What Documents Does the Australian Adoption Visa (Subclass 102) Require in 2026?
The Adoption visa (subclass 102) asks for five groups of documents: identity, travel, photographs, adoption papers, and — for children aged 16 or over — character documents, plus a matching set for any dependent child included in the same application. This breakdown follows the document requirements listed on the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official Adoption visa (Subclass 102) page, as at August 2026. It describes what to lodge, not how the visa is assessed, and it is general information rather than advice tailored to a particular adoption — the current official wording or someone permitted to give immigration assistance should govern an individual case.
| Document group | Applies to | Items to include |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | The adopted child | Passport bio pages, national identity card (if held), proof of any name change |
| Travel | The adopted child | Certified copy of the passport/travel document used to enter Australia and any passports held since |
| Photographs | Child and each dependent child | 4 recent colour photos, 45mm x 35mm |
| Adoption | The adopted child and each dependent child | Adoption papers or compliance certificate, plus route-specific evidence |
| Character | Children aged 16+ | Police certificates, military records if applicable, Form 80 |
Which identity documents does the child need?
Provide the pages of the child's current passport that show their photo, personal details, and the passport issue and expiry dates. If the child holds a national identity card, include that too.
Proof of a change of name is required only if the child's name has changed. Accepted documents include a change of name document from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority, and documents showing other names the child has been known by.
Do travel documents have to be certified copies?
Yes. Send a certified copy of the passport or travel document the child used to enter Australia, and of any passport the child has held since then. Where the child holds multiple passports covering that period, each one belongs in this set.
What are the photo requirements?
Provide four recent photos of the child, and four of any dependent child included in the application. Each photo must be 45mm x 35mm, less than six months old, and good-quality colour — laser copies are not accepted. The photo must show the full face against a plain light-coloured background. Untinted prescription glasses are allowed, and a head covering worn for religious reasons may be kept on as long as only the face is shown.
Which adoption papers do you have to include?
Start with the child's adoption papers or adoption compliance certificate. What goes alongside them depends on how the adoption was arranged.
Expatriate adoption. Provide evidence that at least one adoptive parent resided outside Australia for more than 12 months immediately before the application was lodged; that the adoptive parent did not arrange to reside overseas in order to avoid Australia's intercountry adoption laws; that the adoptive parent has full and permanent parental rights with no remaining legal ties between the child and the birth parents; and that the child was adopted in line with the adoption laws of their home country.
Australian state or territory central authority involvement. If an Australian state or territory central adoption authority was involved, include a letter from it supporting the adoption.
Adoption still in progress. Where an Australian state or territory central authority has found you suitable to be an adoptive parent and you have made a written undertaking to adopt, provide evidence from the central authority of the child's country confirming either that the child can leave that country for adoption in Australia, or that the child can leave that country in your custody.
The same adoption documents are required for any other dependent child included in the application.
Who needs character documents, and which ones?
Only children over 16 years of age. Each such child must provide a police certificate from every country in which they have spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years, counted since they turned 16.
For Australia, only National Police Certificates applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship are accepted; these are issued by the Australian Federal Police. Standard disclosure certificates and certificates issued by Australian state or territory police are not accepted. For immigration purposes police certificates are valid for 12 months from the date of issue. Anyone in the application who has served in the armed forces of any country must provide military service records or discharge papers, and children over 16 must complete Form 80 Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment.
What about dependent children under 18 applying together?
For every dependent under 18 applying with the child, provide their identity documents, their travel documents, and proof of the child's relationship to them — such as a birth or marriage certificate. As noted above, this extends to photographs and adoption documents for children included in the adoption set.
What has to go in the envelope besides documents?
Two forms, sent together: Form 47CH Application for migration to Australia by a child and Form 40CH Sponsorship for a child to migrate to Australia. Both must be completed in English.
A paper application goes to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, by post with correct prepaid postage to Locked Bag 7, Northbridge WA 6865, or by courier to Wellington Central, 836 Wellington Street, West Perth WA 6005. Applications cannot be submitted in person, and an application submitted at another office or by another method is not valid. If you have nominated someone to receive correspondence, use Form 956A; if someone is providing immigration assistance, use Form 956, and send either form with the paper application.
The application charge must be paid before posting, and the application should include evidence of payment along with the supporting documentation. The amount itself appears on the Department's payment page and can change, so check what the official page currently specifies. Nothing is processed until the charge is paid, and the charge is not refunded if the application is refused.
Originals or certified copies?
Do not send originals — certified copies only. Keep a copy of the completed application and all supporting documents for your own records. This is stated directly in the paper lodgement instructions, and it applies to the identity, travel, adoption and relationship documents alike.
What if something is missing or wrong after posting?
Missing documents should be supplied as soon as possible. Once the paper application is lodged it can be imported into ImmiAccount using the application ID, date of birth and identity document number, which allows additional documents to be uploaded and messages to be viewed without waiting for the post. Where ImmiAccount cannot be used, additional documents can be attached through the Child and Orphan Relative Visa Processing Centre online form. Mistakes on an application are corrected by notifying the Department, including through Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers. A dependent child can also be added to the application at any time before a decision is made.
Documents that are not part of the lodgement pack are requested later: the Department advises when to arrange health examinations and whether biometrics are needed, and such requests arrive after lodgement rather than being something to source in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we need to send original adoption papers or birth certificates?
Send certified copies only, never originals. Keep your own copy of everything you lodge, including the completed forms, because the originals may be needed later for reference.
How recent do the photographs need to be?
Each photo must be less than six months old and be 45mm x 35mm, in good-quality colour, showing the full face against a plain light-coloured background. Laser copies are explicitly not accepted.
Does a young child need a police certificate?
Character documents apply only to children over 16. A child over 16 needs police certificates covering every country where they spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16, plus Form 80.
Are the requirements the same for a child we have not adopted yet?
The adoption documents differ. If an Australian state or territory central authority has approved you as suitable and you have given a written undertaking to adopt, you provide evidence from the central authority of the child's country that the child can leave for adoption in Australia or leave in your custody, instead of final adoption papers.
Can this visa be applied for online?
No. Subclass 102 must be applied for on paper, using Form 47CH and Form 40CH sent together to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, and the forms must be completed in English.
Can anything be added after the application is lodged?
Yes. Additional documents can be provided later, mistakes can be corrected through Form 1023, and a dependent child may be added at any time before a decision is made. Uploading further material through ImmiAccount is possible once the paper application has been imported.