What documents do I need for a Safe Haven Enterprise visa (790) application in 2026?
For a Safe Haven Enterprise visa (SHEV, subclass 790) application, the documents fall into four groups: proof of identity, nationality and citizenship; the material behind your claims for protection; relationship evidence for everyone included in the application; and character documents such as military records and police certificates. Alongside those, the Department of Home Affairs' official Safe Haven Enterprise visa (Subclass 790) page, current as of August 2026, asks for copies of any visas or residence permits held by each applicant. This article is general information about how that official checklist is organised, not personalised advice on your own case — what you should file in the end depends on your circumstances and on the department's latest published instructions.
| Evidence group | What it is there to establish | What the official page says to lodge |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Who you are, and your nationality or citizenship | Colour scans or photos of original and translated documents, plus a written statement if you have none |
| Protection claims | Why you are seeking protection and from whom | Answers to the form's protection questions, supported by documentation wherever possible |
| Relationships | How each person in the application is connected to you | Birth, notarial and marriage certificates, financial documents, de facto undertakings |
| Character | Military history and criminal record checks | Military service or discharge papers; police certificates only once asked for |
What counts as an identity document for subclass 790?
Provide colour scans or photos of original documents, together with translations, covering identity, nationality and citizenship. The official page lists:
- all pages of current or expired passports, including the biodata page
- birth certificate
- national identity card
- driver's licence
- proof of change of name, if applicable
- any other documents that support your identity, nationality or citizenship.
Where your name has changed, the supporting documents can be 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 you have been known by. Identity is also a standalone eligibility requirement: the department may ask for biometrics if you have not provided them before, and the identity information you give is used when assessing your protection claims and completing character and security checks.
What if I have no passport or travel documents?
If you cannot provide the listed documents, lodge a statement with your application explaining why you have no travel or identity documents. That statement is part of the evidence, not an apology: the department's guidance is that it is your responsibility to cooperate and provide identity evidence, and a written explanation of the gap is the substitute the page itself provides for. The detail matters, because protection claims are assessed against the identity information you supply.
Which documents support your claims for protection?
You must answer every question on the form about your claims for protection, and where the space runs out, submit additional information and attach it to the application. The form asks you to address, among others:
- what country you are seeking protection from, and why you left it
- why you are unable to return
- what harm you have experienced, who caused it, and what you fear will happen if you return
- why you think that will happen
- whether there is an area of that country where you would not be harmed and whether you could relocate there
- whether the authorities in your country are able to protect you
- when you left your home country and how you got to Australia.
Attach any documents or evidence you think will support those claims to your ImmiAccount. The department uses this information to assess whether you engage Australia's protection obligations. There is no fixed list of country-specific proof on the official page; the requirement is to provide documentation wherever possible.
What relationship evidence do I need for family members in the application?
Provide evidence of the relationship between each person included, such as birth certificates, notarial certificates, marriage certificates, financial documents and undertakings for de facto relationships, and financial documents showing that dependants over the age of 18 are dependent on you. Any other evidence that supports the relationships between applicants can also go in.
Members of your same family unit can be added at any time before a decision is made, and they must be in Australia when they apply. After lodgement you can only add a spouse or de facto partner of someone who has already applied, or a dependent child of someone who has already applied, using Form 1436 with relationship evidence attached.
What character and police certificate documents are required?
Provide military service records or discharge papers if you or anyone else in the application served in the armed forces of any country. You must also provide a police certificate from each country you have lived in for 12 months or more during the past 10 years after you turned 16, excluding the country you are claiming protection from. Do not arrange for police certificates until the department asks you.
Do I need health examinations or biometrics before I lodge?
No — these come after lodgement. You will be told when to arrange health examinations and will receive a health identifier (HAP ID) and instructions; the examinations are conducted by Bupa Medical Visa Services. Biometrics may also be requested from you or from family members in the same application, in the form of a digital facial photograph and a fingerprint scan, unless you have already provided them. If you do not allow biometrics to be collected, the application is invalid and cannot be considered, and any bridging visa granted when you applied ends 35 days after you are notified of the invalidity.
How do I lodge the documents, and what else goes with them?
Applications must be lodged online through ImmiAccount, and the online form itself contains the list of documents that must accompany the application. You can attach documents, save a part-finished application and return to it, and check status online. The application is not processed until the fee is paid; if you are in immigration detention when you apply and have not been immigration cleared, no application fee is payable.
Two practical points follow from how decisions are made. The department can decide your application using only the information you provide when you lodge, so gaps in your education, work, travel, relationship or address history should be explained in the form rather than left open. And because an interview is not guaranteed, the claims and supporting documents you submit up front may be your only opportunity to present them — though you can still send further relevant information in writing at any time before a decision, and if you made a mistake you can correct it with Form 1023.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a single official checklist I can download?
The list of documents that must be included with your application appears in the online application form in ImmiAccount, rather than as a separate published checklist. The official visa page sets out the categories those documents fall into: identity, protection claims, relationships, character, and any visas or residence permits held.
Can I apply on paper instead of online?
No. Protection visa applications must be lodged online through ImmiAccount. The online form prompts you to attach documents and pay at the end, and it contains help text for the questions the department needs answered.
Should I get police certificates before I apply?
No. The official page says not to arrange police certificates until the department asks you. When it does, you will need one from each country you lived in for 12 months or more in the past 10 years after turning 16, other than the country you are claiming protection from.
Can I add documents after I have submitted the application?
Yes. You can provide more relevant information in writing at any time until a decision is made, and if you did not include everything when you applied you should attach it as soon as possible in ImmiAccount. If the department asks for further information, it will set a date to respond by.
What happens if I cannot prove my identity at all?
Lodge a written statement explaining why you have no travel or identity documents. Identity evidence is a separate eligibility requirement, and the department may ask for biometrics; the information collected is used to assess your protection claims and to complete character and security checks.
Do I have to attend an interview?
Only if the department asks you to. Most protection visa interviews are conducted by videoconference, and interview questions cover your situation, your family and the information in your application. If you do not attend a scheduled interview, the department can decide the application on the information it already has.