By Ern Phang, Solicitor & Notary Public
Director of Phang Legal. Solicitor since 1998 and notary public since 2005.
Example: the situation
Sanjay and Pooja's daughter, Isha, is eight. Her Indian passport expired a few months ago, and the family has a trip to Chennai planned for the school holidays. They live in Castle Hill and start the renewal online.
Renewing a child's expired Indian passport from Australia is much like renewing your own, with one big difference: the parents sign the application, not the child. That's why parents often arrive at our office together. Let's discuss this in further detail.
Who needs Form I when renewing an Indian passport?
You don't require Form I to renew an Indian passport within one month of its expiry. However, if your child's passport has expired for more than one month, you must submit Form I.
Who signs Form I when you're renewing a child's Indian passport?
For a child's renewal, both parents sign Form I. In New South Wales, the signatures generally need to be made before a notary public. If your family's situation is different, check the VFS checklist and follow what it says. It's not up to us to decide which parent signs, or what other papers VFS will want.
The application goes to VFS Global, the service provider for the Indian High Commission and Consulates in Australia. The current form and checklist are on the VFS passport services page (updated July 2026). Download them fresh each time, as VFS changes them from time to time.
What does our notary do with your child's Form I?
Our notary checks each parent's photo identification, witnesses both of you sign and notarises the form. If the checklist asks for notarised copies of your passports or your child's passport, bring the originals and we'll notarise the copies at the same visit.
Fill in the form at home before your appointment. The details are yours to provide, so we don't complete it for you.
Is an apostille needed for your child's passport renewal?
No, not normally. An apostille is for documents that leave Australia for official use in India. You must submit your child's Form I to VFS, so notarisation is usually the only step needed.
What to bring to your appointment
- Both parents. Each of you signs in front of our notary, so come together if you can.
- Form I, completed but unsigned.
- A passport for each parent, or an Australian driver licence if you don't have one.
- Your child's expired passport.
- The VFS checklist, so we can see if anything else needs notarising.
How do you get your child's renewal underway?
Example: the solution
Sanjay and Pooja booked one appointment together and brought Isha's passport, their own passports and the unsigned form. Both signed in front of our notary, who notarised Form I and the passport copies the checklist asked for. They collected everything on the spot and lodged the application with VFS well before the holidays.
Renewing your child's passport? Ask us for a quote, or message our team on WhatsApp.
About Us
This blog is maintained by Phang Legal, a boutique law firm with offices in Parramatta and Rouse Hill. We help clients from across Sydney and beyond with personal, professional and timely Legal Services, Notary Services and Apostille Services.
As a leading provider of notary services in Sydney, we have 1k+ Google Reviews (4.9) (updated July 2026) with many clients happy to share their experience in using our services.
Phang Legal — Parramatta6/83 George Street
Level 3, 87 Marsden Street (from 1 March 2026)
Parramatta NSW 2150
Phang Legal — Rouse Hill
214/80 Main Street
Rouse Hill NSW 2155
Call 02 9687 8885 | WhatsApp | Request quote
About the author
Ern Phang — Solicitor & Notary Public
This article was written by Ern Phang, a director of Phang Legal, a solicitor since 1998 and a notary public since 2005.
Ern has been a member of the Society of Notaries of NSW since 2005, a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Notaries since 2013, and a member of the Law Society of New South Wales since 1998.
Ern regularly writes about his experiences as a notary public and the practical issues his clients face when sending documents from Australia to India and other countries all over the world.
Using information in this article
This article provides general information. Requirements, forms, fees and service arrangements may have changed since its original publication. Check the receiving organisation’s current requirements and obtain advice relevant to your circumstances.
