Form 888 2026: Can It Be Signed Electronically? What Changed
Form 888 was renamed and redesigned in August 2026 — this covers whether it can be signed electronically, who can complete it, and the new identity-evidence requirement. It also covers how many statements Home Affairs actually asks for, and the false-statement penalty printed on the form itself. Figures as at September 2026.
Read the full guide, with official sources →
Watch
Chapters
- 0:00 Can Form 888 be signed electronically?
- 0:14 August 2026:
- 0:24 Only one signature on the form:
- 0:35 New in 2026:
- 0:47 Who can complete it?
- 0:57 Not a fixed 2.
- 1:07 Specific beats generic —
- 1:18 The penalty on the form itself:
- 1:29 Always download the current version
- 1:41 Where to read more
Transcript
Form 888 can be signed electronically — it stopped being a statutory declaration on 24 July 2023, so there's no Justice of the Peace requirement at all.
In August 2026, Home Affairs renamed it. It's now called the Supporting Statement — the word Witness is gone from the title entirely.
There's no space anywhere on the current form for a Justice of the Peace, police officer or lawyer to sign — only the person making the statement signs it themselves.
The 2026 version adds something new: whoever completes it must attach proof of their own identity — a birth certificate, an Australian passport, or a passport with a permanent visa.
The person completing Form 888 needs to know the couple and their relationship, and be at least 18 years old — that's the whole eligibility test on the form itself.
How many statements do you actually need? The form itself says you may be asked for up to 3 — not the fixed 2-is-standard rule you'll read elsewhere.
A useful statement gives specific, dated observations — a wedding attended, a house move, a period of illness — not a general line like they seem happy together.
Giving false or misleading information on this form carries a penalty of 10 years' imprisonment or a fine of $313,000, or both, under the Migration Act.
Always download the current version from Home Affairs — the form changed in 2023 and again in 2026, and an old copy can be missing the new identity-evidence requirement.
The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description. And if you'd like to talk it through, you can compare registered migration agents there, and see their fees before you book anything.
Short versions
- Form 888 doesn't need a JP anymore (0:37)
- The new Form 888 rule most guides miss (0:32)
- How many Form 888s do you actually need? (0:32)
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