Subclass 102 Document Checklist 2026: What to Send With Form 47CH
Which documents to send with Form 47CH for a Subclass 102 adoption visa, grouped as identity, travel, photos, adoption and character evidence.
A Subclass 102 (Adoption visa) paper application is built around Form 47CH, but the form is only part of the pack: it must be sent together with Form 40CH, evidence that the application charge was paid before posting, and supporting documents in five groups — identity, travel, photographs, adoption and character — and every supporting document should be a certified copy rather than an original, according to the Australian Department of Home Affairs’ Adoption visa (Subclass 102) official page, as at August 2026. The checklist below is general information only and is not a substitute for personalised advice on your circumstances; confirm the details against the official latest publication or discuss them with a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person.
What does the Form 47CH document pack cover?
The five-document-group structure follows the order used on the official page: identity, travel, photographs, adoption and character, plus the lodgement basics that sit outside those groups. The table below is a pre-lodgement self-check; it is not a full statement of the eligibility criteria.
| Group | What to send | How it is sent |
|---|---|---|
| Forms and payment | Form 47CH and Form 40CH, completed in English, plus evidence the application charge was paid before posting | Post or courier both forms together to the Perth processing centre |
| Identity | Child’s current passport pages showing photo, personal details, and issue and expiry dates; national identity card if any; change-of-name proof | Certified copies only |
| Travel | Passport or travel document used to enter Australia, and any passports held since then | Certified copies only |
| Photographs | 4 recent 45mm x 35mm photos of the child, and of any dependent child included | Send the actual photos; they must be under 6 months old |
| Adoption | Adoption papers or adoption compliance certificate; extra central authority or expatriate evidence where relevant | Certified copies only |
| Character | Police certificates (if over 16), military records if applicable, Form 80 (if over 16) | Certified copies only |
How do I prove the child’s identity?
Provide the pages of the child’s current passport showing their photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates. Also provide a national identity card if the child has one, and proof of any change of name. Documents that prove a change of name include change of name documents 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. These identity items should be certified copies; do not send originals.
Which travel documents are needed?
Provide a certified copy of the passport or travel document the child used to enter Australia and any passports the child has held since then. This is separate from the current passport pages supplied as identity evidence, and it is also required for any dependent child included in the application.
How many photos are needed, and what are the rules?
Provide 4 recent photos, 45mm x 35mm, of the child and of any dependent child included in the application. The photographs must be less than 6 months old, good quality colour (laser copies are not accepted), a view of the full face, and taken against a plain light-coloured background. The child can wear untinted prescription glasses; if the child wears a head covering for religious reasons, only the face may be shown.
What adoption documents must be included?
Provide the child’s adoption papers or adoption compliance certificate. What else is needed depends on the adoption pathway.
What if an Australian state or territory central authority found me suitable to adopt?
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 a child, provide evidence from the central authority of the child’s country that the child can leave that country for adoption in Australia, or can leave that country in your custody.
What if an Australian state or territory central adoption authority was involved in the adoption?
If an Australian state or territory central adoption authority was involved in the adoption, include a letter supporting the adoption.
What if the child was adopted through an expatriate adoption?
Provide evidence that at least one adoptive parent resided outside Australia for more than 12 months immediately before the application was lodged; the adoptive parent did not arrange to reside overseas to avoid Australia’s intercountry adoption laws; the adoptive parent has full and permanent parental rights, with no remaining legal ties between the child and the birth parents; and the child was adopted in line with the adoption laws of their home country. The Migration Regulations 1994 and PAM3, the Department’s policy guidance, describe the parental-rights requirement as full and permanent parental rights, and PAM3 indicates that an order granting only guardianship or day-to-day care does not satisfy it; this policy point should be confirmed against the official latest publication. These adoption documents are also required for any other dependent child included in the application.
Who needs to provide character documents?
Children over 16 years must provide a police certificate from every country they have spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years, since turning 16. For Australia, only National Police Certificates applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship are accepted; the Australian Federal Police issue these, and the Department does not accept standard disclosure certificates or certificates issued by Australian state or territory police. Police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date. If anyone in the application served in the armed forces of any country, they must provide military service records or discharge papers, and children over 16 must complete and provide Form 80 Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment.
What if a dependent child under 18 is included?
For every dependant under 18 years old who is applying with the child, provide identity documents, travel documents, and proof of the child’s relationship with them, such as a birth or marriage certificate. Photographs are also required for any dependent child included, and the adoption documents set out above must be provided for any other dependent child included. The Department might also ask that any other dependent child applying for the visa meet the character requirement.
How should the pack be prepared and posted?
Do not send original documents with the application — only send certified copies, and keep a copy of the completed application and supporting documents for your own records. The forms must be completed in English, and Form 47CH and Form 40CH must be sent together by post with correct prepaid postage, or by courier, to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth (Locked Bag 7, Northbridge WA 6865 by post, or Wellington Central, 836 Wellington Street, West Perth WA 6005 by courier). Applications cannot be lodged in person or at any other office; if they are, they are invalid and cannot be considered further. You must pay the application charge before posting and include evidence of payment. After lodgement, the Department will tell you when to arrange the child’s health examinations and whether biometrics are needed, and travel to Australia should not be arranged until the Department tells you in writing that the visa has been granted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to send original documents with Form 47CH?
No. Only certified copies should be sent with the application, and originals should be kept by the applicant. You should also keep a copy of the completed application and all supporting documents for your own records.
How many photos are needed for a Subclass 102 application?
Four recent photos, sized 45mm x 35mm, are needed for the child and for any dependent child included. They must be less than six months old, good-quality colour (not laser copies), show a full-face view, and be taken against a plain light-coloured background.
When is an adoption compliance certificate needed instead of adoption papers?
The official page asks for the child’s adoption papers or an adoption compliance certificate, and the choice depends on the adoption pathway. The Migration Regulations 1994 require a valid adoption compliance certificate for Hague Convention adoptions at the time of decision, so confirm which document applies against the latest official version.
Who must provide a police certificate, and which Australian certificate is accepted?
Children over 16 must provide a police certificate from each country where they spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16. For Australia, only an Australian Federal Police National Police Certificate applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship is accepted; state or territory police certificates and standard disclosure certificates are not.
Can the child travel to Australia while the Subclass 102 application is being processed?
No. Travel should not be arranged until the Department tells you in writing that the visa has been granted. The Department will separately tell you when to arrange health examinations and whether biometrics are required.
What should I do if a document is missing or a mistake was made?
If necessary documents were not included, provide them as soon as possible; if the application has been imported into ImmiAccount, upload them there. For a mistake on the application, notify the Department as soon as possible and provide a completed Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers, either uploaded via ImmiAccount or attached to the Child and Orphan Relative Visa Processing Centre online form if ImmiAccount cannot be used.