Witnessing your application

Identification

A member of one of the professions listed in section 7 (for minors) and section 9 (for adults) of the APS2 Form can witness your passport application form as long as they are satisfied as to your identify and that your four photos are a true likeness of you. Make sure you bring photo identification with you and be aware that the witness may ask you for more proof of identification - this is at their discretion. 

• Police officer
• Member of clergy
• Medical doctor
• Lawyer
• Bank manager/assistant bank manager 
• Elected public representative
• Peace commissioner
• School principal/vice principal
• Accountant

You must:

• Sign Section 8 of the form in the presence of the witness. Everyone aged seven and over must sign their own form

The witness must:

• Complete Section 9 of the form, including a work landline phone number - mobile phone numbers will not be accepted
• Insert the form number from Section 9 on the back of two of your four photos
• Sign and stamp the back of those two photos

Remember...

Your application form is only valid for six months from the date your witness signs Section 9.

Consent of parents or guardians

This is an additional requirement for children. Everyone under the age of 18 must have the consent of their parents/guardians to get a passport and this consent must be witnessed.

The only exception to this is if the child is married.

Please note that applications for children who are under seven (i.e. when a parent or legal guardian must sign in place of the child) must be submitted by a parent or legal guardian. One of the parents (or a legal guardian, in cases where the child does not have parents) must be in China to submit the application.

Parents/guardians must:

• Fill in and sign the relevant part of Section 7 of the passport application form in the presence of a listed witness
• Find out what to do if both parents/guardians are unable to sign Section 7
• This is the same witness list as the Section 9 identification requirement.

The witness must:

• Complete, sign and stamp Section 7, including a work landline telephone number - mobile telephone numbers are not acceptable
• Sign each column separately if they witness both parents/guardians' signatures

Lost/stolen and damaged passports

If your passport has been lost, stolen or damaged, you must:

• Complete Section 6 of the application form, explaining how your previous passport was lost, stolen or damaged
• Have it witnessed and stamped by the same person who witnessed Section 9 of your application

If you lose two or more passports, it may restrict the period of validity for your next passport and it may not be possible to receive your passport in less than 10 working days.