Do children need consent to travel on a Bridging visa B in 2026? Form 1229 explained
Yes. As of the August 2026 version of the Department of Home Affairs' official Bridging visa B (subclass 020) page, you must get consent for any child included in a BVB application from every person who has a legal right to decide where the child lives and who is not travelling with the child. That person gives consent either on Form 1229 (Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years) or in a statutory declaration, and you must attach a document showing their signature and photo, such as a passport or driver's licence. This article is general information about how the published rules work, not personalised advice for your family's situation; the latest official wording should govern what you actually lodge.
Who exactly has to give consent?
The test on the official page has two parts, and both must be true at the same time. The person must have a legal right to decide where the child lives, and that person must not be travelling with the child.
That framing matters more than the label people use day to day. Consent is not required simply because someone is a biological parent, and it is not waived simply because someone is not. A parent travelling with the child and sharing that legal right gives no separate consent; a non-travelling person who holds that right does. Where more than one non-travelling person holds the right, each of them completes a consent.
Assume an applicant is planning a trip with the child while a partner visa is still being decided. If the child's other parent has a legal right to decide where the child lives and is staying in Australia, that parent's consent is needed even if the travelling parent is the child's primary carer. If the other parent is on the same flight, they are travelling with the child and fall outside the consent requirement.
The official page does not set out how to resolve a dispute about who holds that legal right; it states the requirement and leaves the underlying question to the law that governs parental responsibility for the child.
Does the consent cover the visa or the trip?
The published wording ties consent to the grant of the visa: you must get consent "for any child included on this application to be granted a visa." Form 1229's own title says the same thing — consent to grant an Australian visa to a child under 18.
In practice the two are linked, because the child cannot travel and return on a BVB unless the BVB is granted first. The official page states that to be able to return to Australia after travelling, the BVB must be granted before you leave, and that a BVB allows travel outside Australia until a set date. So a missing consent blocks the visa, and a blocked visa blocks the travel.
Form 1229 or a statutory declaration — which should you use?
The official page offers both and does not rank them:
- Form 1229 — Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years, completed by the non-travelling person.
- A statutory declaration — in which the non-travelling person gives their consent for the child to travel on this visa.
Either one is acceptable on the face of the published instructions. Form 1229 has the advantage of being the purpose-built document, so the wording is already framed the way the department expects. A statutory declaration is the option when Form 1229 cannot practically be used, but it still has to be a real statutory declaration that clearly states the consent for the child to travel on this visa.
Whichever route is used, the identity document requirement applies to the person who completed the form or declaration, not to the child: a document with their signature and photo, such as a passport or driver's licence.
What proof of identity goes with the consent?
For the consenting adult, the official page asks for a document carrying both signature and photo — a passport or driver's licence are the two examples given. This is what connects the signature on the consent to a real, identifiable person.
Separately, the BVB application needs identity documents for each applicant, including the child: colour copies of the pages of the current passport showing the photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates. The page states this is needed for all applicants included in the application. A national identity card is also requested where the person has one, and proof of change of name is required where names differ — for example a marriage or divorce certificate, change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority, or documents showing other names a person has been known by.
Name mismatches are the common failure point here. If the consenting parent's name on their passport no longer matches the name on the child's birth record, the change-of-name evidence is what bridges the gap.
When should the application be lodged?
The department advises applying no more than 3 months, and not less than 2 weeks, before the date you want to travel. The reasoning given is that some visas can only be granted while you are in Australia, and applying too far ahead can make it hard to assess whether the substantive visa is close to decision.
Two location rules apply to everyone on the application, the child included: you, and anyone included in your application, must be in Australia when you lodge the BVB application, and you must be in Australia when the decision is made. A child who is already overseas cannot simply be added.
The page also notes the department does not give updates on processing times, and that applicants should wait to be contacted — so lodging inside the advised window is the main practical safeguard against leaving without a visa that permits return.
Can the whole family go on one application?
If you and your family applied together for the substantive visa in Australia, you can include family members in the BVB application, provided they are members of the family unit. That means one application form and one visa application charge, but each member of the family still has to meet the requirements for a BVB in their own right — including the child, and including the parental responsibility documents for that child.
The department adds a filter worth reading before you add anyone: only include family members who have substantial reasons for needing to leave Australia. Family members who do not need to travel can stay in Australia on their current bridging visas.
What happens if the child is still overseas when the travel date ends?
A BVB allows travel outside Australia until a set date. If the holder has not returned before that date, the BVB ceases, and a new visa is needed to return. The official page puts the same point in stronger terms for anyone who leaves without a granted BVB: they would need to apply for and be granted a substantive visa before returning, and there is no guarantee that visa would be granted.
If something on a lodged application turns out to be wrong — including an error in the consent or supporting documents — the page directs applicants to tell the department as soon as possible using Form 1023 (Notification of incorrect answers).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a child need their own Bridging visa B?
A child included in a BVB application must meet the requirements for a BVB in their own right, even when the family is covered by a single application form and a single visa application charge. There is no minimum age — the official page states you can be any age to apply for this visa.
What is Form 1229 for?
Form 1229 is the Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years. It is completed by a person who has a legal right to decide where the child lives and who is not travelling with the child, to record their consent for the child to be granted the visa.
Can a statutory declaration replace Form 1229?
Yes, on the official page the two are listed as alternatives: the non-travelling person completes either Form 1229 or a statutory declaration giving their consent for the child to travel on this visa. In both cases a document showing that person's signature and photo, such as a passport or driver's licence, must be included.
Does the consenting parent need to be in Australia?
The department's stated location rule applies to the applicants: everyone included in the application must be in Australia when the application is lodged and when the decision is made. The consenting person is not an applicant, but their completed form or declaration and photo identity document must be provided with the application.
What happens if the non-travelling parent refuses to consent?
The official page states the consent requirement without describing an override or waiver process. If a person with a legal right to decide where the child lives withholds consent, the requirement as published is not met, and this is a situation where the current official guidance and appropriate professional advice should be checked before making travel plans.
How long can a child stay outside Australia on a BVB?
A BVB allows travel outside Australia until a set date. If the holder has not returned by that date, the visa ceases and a new visa is required to return to Australia. When a BVB is granted, the Department of Home Affairs tells you the visa grant number, the date the visa starts, and any visa conditions that apply.