Family Law Airport Watchlist Applications and Removal Australia 2026

Can I apply before the court has made an order?

Yes. A qualifying application already filed with the court can support a request to the AFP before the court makes its final decision. The application must seek to limit or prevent overseas travel and expressly request the child’s placement on the Watchlist. Existing orders and relevant appeals must meet the corresponding requirements.

If there are no current proceedings, the usual court document is an Initiating Application. In an existing case, you can use an Application in a Proceeding or, where appropriate, amend your application or response. NS Legal can identify the correct route and draft the proposed orders so the travel restriction and the Watchlist request are both clear.

What documents and evidence will I need?

When relying on a filed application, send the sealed application and the Family Law Watchlist Request Form to the AFP. Preparing the court application also requires evidence explaining why you want the child prevented from leaving Australia. Have the following information ready:

• Your child’s full name, date of birth, passport number and issuing country, together with residential and contact details.
• Copies of existing orders and any filed application relevant to the travel restrictions.
• Your contact number available at any time, an emergency contact and an email address.
• Any known itinerary, the purpose of the trip and the travelling parties’ connections to Australia.

The court application needs a supporting affidavit. A new parenting case also requires the applicable risk notice, Genuine Steps Certificate, Undertaking as to Disclosure and dispute resolution certificate or exemption material. NS Legal can organise your evidence into an affidavit, prepare the court documents and lodge the AFP request.

What if my child could leave before the next working day?

The court has an emergency service for a risk of departure before the next working day; call 1300 352 000 outside business hours for referral. An urgent case may qualify for an exemption from the usual Family Dispute Resolution requirement, supported by evidence of the urgency.

NS Legal can prepare an urgent listing request with the supporting affidavit and covering letter. Tell us what you know about the departure and provide the relevant documents when you first contact us. Where the risk allows negotiation, family mediation can help you agree the travel conditions.

Will a child passport alert stop an overseas trip?

A child passport alert prompts closer examination of an Australian passport application. It does not necessarily prevent a passport being issued and cannot stop travel using an available Australian or foreign travel document. Someone with parental responsibility can request an alert using the Child Alert Request, or PC9, form, with reasons and relevant court orders.

The court can also order the surrender of a child’s or accompanying adult’s passport. NS Legal can advise which passport measures and travel restrictions to seek, taking account of the documents the child holds.

How do I remove a child from the Watchlist or arrange permitted travel?

An absolute travel restraint generally requires a further court order before the child can travel; the parents’ agreement alone does not override it. An application can seek to discharge or vary the original restraint and direct the AFP to remove the child’s name. Agreed changes can be submitted as consent orders. A disputed application needs a court decision, and the proposed orders should distinguish a temporary travel permission from permanent removal.

A conditional order may permit travel with authenticated consent from everyone whose consent is required. That consent must be signed in writing and endorsed by a person authorised under Commonwealth law to witness statutory declarations, confirming the signer’s identity and that it was signed in their presence. Provide the supporting material to the AFP well before departure. Permission for a particular trip does not necessarily remove the child’s name permanently.

Once new orders are made, send the AFP sealed copies together with the relevant Watchlist orders and any other court orders made while the child was listed, then confirm that the Watchlist record has been updated. NS Legal can draft the variation or removal application around your travel dates, destination and return arrangements. Before booking, check the Watchlist status and whether any other restraint remains in force, including when an order appears to have expired.

Compiled from official sources; updated 29 October 2026.