Police Certificates for Subclass 100 in 2026: AFP vs Overseas, and Why Standard Disclosure Is Rejected

For the permanent Partner (Migrant) visa (subclass 100), the Australian Department of Home Affairs accepts only one Australian police document: a complete disclosure National Police Certificate issued by the Australian Federal Police (AFP). Standard disclosure certificates are not accepted, and neither are national police certificates issued by Australian state or territory police. If, since your subclass 309 visa was granted, you spent a total of 12 months or more in any country — including your home country — you also need an overseas police certificate from that country. These requirements are set out on the Department of Home Affairs' Partner (Migrant) visa (subclass 100) official page, as at October 2026.

Which police certificate is accepted at the subclass 100 stage?

Only the AFP's complete disclosure National Police Certificate. The Department's page states plainly that it does not accept standard disclosure certificates, and does not accept national police certificates issued by Australian state or territory police, for immigration purposes.

Overseas certificates are a separate and additional requirement, not a substitute. You can hold a valid AFP certificate and still be asked for certificates from other countries, because the two documents cover different periods and different jurisdictions.

Document	Accepted for subclass 100?
AFP National Police Certificate — complete disclosure	Yes, this is the only accepted Australian certificate
AFP standard disclosure certificate	No
National police certificate from a state or territory police force	No
Overseas police certificate from a country where you spent 12 months or more since your 309 grant	Yes, and required in addition

Why is standard disclosure rejected, and why won't a state police check do?

The Department's requirement is expressed as a single accepted document type rather than a general "police check", and both common alternatives fall outside it. A standard disclosure certificate is a different level of disclosure from the complete disclosure certificate, so it does not meet the stated requirement even though it comes from the same agency.

A state or territory police certificate is rejected on the same basis: the requirement names the AFP as the issuing body. A state check may be perfectly valid for employment or volunteer screening in Australia, but validity for one purpose does not carry over to the visa character requirement.

The practical consequence is that the document you already hold for work is often the wrong one. Ordering the AFP complete disclosure product, rather than the cheapest or fastest check, is what determines whether the certificate counts.

When do you need a new AFP certificate instead of the one from your 309 application?

You usually need to provide a current Australian police certificate for the permanent stage if you did not attach one with your subclass 309 application. The Department may also ask you to provide a new Australian police certificate if your previous one has expired.

For immigration purposes, police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date. That clock runs from the date of issue, not from the date you upload the document, so a certificate ordered well before your submission window opens can expire while you are still waiting.

Suppose an applicant lodged the combined 309/100 application in early 2024 and submitted permanent-stage documents shortly after the two-year point in early 2026. An AFP certificate issued in mid-2024 would already be outside the 12-month validity period, and a new one would be needed.

Which countries require an overseas police certificate?

You need an overseas police certificate from any country where you spent a total of 12 months or more since the grant of your 309 visa. The threshold is cumulative time, not a single continuous stay, and your home country is expressly included.

The relevant period is measured from the grant of the 309 visa, which is why travel and residence after that grant matters more than where you lived before you applied. Short visits that add up to less than the threshold do not trigger the requirement.

Do family members need certificates too?

Yes, for some of them. For every family member who currently holds a subclass 309 or 445 visa, the Department asks for copies of their passport, documents showing changes to their situation, and police certificates where applicable for dependents aged 16 years or older.

A dependent child added before a decision is made must also meet the character requirement if they are 16 or older.

If I was granted the 100 straight after my 309, does any of this apply?

No. If the Department granted you a permanent Partner visa (subclass 100) immediately after granting your temporary Partner visa (subclass 309), you do not have to provide these documents or do anything else. If it did not, you need to provide further documents.

The way to confirm which visa you currently hold is to check your visa details and conditions through VEVO.

When can you submit the documents?

You are eligible for consideration for the permanent Partner visa two years after you apply for the temporary and permanent Partner visas. You can confirm the date you submitted your application in ImmiAccount, and you should submit your permanent-stage documents once two years have passed since you first applied. Do not send them before that time.

Once submitted, the Department's page advises updating your documents and relationship evidence regularly through ImmiAccount, because partner applications can have long processing times.

How should the documents be prepared?

Have all documents translated into English, and provide both the original and the translation.
Use a translator accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) for translations done in Australia.
For translations done outside Australia, accreditation is not required, but the translator must include their full name, address and telephone number, and their qualifications and experience in the language — in English.
Scan or photograph everything in colour, clearly enough to read, with multi-page documents saved as one file.
Documents do not need to be certified.
Attach each document only once, even if it supports more than one requirement, and label it clearly. Up to 100 documents per person can be attached, and the limit cannot be increased.

One further point that matters for anyone paying for help: a person who gives you immigration assistance must be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person. This article is general information about the published requirements and is not a substitute for advice on your own circumstances, so confirm the current position on the official pages or with a qualified professional before you rely on it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to provide police certificates again if I already gave them for my subclass 309?

You usually need to provide a current Australian police certificate for the permanent stage if you did not attach one with your subclass 309 application. Even if you did, the Department may ask for a new one if the previous certificate has expired, since police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date.

Is a state police check acceptable if it covers the same period?

No. The Department of Home Affairs states that it only accepts complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police and does not accept national police certificates issued by Australian state or territory police. The issuing authority is part of the requirement, not just the period covered.

How long is a police certificate valid for immigration purposes?

Police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date for immigration purposes. The 12 months run from the date of issue, so the document can lapse while you are still waiting for the two-year eligibility point or for a decision.

Do I need an overseas police certificate if I only made short visits home?

The requirement is triggered by a total of 12 months or more spent in a country since the grant of your 309 visa. Visits that together fall short of 12 months do not meet that threshold, though the total is cumulative across trips rather than per visit.

Do my children need police certificates for the subclass 100 stage?

Police certificates are required where applicable for dependents aged 16 years or older who hold a subclass 309 or 445 visa. Younger dependents are not covered by that police certificate requirement, but you still need their passport copies and documents showing changes to their situation.

Can I submit my permanent-stage documents before the two-year mark?

No. You become eligible for consideration two years after you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas, and the Department's instruction is not to send the documents before that time. The date you submitted your application can be checked in ImmiAccount.

Who can lawfully give me immigration assistance on this application?

Anyone you appoint to give immigration assistance must be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person. Such a person can discuss your application with the Department, give it information, and send and receive correspondence about it.