Form 1195: Identity Declaration for Australian Citizenship

What Form 1195 is

Form 1195 ('Identity Declaration') is a two-part document. The applicant completes their own personal details in one section. A separate person — the referee — completes a declaration confirming they know the applicant, and endorses one of the applicant's photos as a true likeness of them. It exists to confirm identity in situations where a face-to-face biometric check isn't part of the process, which is why it matters more for some application types than others — an online citizenship-by-descent or evidence-of-citizenship application, for example, doesn't involve the same in-person identity verification step that some other visa and citizenship pathways build in, so this paper declaration fills that gap.

Which applications actually still need it (the part most guides get wrong)

This is the load-bearing fact to get right. Since September 2024, adult applicants for citizenship by conferral — Form 1300t (general eligibility) or Form 1290 (other situations) — generally no longer need to complete and attach Form 1195 for themselves; the online application removed the upload slot for it, and identity is instead confirmed through ImmiAccount and biometric checks. Form 1195 remains a requirement for citizenship by descent applications and evidence-of-citizenship applications, where that biometric confirmation doesn't apply in the same way. It can also still be needed as an overflow attachment when a conferral application includes more children than the main form's built-in space allows for. If you're not sure which category your case falls into, your ImmiAccount checklist for the specific form you're using is the authority — a lot of pre-2024 content online still describes Form 1195 as universally required, and that's now out of date.

Who can be the referee

The referee needs to be an Australian citizen aged 18 or over, employed in an occupation from Home Affairs' approved list, and must have known the applicant personally for at least 12 months. Approved occupations include roles like police officer, a teacher employed full-time at a school or tertiary institution, a minister of religion, medical practitioners and nurses, pharmacists, and public servants, among others on the official list. The referee cannot be related to the applicant by birth, marriage or a de facto relationship — the point of the requirement is an independent third party vouching for identity, not a family member.

The photo endorsement — exact wording

One of the applicant's photos needs to be physically endorsed by the referee. The referee writes a specific statement on the back of the photo confirming it's a true photograph of the applicant, then signs and dates it — the form specifies the exact wording to use, and it needs to match, not be paraphrased. The photo itself needs to be a recent, standard passport-style photo (generally no more than six months old) and attached to the form as instructed, not stapled or taped over the face. Because the exact required wording and photo specifications can be updated between form versions, always work from the current Form 1195 PDF rather than an example from an older application.

Common rejection reasons

The most frequent issue is an ineligible referee — someone whose occupation isn't actually on the approved list, someone who hasn't known the applicant for the full 12 months, or a family member completing it despite the relationship-independence rule. The second most common issue is the photo endorsement itself: wrong or paraphrased wording, a missing signature or date, or a photo that's outdated or doesn't meet the specification. Incomplete sections — a referee leaving mandatory fields blank, or an applicant submitting without the required photograph attached — round out the recurring problems. Any of these can mean the form is treated as invalid, which delays the wider application it's attached to.

One form per person, and it isn't a paid form

Where Form 1195 is required, a separate, individually completed form is needed for every person included in the application — adults, children and infants alike — not one form covering a whole family. There's no separate government fee for Form 1195 itself; it's a supporting attachment to whichever underlying citizenship application it belongs to, and the application charge for that underlying form is what you actually pay. Keep a copy of each completed form before submitting, and don't reuse a referee's endorsement from a previous application — the photo, signature and date all need to be current to the application you're actually lodging now, not carried over from an earlier one.

Do I need Form 1195 for a standard citizenship application?

Generally no, as at 2026, if you're an adult applying for citizenship by conferral using Form 1300t or 1290 — since September 2024, identity is confirmed through ImmiAccount and biometrics instead. Form 1195 is still required for citizenship by descent and evidence-of-citizenship applications, and can still be needed for extra children beyond a conferral form's built-in space.

Who can be a referee for Form 1195?

An Australian citizen aged 18 or over, working in an occupation on Home Affairs' approved list (examples include police officer, full-time teacher, minister of religion, medical practitioner, nurse, pharmacist and public servant), who has known the applicant personally for at least 12 months and isn't related to them by birth, marriage or de facto relationship.

What does the referee have to write on the photo?

The current Form 1195 specifies exact wording confirming the photo is a true likeness of the applicant, which the referee writes on the back of the photo along with their signature and the date. Use the wording on the current form PDF rather than an example from an older version — it needs to match, not be paraphrased.

Is there a fee to submit Form 1195?

No — Form 1195 itself has no separate government fee. It's a supporting document attached to whichever citizenship application it belongs to; you pay the application charge for that underlying form, not for the identity declaration.

Why was my Form 1195 rejected?

The most common reasons are an ineligible referee (wrong occupation, hasn't known the applicant 12 months, or is related to them), an incorrectly worded or unsigned photo endorsement, an outdated or non-compliant photo, or incomplete mandatory fields.

Does every family member need a separate Form 1195?

Yes, where the form is required at all — each applicant, including children and infants, needs their own individually completed Form 1195, not one shared form covering the family.