What Documents Do I Need for a Subclass 300 Visa Application in 2026?
A Subclass 300 (Prospective Marriage) application comes down to four bundles: proof of who you are, proof of your relationship with your prospective spouse, proof that you genuinely intend to marry within the visa period, and everything attached to dependants and other family members. The list below follows the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official Prospective Marriage visa (Subclass 300) page as at July 2026, and each item can be ticked off in the order you see it. This is general information rather than advice tailored to your circumstances, so confirm anything case-specific against the Department's current published page or a qualified professional before you lodge.
What identity documents does the Department ask for?
Start with a birth certificate showing the names of both parents. If you cannot provide one, the Department accepts one of these instead:
- the identification pages of a family book showing the names of both parents
- the identification pages of an identification document issued by the government
- the identification pages of a court-issued document that proves your identity
- the identification pages of a family census register
Alongside that, provide:
- the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and issue and expiry dates
- a national identity card, if you have one
- proof of change of name, if applicable — a marriage or divorce certificate, change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority, or documents showing other names you have been known by
What counts as evidence of your relationship?
The Department asks you to attach evidence of your relationship with your prospective spouse, of any former relationships, and of any dependants you have. The underlying criteria in the Migration Regulations 1994 are more specific than the checklist wording: you and your prospective spouse must have met in person since each of you turned 18 and must personally know each other, and the Minister must be satisfied that you genuinely intend to live together as spouses.
The Migration Regulations 1994 and the Department's Procedures Advice Manual (PAM3) treat "met in person" as physical presence together — phone, video and online contact do not substitute for it — and treat a very shallow acquaintance as something that can undermine the genuine-intention assessment.
How do you prove you intend to marry, and marry in time?
Intent has to be documented, not just stated. The strongest single item described in policy guidance is a letter from an authorised marriage celebrant confirming the date or date range and the venue, plus proof that a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) has been lodged. Where a celebrant's letter cannot reasonably be obtained, guidance allows other strong evidence, such as a signed NOIM, though you should be ready to explain why the letter was not available.
Timing matters as much as intent. The Migration Regulations 1994 and the Procedures Advice Manual (PAM3) put the visa period at 9 to 15 months from the date the visa is granted and note that a Notice of Intended Marriage is valid for up to 18 months; because processing times are uncertain, check the Department's published processing times before you fix a wedding date. A useful way to think about it: assume an applicant books a wedding 20 months out. Even with a genuine relationship, the marriage would fall outside the visa period, which is exactly the kind of mismatch that stalls an application.
One consequence worth knowing before you gather anything: if you marry before the Department decides, you are no longer eligible for this visa. In that situation the official page asks you to attach evidence that the marriage is valid (a registered marriage certificate issued by the relevant legal authority), a request to be considered for the Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309) and Partner (Migrant) visa (subclass 100), and a statement saying you want to withdraw the Subclass 300 application.
What do dependants and other family members need?
Anyone applying with you is assessed in their own right, and evidence of dependants is listed as a required attachment. If you want to add a dependent child after lodgement but before a decision, the official page directs you to complete and attach Form 1436 — Adding an additional applicant after lodgement; the child must be outside Australia, and a Subclass 300 can be granted to the child only if they are a member of the family unit and meet all other criteria for grant.
Where a child is under 18, the Migration Regulations 1994 and PAM3 refer to custody and guardian-consent requirements (public interest criteria 4017 and 4018) and to the child's best interests. Check the Department of Home Affairs' current published guidance on those requirements before you lodge.
Do the documents need to be translated, certified or scanned in colour?
Three rules cover almost every formatting question:
- Translate everything. All documents must be translated into English, and you provide both the original and the translated document. Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). Translators outside Australia do not have to be accredited, but each translation must include, in English, the translator's full name, address and telephone number, and their qualifications and experience in the language they are translating.
- Scan or photograph in colour. All documents, English and non-English, must be clear enough to read. If a document runs to more than one page, save it all as one file.
- No certification. You do not need to have any documents certified.
What else has to be in before a decision can be made?
Character and health documents sit outside the four bundles but are just as mandatory:
- a police certificate from every country where you spent a total of 12 months or more during the last 10 years since you turned 16, plus military service records or discharge papers if you served in any country's armed forces
- Form 80 Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment, completed and attached
- health examinations, which the Department cannot grant the visa without; results are valid for 12 months from the time you completed the examinations, and any health undertaking you are asked to sign is valid for 6 months
Two timing details catch people out. Police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date, and if more than 15 months has passed since your National Police certificate was issued by the Australian Federal Police, new checks will be required. For Australian police certificates, only complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the AFP are accepted — not standard disclosure certificates, and not certificates issued by state or territory police.
Sponsorship is a separate step handled by your sponsor: you and anyone applying with you must have a sponsor when you lodge and while you hold the visa, and your sponsor needs the transaction reference number (TRN) from your application to apply.
How many files can you attach, and how should you submit them?
You apply online and while outside Australia. The attachment limit is up to 100 documents for each person on the application, and it cannot be increased; if you hit the limit for one applicant, you can attach further documents to other clients on the same application. Label documents clearly and attach each one only once, even if you are using it to show more than one thing, and keep a copy of your completed application.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the single most important identity document for a Subclass 300 application?
A birth certificate showing the names of both parents. The Department of Home Affairs lists four acceptable substitutes if you cannot provide one: a family book, a government-issued identification document, a court-issued identity document, or a family census register — in each case the identification pages only.
Do I need certified copies of my documents?
No. The Home Affairs page states plainly that you do not need to have any documents certified. What matters instead is that every document is scanned or photographed in colour, clear enough to read, and saved as a single file when it has more than one page.
Do documents in another language need a NAATI translation?
Every document must be translated into English and you must provide the original and the translation. If the translator works in Australia they must be accredited by NAATI; translators outside Australia do not need accreditation but must include their full name, address, phone number, and qualifications and experience in English on each translation.
How long are police certificates and health results valid?
Police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date for immigration purposes. Health assessment results are valid for 12 months from when you completed the examinations, and a health undertaking you are asked to sign is valid for 6 months. If more than 15 months has passed since an AFP National Police certificate was issued, new checks are required.
Can I attach more than 100 documents?
No. The limit is 100 documents per person on the application and it cannot be increased. If you reach the limit for one applicant, remaining documents can be attached to other clients on the same application, so it helps to label clearly and attach each document only once.
What happens if I get married while my Subclass 300 application is still pending?
You are no longer eligible for the visa. The Department asks you to attach a registered marriage certificate, a request to be considered for the subclass 309 and subclass 100 partner visas, and a statement withdrawing the Subclass 300 application; if you do not withdraw, the application will be refused.