Consular Notarial and Passports Services - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

 

 

Australian Passports

Notarial Services

Consular Services to Australians, Canadians, and citizens of Nauru and Papua New Guinea

 

Australian Passports

 

Do I need to make an appointment for Passports Services?
Yes. You will need to make an appointment if you wish to come to the Consulate-General to apply for an Australian passport.

I have dual nationality/citizenship, can I travel to Australia on a foreign passport?
An Australian Citizen cannot enter Australia on a foreign passport. A visa will not be issued to an Australian citizen on their foreign passport.

I live far away from Noumea, but I need to renew my passport or apply for a passport. Can I lodge my application somewhere else?
All applications for passports, including for renewals, must be lodged in person, whether in Australia or overseas.

I want to apply for a passport for my child. Does my child need to attend the interview?
Applicants under the age of 16 are not required to attend the interview for the lodgement of a passport application.
Applicants aged 16 or older are required to attend the interview for the lodgement of a passport application. 

My passport was lost/stolen or my passport has expired. What do I do?
We can issue you an emergency passport.
We recommend you visit a police or gendarmerie station to declare the passport as lost or stolen.
If you are travelling in the coming days, you will need to visit our office to apply for an emergency passport.
If you are not travelling soon, you may wish to apply for a full-validity passport.
You will need to provide a B11 – General declaration by passport applicant along with your passport application and supporting documents.
Further information is available at Lost and stolen passports | Australian Passport Office.

What is the difference between an emergency passport and a full-validity passport?
An emergency passport has a limited validity and has some restrictions for entry in certain countries.
A full-validity passport is a biometric passport and is valid for 5 or 10 years. 

I need my birth certificate for my passport application, but it is in French. Do I need to have it translated?
All supporting documents must be presented in English. French Town halls, including in New Caledonia and in Wallis and Futuna, issue multilingual documents which will need to be presented with the original in French. Otherwise, present to the Consulate-General the original and a translation by a sworn translator. Some documents may require an Apostille from French authorities (the French Courts of Appeal in the area in which the French town hall is located can issue Apostilles).

Do I need to present original supporting documents or will copies be accepted?
All supporting documents to a passport application must be original documents.

Can my passport be sent to me when it is ready?
No, passports are to be picked up by applicants. If you are unable to do so, you will need to provide a written authorisation for someone to pick it up for you.
Passports are mailed to applicants under exceptional circumstances and shipment costs are to be paid for by the applicant to the courier company.

Are there fees to pay to apply for a passport and how can I pay them?
Passport applications incur passport fees which are payable only by credit or debit card (American Express is not accepted), in Pacific Francs (XPF). All passport applications lodged overseas incur an additional overseas surcharge fee for adults (including seniors) and children. Application fees applicable to child applicants aged 16 or 17 are the adult fee and the additional overseas surcharge fee is the child rate. The additional overseas fee does not apply to emergency passports. These overseas fees are indexed annually. Please contact us for current fees converted to Pacific francs (XPF).

Further information, including on supporting documents, guarantor categories, relevant links and contact details, are available on our website under Australian Passports Services.
 

Notarial Services

Certified copies, Apostilles, Witnessing of Signatures (Including Statutory Declarations and Affidavits), Identity checks, Certificates of No-Impediment to marriage

Notarial services are procedures which facilitate legal recognition of documents in Australia. A limited range of notarial services can be provided by the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea. These services are for Australian documents, or foreign documents intended for use in Australia with Australian services.

 

Do notarial services performed by the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea incur a fee and do I need to make an appointment?
Please note notarial services are on appointment only and that fees apply. Fees are payable only by credit or debit card (American Express is not accepted), in Pacific Francs (XPF). Please contact us for current fees converted to Pacific francs (XPF).

Why does this cost money when I can get it for free in Australia?
The charges for the overseas provision of notarial services are set by the Consular Fees Act 1955. 

Why are consular staff not able to provide guidance and advice on the notarial services I require?
If you choose to use consular staff as your witness or certifier, it is your responsibility to ensure you present the correct forms and documents and provide correct instructions for the notarial service you require, including advising which identification documents you need to present and the category of officer required to perform the service.
If you are unsure of the legislative requirements relating to the notarial service you require, you should seek independent legal advice. Please note that neither the Australian Government nor the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea guarantees the legal effectiveness of the notarised document or the accuracy of its content.
Relevant officers at the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea can provide notarial services as Authorised Consular Employees or Consular Officers (diplomats), empowered under the Consular Fees Act 1955. Please check with the authority requiring the notarial service which officer at the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea can provide the notarial service.

