By Ern Phang, Solicitor & Notary Public
Director of Phang Legal. Solicitor since 1998 and notary public since 2005.
Example: the situation
Rekha's passport went through the washing machine, and the pages are now stuck together. She works through the VFS checklist for a replacement, and Form V says it must be signed in front of a notary public.
Most of the replacement passport checklist is straightforward until you reach Form V. Let's discuss that step.
VFS links and resources — Updated July 2026. Links in this article have been updated to the resources listed in our July 2026 VFS update and the VFS India website for Australia. Use the relevant VFS checklist for current requirements. This note concerns links and resources; the rest of this article has not been comprehensively reviewed.
How annoying and frustrating is it to lose your passport or have your passport damaged so that it's no longer valid? If you're an Indian national in Australia, then the process to have your passport replaced is fairly straight forward if you know what to do, and if not, at least you know where to look to find the relevant information.
If you're an Indian national, then applying for a replacement passport when you've lost or damaged your current passport is done through VFS Global - like many other consular services. A quick review of their website will explain the process and the checklist will help you compile the documents necessary to have a 'hopefully' easy/simple application experience. As you work through the process and the checklist, you'll find that a variety of documents and forms need to be attested by a justice of the peace, however once you get to Form V, you'll find that this form must be signed in front of a notary public and notarised. That's where we come in.
Form V is the Affidavit for a Passport in lieu of Lost/Damaged Passport. Our many notary clients who require assistance with this form simply complete the form (but not sign it), make an appointment with our office (between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday) by calling 02 9687 8885, and then at the time of their appointment sign it in front of our notary public. As a leading provider of notary public services to clients across Sydney, we're experienced with notarising this form and are able to quickly and easily witness and notarise the form in such a way that it's accepted by VFS as part of your application. For most clients, they're in and out of our office in less than 15 minutes - it's that simple and hassle free.
We pride ourselves on being readily available especially on short notice, so if you've got any questions as to what's needed for you to have your Form V notarised, then you need to call our office and speak to our notary public.
To obtain a quote on our notary public services for India, please visit Request a notary quote.Example: the solution
Rekha filled in Form V without signing it and brought it to our office with her photograph identification. Our notary public witnessed her signature and notarised Form V, and she lodged it with VFS with the rest of her application.
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.
