A subclass 820 application is built from four groups of documents: identity documents for everyone involved, documents that establish the relationship, relationship evidence across the four matters set out in the Migration Regulations 1994, and the character and health documents. This page sets each group out as a table you can work through.
Police Certificates for the 820 Visa
Who needs a police certificate for the subclass 820, which countries to get them from, the 12-month validity trap, and what happens if one shows a conviction.
Read the guide →
Health Examinations and Your HAP ID
How the HAP ID works, what the 820 medical involves, when to do it, the 12-month validity of results, and what happens if a condition is found.
Read the guide →
Identity Documents, Name Changes and Translations
Passports, birth certificates, name change evidence and English translations for the 820 visa — what to provide, what certification means, and how to handle mismatched names.
Read the guide →The authoritative list for your own application is the document checklist ImmiAccount generates once the forms are completed — it varies with your circumstances, your country and who is included. Treat what follows as a working list, not a substitute for it. Where a document is described below as commonly provided, that means it is a normal part of a well-prepared file rather than something the Department publishes as mandatory.
Identity documents
| Who | Documents commonly provided |
|---|---|
| Applicant | Passport pages showing photograph, personal details and issue and expiry dates; national identity card if held; birth certificate; evidence of the current visa; passport-style photograph |
| Applicant, if the name has changed | Marriage certificate, change of name certificate, deed poll, or other official document linking the old and new names |
| Applicant, if previously married or in a de facto relationship | Divorce order, annulment, death certificate of a former partner, or evidence the earlier de facto relationship has ended |
| Sponsor | Evidence of Australian citizenship, permanent residence or eligible New Zealand citizen status — the Department gives passport or birth certificate as examples and states that a driver's licence or Medicare card is not sufficient evidence |
| Sponsor | Photograph identification, and the same name-change and former-relationship documents where they apply |
| Children included in the application | Passport, birth certificate showing both parents, and photograph identification |
For applicants who do not hold a substantive visa, evidence of the sponsor's status is one of the items the Department requires to be included at lodgement, along with the sponsorship form and at least two statutory declarations — see Form 888 statutory declarations for how that requirement works and what does not satisfy it.
Identity documents and translations covers certified copies, names recorded differently across documents, and translation.
Documents that establish the relationship
| Situation | Documents commonly provided |
|---|---|
| Married couples | Marriage certificate issued by the relevant registry. For a marriage overseas, the certificate plus a translation, and evidence the marriage is recognised under Australian law |
| De facto couples | Evidence of the date the de facto relationship began, and of living together; a relationship registration certificate where the relationship is registered in a state or territory that has a register |
| Either | Australian Values Statement signed by applicants aged 18 or over, who must have read or had explained the Life in Australia booklet |
The 12-month de facto requirement, the exemptions from it and the effect of registering a relationship are dealt with on the requirements pages rather than here.
Relationship evidence: the four matters
Regulation 1.15A (married couples) and regulation 1.09A (de facto couples) direct the decision maker, for partner visa applications, to consider all of the circumstances of the relationship including four matters. Organise the evidence under those four headings.
| Matter | What the regulation lists | Documents that speak to it |
|---|---|---|
| Financial aspects | Joint ownership of real estate or major assets; joint liabilities; pooling of financial resources; legal obligations owed to each other; the basis of sharing day-to-day household expenses | Joint bank statements; lease or mortgage; loans and car finance; utility and phone accounts; insurance and superannuation beneficiary nominations; records of regular transfers |
| Nature of the household | Joint responsibility for the care and support of children; living arrangements; sharing of housework | Joint lease, bond receipt, rental ledger; mail to both people at one address over time; home and contents insurance; children's school, medical and childcare records; statements describing the division of chores |
| Social aspects | Whether you represent yourselves to others as married or as de facto partners; the opinion of friends and acquaintances; joint social activities | Form 888 supporting statements; dated and captioned photographs; joint invitations and event bookings; joint travel records; club or gym memberships; correspondence addressed to both |
| Commitment | Duration of the relationship; time spent living together; companionship and emotional support; whether you see it as long term | The applicant's and sponsor's statements; marriage certificate or registration; wills and powers of attorney; evidence of contact during periods apart; joint plans with a paper trail |
Relationship evidence works through each matter in detail, and the two personal statements are covered on relationship statement.