What notarial services can I request at the Consulate-General?
Please visit the Smartraveller website for information on notarial services provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Further information on the notarial services available from the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea is available under Notarial Services, including witnessing, certifying and issuing legal documents.
Some organisations, such as your bank or a Government agency, will stipulate that you must use an Australian consular official if you are overseas.  We would recommend you go back to whoever is requesting you get your documents legalised and ask who they will or won't accept.  Some agencies may accept a local solicitor/lawyer or a local notary public to perform these services in New Caledonia.

Does the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea provide notarial services anywhere else in New Caledonia?
The Australian Consulate-General only provides services within its mission in Noumea. We may also provide some notarial services in Wallis and Futuna when we undertake official visits.

What is an apostille and can I do this at the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea?
An apostille is an authentication of the signature of a public official on a document which can be affixed to an original document to endorse its validity so that it may be accepted in certain countries overseas. Further information is available on Smartraveller including verifying an Australian Apostille issued by DFAT. If you're not sure that you need an apostille, please ask the requesting authority or seek independent legal advice.
Please also note French Town halls, including in New Caledonia and in Wallis and Futuna, issue multilingual documents and that some may require an apostille from French authorities (the French Courts of Appeal in the area in which the French town hall is located can issue apostilles).

What is an affidavit and can I do this at the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea?
An affidavit is a legal document that contains a written statement of fact and which is used as evidence in court. You confirm your affidavit by oath or affirmation. An affidavit must be witnessed by an approved witness. If you're not sure that you need a statutory declaration or an affidavit, please ask the requesting authority or seek independent legal advice. Your lawyer or solicitor must provide clear instructions as to what they need in and on the affidavit. If an affidavit contains attachments or is multiple pages, we will bind the pages together. Some receiving authorities don't accept bound documents. Ask the receiving authority if they'll accept it.

What is a statutory declaration and can I do this at the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea?
A statutory declaration is a legal document that contains a written statement about something that is true. It must be witnessed by an approved witness. If you're not sure that you need a statutory declaration or an affidavit, please ask the requesting authority or seek independent legal advice. Please also check the Attorney-General’s Department’s FAQs on Statutory Declarations.

I need to have my signature witnessed (i.e.: identity check, transfer of land, other), do I need to come to the Consulate-General in Noumea?
Yes. You will need to make an appointment for this notarial service.
We can witness signatures on many official Australian documents, for use in Australia. Be aware that you may not need DFAT to witness your signature. In many cases, you can find a local authority to witness it for you. Ask the receiving authority in Australia who else can witness it for you.
We can verify your identity using a DFAT Identity Certificate, for use in Australia. We can't tell you if you need one. You must ask the receiving authority. Be aware that we only verify identities using the DFAT Identity Certificate. We can't use, complete or sign any other organisation's document to verify your identity.
You will be provided with the relevant DFAT Identity Certificate for Identity certification only or for Witnessing signature and identity certification.

Can I get a certified copy of my passport/driver’s licence/other document from the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea?
You can request certified copies from our services by making an appointment with our office. Regarding certified copies of original documents, we cannot issue a certified copy of a document that is expired or has been tampered, altered, or otherwise damaged. Fees are charged per document requiring certification, each document photocopied and certified separately. We are unable to photocopy multiple documents onto one page. We will photocopy your documents and apply the following certification: "This is a true copy of the document presented to me". These are DFAT approved words and cannot change. The Australian Consulate-General in Noumea is not authorised to provide other variations of certifications. Further information is available under Notarial Services, including witnessing, certifying and issuing legal documents

The form says I can use a JP (Justice of the Peace) or a police officer but I can't find one who is willing to do this in New Caledonia. What can I do? 
Generally the guidance about who can witness or legalise a document is provided with the assumption you are in Australia, where police and JP's are commonly used for these services. This is not the case in New Caledonia or once you are overseas. Please check with the receiving authority in Australia which overseas authority they will accept. Some authorities may accept a local solicitor/lawyer or ar local notary public to perform these services in New Caledonia.

