Victoria has declared a State of Emergency due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
Our customer service and call centres are closed until further notice.
You can still apply online for certificates and registrations. Check our certificate turnaround times for how long it will take.
We are prioritising critical certificate or registration requests. For critical needs only:
- Apply online, then
- Email bdmcritical@justice.vic.gov.au (External link) with your reference number and reason(s) why it is critical.
For information about COVID-19, visit the DHHS website (External link)
In Victoria, you can register a caring relationship between two adults who aren't a couple and who may be related by family if:
- You're both at least 18 years old
- One party lives in Victoria
- You're not married to each other, a couple, in a relationship that's already registered or in another relationship that could be registered.
How to register
To register your relationship:-
- Both parties need to:
- Provide proof of identity
- Supply evidence that each has sought independent legal advice from separate legal practitioners. (A sample legal practitioner's certificate is attached).
- One of you must:
- Provide evidence that you live in Victoria - for example, a bank statement showing recent Victorian transactions (refer to uploading hard copy documents online).
The law requires a 28 day cooling off period when registering a caring relationship. Due to this, it takes at least 28 calendar days from the date we receive a complete and valid application to register the relationship.
Fees
A non-refundable registration fee of $228.10 applies. The fee does not include a certificate.
You can order a certificate when you apply to register the relationship or at any later date.