Parent Visa Australia: Documents You Need to Prepare

What documents do you need for an Australian parent visa?

Getting your document preparation right from the start saves time and reduces the risk of requests for further information from the Department of Home Affairs, which can push your application back in the processing queue. The document list for a parent visa is longer than most people expect, particularly because it covers not just the applicant and sponsor but also all of the parent’s other children for the balance of family test.

This list applies to all four permanent parent visa subclasses: the Subclass 143, the Subclass 103, the Subclass 864, and the Subclass 804. Where a document is specific to one subclass or stream, that is noted.

Identity and relationship documents

Proof of identity

The parent applicant needs:

• Current passport (all pages, including the biodata page and any visa stamps)
• Passport-sized photographs
• Any expired passports covering the past 10 years, if available
• Birth certificate
• If applicable: marriage certificate, divorce certificate, or death certificate of a former spouse
• If the parent has changed their name: deed poll or official name change documentation

Proof of the parent-child relationship

You need to establish that the visa applicant is genuinely the parent of the Australian-based sponsor. Required documents typically include:

• The sponsor’s birth certificate, showing the parent’s name
• If the sponsor was adopted: adoption order or equivalent legal document
• If the relationship is through a step-parent: marriage certificate establishing the relationship, plus evidence of the genuine family relationship

Sponsor documents

The Australian-based sponsor must provide evidence of their status and identity. This includes:

• Current Australian passport, or
• Australian citizenship certificate, or
• Evidence of Australian permanent residency (such as the ImmiCard or a current visa grant notice showing permanent status)
• If sponsoring as an eligible NZ citizen: New Zealand passport plus evidence of Australian residency for the required period
• Evidence of Australian address and settlement (utility bills, lease agreement, or similar)

For applications lodged from 22 April 2026, all of this is submitted through ImmiAccount. Details on the online process are on the parent visa online lodgement page.

Balance of family test evidence

This is the section that requires the most work. The Department needs evidence about all of the parent’s eligible children, not just the sponsoring child. For each eligible child you need:

• Birth certificate (to prove they are the parent’s child)
• Evidence of their usual country of residence. For children in Australia: their Australian citizenship certificate or permanent visa grant notice. For children overseas: their foreign passport and evidence of residence in that country
• If any children are deceased: death certificate

A statutory declaration from the parent listing all eligible children and their countries of residence is also commonly included. This gives the Department a clear picture of the family structure before they review the individual documents.

Remember: children on temporary visas in Australia do not count as “usually resident in Australia” for the balance of family test. Do not include a temporary visa grant notice as evidence of Australian residence for this purpose. It will not help and may invite questions about the accuracy of the overall count.

Financial documents: Assurance of Support

The Assurance of Support (AoS) is not lodged at the time of visa application. It is arranged when the Department is ready to finalise the application, which for the 143 and 864 may be seven or more years after lodgement. At that point you will need:

• Evidence that the AoS has been lodged with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia
• The bond amounts are $10,000 for one adult applicant and $14,000 for two adults
• Evidence of the AoS assurer’s identity and financial capacity

The assurer does not have to be the same person as the visa sponsor, but it usually is. The assurer must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible NZ citizen.

Health and character documents

Medical examination results

Your parent must undergo a medical examination by a Department-approved panel physician. The examination includes:

• General health assessment by the physician
• Blood tests (HIV is standard; additional tests depending on age and health history)
• Chest X-ray
• For applicants over certain ages or with specific health histories: additional specialist tests may be required

Medical results are valid for 12 months. Do not arrange the medical examination too far in advance of lodgement, and note that for applications with a long queue time, the medical will need to be repeated when the application is near finalisation.

Police clearance certificates

Your parent needs police clearance certificates from every country where they have lived for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. For most applicants this means their home country. If they have lived in multiple countries, each country requires a separate clearance.

Police clearances from some countries take weeks or months. Start this process early. Clearance certificates also have validity periods, so timing matters. Australian Federal Police (AFP) checks can be ordered online and are usually returned within 15 working days.

Additional documents for aged parent visas

For the Subclass 804 and Subclass 864, you additionally need:

• Evidence that the parent meets the age requirement (has reached Australian pension age, currently 67). The parent’s birth certificate is usually sufficient.
• For these visas, the parent must be in Australia at the time of grant, so evidence of lawful residence in Australia when finalisation approaches is also required.

Getting documents certified and translated

All documents in a language other than English must be translated by a NAATI-accredited translator. NAATI is Australia’s national translation authority. Do not use unofficial or unaccredited translators, as the Department will not accept those translations.

Certified copies are required for most identity documents. A Justice of the Peace, solicitor, or other authorised person can certify copies in Australia. For documents certified overseas, they may need to be apostilled or legalised depending on the country.

Originals are not typically submitted electronically, but the Department may request originals to be produced for inspection in some cases.

Frequently asked questions

How far in advance should I start gathering documents?

At least three to six months before you plan to lodge. Police clearances from some countries are the longest lead item. Birth certificates for all eligible children also take time to obtain, particularly if records are held in a foreign country or need translation. Starting early gives you time to chase anything that is delayed without holding up the application.

My parent’s birth certificate is in a language other than English. Does it need to be translated?

Yes. Any document not in English must be translated by a NAATI-accredited translator. The translation must accompany the original document. The translator will provide a signed statement confirming the accuracy of the translation.

What if one of my siblings refuses to provide their documents for the balance of family test?

This is a real issue that comes up occasionally. If a sibling declines to participate, you can still submit what you have and provide a statutory declaration explaining the situation. The Department has some discretion in these cases. However, incomplete evidence for the balance of family test can lead to a request for further information or, in the worst case, a refusal. Getting legal advice early is wise if a sibling is uncooperative.

Do I need to provide the same documents again when the application is finalised years later?

Yes, in part. Some documents will need to be updated at finalisation, including the medical examination (if the original has expired), police clearances (which also expire), and passport copies if the passport has been renewed. The Department will let you know what is needed when the application is approaching the front of the queue.