Guarantor
definition
The guarantor declaration is a principal identity check in the application for an Australian travel document.
A person who qualifies as a guarantor must vouch for the applicant’s identity which includes endorsing and signing the back of one photograph of the applicant (see below).
Qualifying as a guarantor
To be acceptable the guarantor must:
- Be an Australian citizen who is 18 years of age or over;
- Be a person who has known the passport applicant for at least 12 months or for children under one year old, known since birth;
- Hold a current passport with at least 2 years validity; or have been on the Australian Electoral Roll for the past 12 months at the current address (for applications lodged overseas, see ‘ Guarantor occupational groups: overseas lodgement ’);
- Be contactable (the guarantor is required to provide a daytime telephone number);
- Complete the ‘Declaration by guarantor’ section of the application form; and
- Endorse the back of one photograph of the applicant by writing ‘This is a true photograph of {applicant’s name in full}’ and sign.
The guarantor must not be:
- Related to the applicant by birth or marriage or in a de-facto or same-sex relationship, or living at the same address as the applicant; or
- In the case of a child applicant, a parent of the applicant or living at the same address as the applicant; or
- An Australian Passport Office employee; or
- An Australia Post employee who is an accredited passport interviewer.
Passport/interviewing officer as guarantor
Staff involved in the passport process are not to act as guarantors on passport applications received from the general public.
Only where an application is submitted by another staff member at an overseas post may a passport officer act as a guarantor. In this instance, however, the authorisation of the passport must be conducted by an A-based officer of the mission.
Adopted child: period of time known by guarantor
Where a child is adopted – the date of adoption, granting of citizenship and arrival in Australia should be taken into account when deciding whether the guarantor provided by the applicant has known the child for a suitable time frame.
If the child has been adopted within the last 12 months, a suitable guarantor should have known the child for the majority of that time and a full validity passport may be issued if all other requirements are met.
Guarantor occupational groups: overseas lodgement
An overseas applicant may use:
- A guarantor who is an Australian passport holder as described above; or
- A local equivalent of the guarantor occupation groups accepted by the overseas post and within the occupational categories listed below. (note: posts may delete unsuitable occupation groups from this list, but may not add groups).
Occupational Category |
Accountants who are members of either the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants, National Institute of Accountants or Association of Taxation and Management Accountants.. Specify which membership status applies. |
Bailiffs |
Barristers, Solicitors and Patent Attorneys |
Bank Managers except managers of bank travel centres |
Chartered Professional Engineers |
Clerk of Courts |
Clerk of Petty Sessions |
Dentists |
Elected Representatives of Federal Parliaments, State Parliaments, Territory Parliaments, Legislative Assembly of Norfolk Island and Municipal or Shire Councils |
Holders of Statutory Offices for which an annual salary is payable |
Judges |
Marriage Celebrants |
Members currently serving in the regular Australian Defence Force with at least five years continuous service |
Members of the Chartered Institute of Company Secretaries in Australia |
Pharmacists |
Police Officers with at least 5 years continuous service |
Postal Managers |
Public Servants who are current full-time employees of Commonwealth, State, territory or local Governments or Statutory Authorities and who have been employed continuously for at least 5 years by their current employer |
Registered Medical Practitioners |
Registered Nurses |
Registered Tax Agents |
Registered Veterinary Surgeons |
Sheriffs |
Stipendiary Magistrates |
Teachers who are full time and who have been teaching for more than five years at schools or tertiary institutions |