I've been asked to get you to verify my ID, what documents do I need to bring into you?
We cannot advise you on what documents you may need to provide. If you have questions about what is required, you need to seek clarification from the authority which is requesting that you have this done.

In order to access my bank or superannuation account in Australia while overseas, I need to request certain notarial services, can I do this at the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea?
First, please contact your bank or superannuation fund for further information.
Depending on your bank or superannuation fund, you may need a certified copy and/or a witnessing of your signature.

I am getting married in New Caledonia. What documents do I need?
We are unable to provide advice on specific requirements for Australians to be married overseas, nor provide translation or interpretation services. In New Caledonia, the relevant French town hall can advise of local legal requirements, including documentation, and confirm eligibility. Further information, including links and contact details, are available under Marrying in New Caledonia.

Can I request an Australian Birth Certificate from the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea?
No. You can request an Australian Birth Certificate, or any other civil registry documents, from the Registrar for Births, Deaths, and Marriages (RBDM) in the relevant Australian State or Territory. Further information, including links and contacts, are available at Civil registry documents (births, deaths and marriages).

Can I request a new Drivers Licence from the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea?
No. You need to request a new Driver’s Licence from the roads and traffic authority in the state where you received your licence.  You may require your signature to be witnessed by a consular officer on the licence application or photo-kit. Please check what is required from the relevant Australian roads and traffic authority. Links are available under Driving Licences

I need to request an Australian Police Check. How do I do this?
You can request a National Police Check directly from the Australian Federal Police. Further information is available under Police Clearances.

I need to access my Australian pension. What do I do?
Centrelink is the agency that provides social security payments and services to Australians. Further information is available under Australian Department of Human Services, including Centrelink and Medicare.

Further information, including relevant links and contact details, are available on our website under Consular, Notarial and Passport Services.

 

Consular Services to Australians, Canadians, and citizens of Nauru and Papua New Guinea

 

The Australian Consulate-General in Noumea provides a range of consular services to Australian citizens in New Caledonia and in Wallis-and-Futuna. Consular assistance can also be provided to nationals of Papua New Guinea and Nauru.

Assistance to Canadian citizens - Under the Consular Sharing Agreement with Canada, the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea can provide some consular assistance to Canadian citizens in New Caledonia and in Wallis-and-Futuna which includes the link to the Canadian Consular Services Charter on what Canadian services can and cannot offer overseas.

 

I require consular assistance. Who should I call?

During office hours, you can email us on [email protected] or call us on +687 27 24 14 (outside of office hours, follow the prompts to be connected to the 24/7 Consular Emergency Centre in Canberra).

Outside of our office hours, you may also contact the 24/7 Consular Emergency Centre in Canberra by phone on +61 2 6261 3305 from overseas, or on 1300 555 135 from within Australia.

At any time, Canadian citizens may also contact the 24/7 Canadian Emergency Watch and Response Center in Ottawa (email: [email protected] – phone +1 613 996 8885 with call collect accepted where available).

Please also check the list of phone numbers for emergencies and assistance in New Caledonia and Wallis-and-Futuna you may wish to contact as applicable to your circumstances.

 

 What consular assistance can the Australian Consulate-General provide?

You will find information on the consular assistance available to Australian nationals and what we can and cannot do on the Consular Services Charter. Please also read the Consular Privacy Collection Statement. Consular assistance to citizens of Canada, Nauru and Papua New Guinea is provided under the direction of the consular services of the citizens’ country and relevant consular clients should refer to their Consular Services Charter for further details.

If you’re a dual national holding the citizenship of the country you are in, we will only be able to assist you in your country of other nationality in exceptional circumstances. If you're in your other country of citizenship, the government there may restrict what consular services we can provide. You should first look to emergency services or local authorities available to you, as a national of that country. Please check the list of phone numbers for emergencies and assistance in New Caledonia and Wallis-and-Futuna. Australian dual-nationals should also check Advice for dual nationals | Smartraveller, Canadian dual-nationals should also check Dual citizens - Travel.gc.ca

Consular assistance to permanent residents of Australia can only be provided in the event of a crisis overseas and only if help is already being provided to Australian citizens. This help is an exception as permanent residents are not entitled to consular assistance. This may include government-assisted evacuations when provided to Australian citizens. Further information from Home Affairs for permanent residents is available at Permanent resident (homeaffairs.gov.au).