does not know an Australian citizen in Manila, so he asks a Filipino lawyer he is not related to, whose profession is on the Home Affairs list, to certify copies of his passport and his daughter's birth certificate with the required wording. He signs the declaration, and the mother uploads everything through ImmiAccount.

In short

Form 1229 is signed by the parent who is not travelling, or the parent with sole responsibility. The current version has no witness section. What matters is the attachments: certified copies of the child's birth certificate, the parent's photo ID with a signature, and any custody order, certified by someone who meets Home Affairs' rules. Our document notarisation services page explains when a notary is useful for visa paperwork.

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