Northern Territory office  

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is the Commonwealth Government's principal adviser on foreign and trade policy.

The Northern Territory Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade raises awareness and understanding in the Northern Territory of foreign policy and trade issues and assists business and the Northern Territory Government to make the most of international trade opportunities.

Our services

Assistance to exporters

The department's Northern Territory Office can assist Northern Territory businesses with interests in trade and investments overseas.

Brochure: How we can assist your business [PDF 259 KB]

Passports

Applications for Australian passports may be lodged by appointment at most Australia Post outlets or in some circumstances at the Australian Passport Office, located at the Northern Territory Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Please direct enquiries to the Australian Passport Information Service on 131 232.

Passports

If you are planning to travel overseas, you should consult the relevant Travel Advisory at www.smartraveller.gov.au and register your details.

Notarial services

The Northern Territory Office can provide Authentications, Apostilles and Certificates of No Impediment.

Notarial Services

Notarial Services

Please ensure that documents relating to notarial services you require from the Department of Foreign Affairs Northern Territory Office are presented in the correct form and that you provide the correct instructions for witnessing any signatures on the documents. If you are unsure of the legislative requirements relating to witnessing signatures on a particular document, you should seek independent legal advice. Please note, by witnessing a signature on a document neither the Australian Government nor the Northern Territory Office guarantees the legal effectiveness of the document or the accuracy of its contents.

Authentications/Apostilles

Overseas governments sometimes need proof that Australian documents are genuine before they will accept them. Please confirm requirements with the Embassy or Consulate of the country you are submitting the documents to. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will certify that official signatures, stamps or seals on a document are genuine by checking them against a specimen held on file, and stamping the document with an Authentication or Apostille.

Authentications/Apostilles

In most cases, documents can be processed in three business. There may be a delay if we do not have a specimen signature on file of the person who has signed your document (this means we will need to verify their signature), or at peak times (such as during university graduation periods).

Documents requiring an Authentication or an Apostille can be lodged between 8.30am and 12.30pm Monday to Friday. Alternatively, documents can be submitted by post.

Certificates of No Impediment

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade cannot advise on the specific requirements that may need to be met in order for a marriage to be legal in a particular country. For exact details of what requirements will need to be met, persons wishing to marry overseas should contact the Embassy, High Commission or Consulate of the country in which they would like to marry and also refer to the website of the Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate in that country.

Marriage overseas - general requirements

If accepted by the foreign authorities, Certificates of No Impediment for marriage overseas (CNIs) can be issued by our office in person for citizens and permanent residents of Australia.

Document lodgement

Documents can be lodged in person or sent via post.

Our counter hours are 8:30am-12:30pm Monday to Friday. No appointment is required. Payment can be made by cash, EFTPOS, Visa, Mastercard and bank cheque or money order made payable to the "Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade".

If posting your documents, payment can be made via the below methods:

• bank cheque or money order made payable to the "Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade"
• via credit card authorisation form available at the below link. We can only take payment by Visa or MasterCard.

Notarial request and payment form [PDF 24KB]

If mailing your document please post it, together with the above form and payment to:

Consular Section
Northern Territory Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
GPO Box 1910
Darwin NT 0801

The cost of returning your document by ordinary post is included in the fee. Please indicate how you would like your document/s returned on the above form. If you would like your document returned via registered mail, please include a stamped, self-addressed registered envelope.

Overseas postage

If you are overseas and wish your document to be returned by Express Courier International Service (Australia Post) please include extra payment of (for letters weighing up to 50g) AUD$48.50 (subject to Australia Post price changes).

We can also post documents via regular unregistered Airmail at no extra cost. We do not take any responsibility for documents once they have been posted.

All payment must be in Australian dollars.

Assistance to exporters

• Briefings and seminars on trade related issues and policy, such as free trade agreements (FTAs)
• Advice on access to overseas markets and international business networks
• Access and advice on DFAT research and publications
• Opportunities to meet and discuss trade and foreign policy issues with visiting heads of Australian diplomatic missions.

Among the most important responsibilities of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is to negotiate away market access barriers which hinder Australian exporters in their efforts to develop export markets.

These can include such things as tariffs, quotas, or unreasonable technical regulations or standards. The department is able to address these problems in bilateral government to government negotiations with the country concerned, in regional forums such as APEC, or in the World Trade Organisation.

The department can target those market access barriers which matter to Australian business only if Australian business tells the department what they are. We therefore encourage Northern Territory businesses which find themselves up against market access barriers in potential export markets to contact the Northern Territory Office and make us aware of the problem so that we can help fix it.

If you are a Northern Territory business affected by market access barriers, our Director will always be keen to hear from you. There is no charge for consulting us on such matters - it is part of our core business as a policy arm of government, aimed at creating the best possible conditions for a more prosperous Australia.

To discuss market access issues, please contact:

Director
Northern Territory Office
Phone: (08) 8982 4199
Email: [email protected]

Passports

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issues passports to be used as evidence of identity and citizenship by Australians who are travelling internationally.

Applications for Australian passports may be lodged by appointment at most Australia Post outlets or in some circumstances at the Australian Passport Office.

To make an appointment you must ring the Australia Post information service on 131 318 or the Australian Passport Information Service on 131 232.

For further information about Australian passports visit the Passports website, or contact the Australian Passport Information Service.

Northern Territory Director, Debra Chapman

Ms Chapman has been a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade since 1994 and is currently Director of the Northern Territory Office. In Canberra Ms Chapman has held positions in the Consular Operations Section (1999-2001 and 2004-2006) where she managed the Department’s consular teams, including crisis events.

Born and educated in Adelaide, Ms Chapman worked in the private sector from 1972-1982 and then joined the Australian Public Service in the Northern Territory serving with the Attorney General's Department (until 1989) and the Department of Defence, prior to her commencement with DFAT.