Fee Waiver Policy
This policy sets out the circumstances under which the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages (the Registry) may waive fees for services needed to establish, prove or align a person’s legal identity.
1. Scope
Under this policy, fee waivers may be available for:
- New birth certificates
- Previously issued birth, death, marriage, change of name and recognised details certificates
- Integrated birth certificates
- Change of name registration and certificates
- Change of sex registration and certificates
Fee waivers are generally not available for Registry services not listed in this policy. However, nothing in this policy limits the Registrar’s discretion under section 55 of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1995 (NSW) to waive all or part of a fee in an appropriate case.
This policy does not apply to refunds. The Refund Policy is available on our website.
2. Applying for a fee waiver
Fee waiver requests are made by submitting:
- A fee waiver application (PDF 460.91KB)
- Supporting evidence for the fee waiver request (see section 4. Supporting evidence for fee waiver applications)
- A completed application for each service for which the fee waiver is sought.
A fee waiver application may be submitted by the person seeking the fee waiver or another person assisting them. Applications may be lodged at a Service NSW Service Centre or by post to the Registry GPO Box 30, Sydney, NSW 2001.
If a fee waiver request is declined, the applicant will be provided with the reason for the decision.
Applicants may apply for multiple fee waivers for different services (e.g. a change of name registration and a birth certificate). However, the Registry will generally not grant a fee waiver for a service that was previously provided free.
3. Fee waiver eligibility
Category A - legal
Fees will be waived for any Registry service required under an order, direction, warrant or finding of an Australian court or tribunal, as part of a statutory oversight or investigative process.
Category B – people who have recently been incarcerated
- Adults recently released from a NSW correctional facility within the past 3 months.
- Children currently in a NSW Youth Justice centre, or recently released from a NSW Youth Justice centre within the past 3 months.
Category C – people impacted by former government policies
- Members of the Stolen Generations.
- People impacted by forced adoption policies in an Australian jurisdiction.
Category D – people recently impacted by a declared natural disaster, war or terrorism
- People who have been impacted by a declared natural disaster or terrorism event in Australia, within 6 months of the event.
- People who were born in NSW and have been impacted by a declared natural disaster, terrorism event or war in another Australian or international jurisdiction, within 6 months of the event.
Category E – people experiencing financial and other forms of hardship
Fees may be waived for applicants who are experiencing financial hardship and who have been recently impacted by one or more of the following events:
- Domestic violence or other forms of violent crime
- Homelessness or housing instability
- Serious injury, acute medical condition, or chronic long-term illness
- Personal disaster resulting in significant property loss (e.g., house fire, burglary)
- Identity-related crime.
4. Supporting evidence for fee waiver applications
The table below outlines the minimum supporting evidence required to support a fee waiver application. Other forms of evidence that demonstrate eligibility may also be provided with the fee waiver application. Further information may be requested following initial assessment.
| Eligibility category | Evidence required to support application |
|---|---|
| Category A | A copy of the relevant court order or documentation. |
| Category B | A prison release form or a letter of support from a NSW Youth Justice case manager. |
| Categories C & D | A letter of support confirming eligibility from an Australian based government agency or recognised community service provider (see section 6. Support letters). A letter of support is not required for NSW residents living in a declared natural disaster area attending a government Recovery Centre, Recovery Assistance Point or Service NSW Centre. Providing evidence of residential address is sufficient. |
| Category E | A letter or document confirming eligibility under at least one of the following circumstances: Domestic violence or other forms of violent crime:
Homelessness or housing instability:
Serious injury, acute medical condition, or chronic long-term illness:
Personal disaster resulting in significant property loss (e.g., house fire, burglary):
Identity-related crime:
AND evidence of financial hardship with one of the following:
|
5. Exceptional circumstances discretion
Where an applicant cannot provide the required evidence due to exceptional circumstances (e.g. immediate safety risk or inability to access documents), the Registrar or a delegate may vary the requirements.
6. Support letters
Applications seeking a fee waiver under eligibility categories C, D and E may require a recent letter of support from an Australian-based government agency or a reputable community organisation recognised for helping people access government services. Support letters should:
- Be on letterhead or from an official email address, and include the name, role, organisation and contact details of the person the letter is from.
- Include the full name, date and place of birth (where known) of the person applying for the fee waiver.
- Briefly explain how the applicant’s circumstances meet the eligibility criteria for a fee waiver under category C, D or E, without providing unnecessary personal detail.
7. Partner organisations
The Registry has formal agreements with some government and non-government organisations that help disadvantaged and vulnerable people access free birth certificates. These agreements operate separately from this policy.
8. Vulnerable communities outreach program
The Registry has a dedicated community outreach team that attends place-based events across NSW. People may attend these events to access specialist Registry assistance or apply for fee waivers in line with this policy.