Character documents
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Police certificate, Australia | Commonly required for the applicant and for family members of the relevant age. Valid for 12 months from the date of issue for immigration purposes |
| Police certificates, overseas | Generally sought from each country the applicant has lived in for the relevant qualifying period. Requirements and lead times differ by country |
| Military service records | Where the applicant has served in the armed forces of another country |
Because certificates are valid for 12 months and partner applications can take considerably longer than that, the Department suggests checking processing times before obtaining them, and may ask for fresh certificates if they expire before a decision. Police certificates covers timing and the country-by-country process.
Health documents
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Health examinations | Arranged through the Department after a HAP ID is issued. The health requirement applies to the applicant and to family members who apply, and can apply to family members who do not apply |
| Health examination results | Valid for 12 months |
| Health undertaking, where one is required | Runs for 6 months |
Key facts
As at 23 September 2026 the Department states that police certificates are valid for 12 months from the date of issue for immigration purposes, that health assessment results are valid for 12 months, and that a health undertaking runs for 6 months. Check the current position on the Department's subclass 820 page before you book anything.
Health examinations explains the HAP ID and what happens if a condition is identified.
Children, custody and court documents
| Situation | Documents commonly provided |
|---|---|
| A child is included in the application | Birth certificate showing both parents, passport, and evidence of the relationship to the applicant |
| The applicant or sponsor shares parenting with someone else | Parenting orders or a parenting plan, custody or access arrangements, or the written consent of the other parent to the child leaving or remaining outside their country |
| A child is added after the 820 is granted | Family members cannot be added to the application after grant. A dependent child needs a Dependent child visa (subclass 445) first, and is then included at the permanent stage using Form 1002 while in Australia |
The visa might not be granted if it would not be in the best interests of an applicant under 18. Including children in your application covers this in full.
Translations, copies and file quality
An English translation is normally provided with any document that is not in English, and certified copies are commonly provided where an original cannot be scanned. Beyond that, the practical rules are about legibility: scan in colour at a readable resolution, keep each file within the size limits ImmiAccount shows, name files so the name describes the contents, and combine sequences such as twelve months of bank statements into a single named file rather than twelve uploads.
Uploading and keeping the file current
Documents are attached to the application in ImmiAccount against the checklist it generates. The Department says you should provide all required information with your application, or as soon as possible after you apply, and that because partner applications can have long processing times you should update your documents and evidence of your relationship regularly through ImmiAccount.
That second point is the one most applicants underuse. The relationship has to satisfy the criteria at the time of decision, not only at lodgement, so each year's lease renewal, insurance policy and joint financial records belongs in the file as it arrives. Lodging in ImmiAccount covers the mechanics.
An application prepared with an immigration lawyer is more likely to succeed, and documents are where that shows. The failures on this page's topic are unglamorous: a police certificate that expired before the decision, a translation that was never provided, a former marriage that was never evidenced as ended, or a sponsor identity document the Department does not accept. Each is avoidable, and each can cost months.
What to do next
Work down the tables above and mark what you already hold. Then build the relationship evidence properly, starting with relationship evidence, and order the documents with long lead times — overseas police certificates and any translations — first. When the temporary visa has been granted, the second round of documents is set out on 801 stage documents.
Common questions
What documents do I need for an 820 visa?
Identity documents for the applicant, the sponsor and any children included in the application; documents establishing the relationship such as a marriage certificate or relationship registration; relationship evidence covering the four matters in the Migration Regulations; police certificates; health examination results; and documents dealing with any name change, former marriage or child custody arrangement. The exact list generated for your application appears in ImmiAccount once the forms are completed.
How long is a police certificate valid for a partner visa?
The Department of Home Affairs says police certificates are valid for 12 months from the date of issue for immigration purposes. If a certificate expires before a decision is made, the Department may ask for a new one, so it is worth checking processing times before obtaining certificates.
How long are health examination results valid?
The Department says health assessment results are valid for 12 months, and that a health undertaking runs for 6 months. As with police certificates, results can expire during a long processing period and may need to be redone.
Do I have to provide everything when I lodge?
The Department says you should provide all required information with your application, or as soon as possible after you apply. Applicants who do not hold a substantive visa have specific items that must be included at lodgement, or the application may be deemed invalid. Everything else can be uploaded afterwards through ImmiAccount, and evidence should keep being added while the application is processed.
Do documents in another language need to be translated?
An English translation is normally provided with any document that is not in English, and certified copies are commonly provided where an original cannot be uploaded. Check the document checklist that ImmiAccount generates for your own application, because requirements differ by document type and country.
Unregistered agents
An unregistered agent who gives immigration assistance is acting illegally (Migration Act 1958 s 280). They carry no professional indemnity insurance, so if their mistake costs you a refusal, your fees or your pathway, there is no insurer to claim against. A practising Australian lawyer must hold that insurance.