Who needs a guarantor?

A guarantor IS NOT required if you are an adult using the Australian Passport Renewal Application form (PC7).

A guarantor IS required if you are an adult or child using the Application for an Australian Passport Overseas form (PC8), even if you've had a passport before. Your guarantor must complete Section 11 of the application form AND endorse the back of one photo by writing "This is a true photo of [your full name]" and signing underneath.   

General guarantor criteria - for PC8 clients only

You should ensure that your guarantor:

  • is not related to you by birth or marriage
  • is not in a de facto relationship with you
  • does not live at the same address as you
  • is 18 years of age or older
  • has known you for at least 12 months
  • is willing and available to discuss your application with us during normal business hours
  • meets the guarantor qualifications below.

Guarantor qualifications

There are two types of guarantors you can choose from:

1.   A current Australian passport holder

     OR

2.   A non-Australian who is currently employed in one of these occupation groups:

  • Accountants - must be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
  • Bailiffs
  • Bank branch managers - not senior vice presidents or beyond, but the person in charge of an actual local branch of the bank
  • Chiropractors - must be licenced
  • Clerks of a court
  • Dentists
  • Doctors/Physicians - must have a doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathy degree and live and practise in the United States, Guam or the US Virgin Islands
  • Elected Representative in the US House of Representatives or a state house of representatives or a local or city council
  • Elected Senator in the US Senate or a state Senate
  • Engineers - must be licenced by a US state as a Professional Engineer
  • Government employees - must be a permanent employee of the Federal Government or a state government or a local government with five or more years of continuous service with their current employer
  • Judges of a court
  • Lawyers or attorneys registered with a state bar association
  • Marriage celebrants
  • Midwives - must be licenced or certified
  • Military members - current members of the US armed forces with five or more years of continuous service (not a reserve)
  • Optometrists - must be a Doctor of Optometry
  • Pharmacists - must be licenced
  • Police Officers - must be a current federal, state or local law enforcement officer with five or more years of continuous service
  • Psychologists - must be licenced
  • Postal Managers of a US Postal Service post office (i.e. the Postmaster or Postmistress)
  • Registered Nurses
  • Sheriffs
  • Tax Agents - enrolled or licensed to represent taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service or a state or local government taxing authority
  • Teachers - elementary school, middle school, high school, or post-secondary teacher on a college or university faculty, holding a bachelor's degree and employed on a full-time basis with five or more years of service.  NOTE:  This does NOT include principals unless they teach full-time.
  • Veterinary surgeons - licensed by a federal, state or local government authority

Note: A Notary Public cannot be a guarantor unless they also meets one of the above criteria.

Note:  Passport staff cannot be your guarantor.  

What if I can't find a guarantor in the USA?

If you have recently relocated to the United States, or do not know anyone here who can act as your guarantor, you should obtain a guarantor from a country where you previously lived - e.g. Australia. 

You should mail/courier Section 11 of the PC8 form to your guarantor, together with one of your passport photos.  Once the guarantor signs the documents, they should mail/courier the originals back to you.  When you receive the originals, you can submit the originals with your application. We cannot accept faxed or emailed copies from a guarantor.