Form 888 is how friends and family support your partner visa. Each witness tells Home Affairs, in their own words, what they know about you and your partner as a couple. The Partner visa page asks for statements from 2 witnesses. This page explains who can be a witness, what a good statement covers, and the one rule people most often get wrong: Form 888 is not a statutory declaration.
Quick Facts
| Item | What Home Affairs says (checked 28 October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Full name | "Supporting statement in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application" |
| Used for | Partner visas (subclass 820/801 and 309/100) and the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) |
| How many | "You must provide statements from 2 witnesses" (Partner visa page) |
| Witness age | 18 years old or older |
| Who | People who know you, your partner and your relationship |
| Australian witnesses | "If the witness is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, provide evidence of this" |
| Statutory declaration? | No. Form 888 "is not a statutory declaration" |
| Who writes your own story | You do, in your relationship history. That is a different document |
What Form 888 is
Home Affairs groups partner visa evidence into four areas: finances, your household, social matters and commitment. Witness statements sit alongside that evidence. They show that people who know you see you as a real couple.
The Partner visa page sets the rule:
"You must provide statements from 2 witnesses who:
- are 18 years old or older
- know you and your spouse or de facto partner
- know about your relationship. Statements from witnesses can be done by completing Form 888"
The form's full title tells you where it is used: "Supporting statement in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application". So the same form works for the onshore Partner visa (820/801), the offshore Partner visa (309/100) and the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300).
Who can be a witness
Home Affairs sets three conditions. Each witness must:
- Be 18 years old or older.
- Know you and your partner. They should know both of you, not just one.
- Know about your relationship. They should be able to talk about you as a couple.
The Partner visa page's witness rule does not say the witness must be Australian, and it does not exclude family members. In our reading, a friend, a family member, a colleague or a neighbour can be a witness, as long as they meet the three conditions. If a witness is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, include evidence of this with their statement.
Choosing your 2 witnesses (our advice)
These tips are not official rules. They help your statements carry more weight.
- Pick people who have seen you together. A friend who has visited your home is stronger than someone who has only heard about your partner.
- Mix both sides. One witness from your side and one from your partner's side shows that both families or friend groups know you as a couple.
- Choose people who have known you for a while. Someone who knew you early in the relationship and still sees you now can describe how it grew.
- Choose people who will write it themselves. A statement in the witness's own words is stronger than one you wrote for them.
What a witness should write
Use the current Form 888 from Home Affairs. The form sets its own questions, so the witness should answer the questions on the form they download. Inside those answers, these details make a statement useful (our advice):
- How they know each of you, and for how long.
- How often they see you together, and where (your home, family events, trips).
- Specific moments they saw, with rough dates. For example: "I stayed with them for a week in December 2024", or "they came to my wedding together in 2023".
- What they know about your life as a couple, such as where you live, your plans, or how you supported each other through something hard.
- Why they believe your relationship is genuine and continuing, in their own words.
A witness checklist (our template, not an official form)
Share this list with each witness before they fill in the form:
- Your full name, and your relationship to the applicant and to the sponsor
- When and how you met each of them
- When you first knew they were a couple
- Times you have spent with them as a couple (with dates)
- Anything you know about their home, their plans or their families
- Why you believe their relationship is genuine and continuing
- If you are an Australian citizen or permanent resident: a copy of your evidence of this
This checklist is only a prompt. The witness should answer the questions on the official form and follow its instructions.
Form 888 vs a statutory declaration
Some guides still call Form 888 a "statutory declaration". Home Affairs is clear that it is not:
"Form 888 'Supporting statement in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application' is not a statutory declaration."
There is a separate statutory declaration rule, and it applies only in a specific situation. On the Partner visa page, Home Affairs describes it for people who apply in Australia without holding a substantive visa:
"Include a minimum of two statutory declarations, each made within the last six weeks by an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen"
| Form 888 | The statutory declaration rule | |
|---|---|---|
| When it applies | Partner and Prospective Marriage visa applications (the form's title) | Onshore applicants who don't hold a substantive visa |
| How many | Statements from 2 witnesses (Partner visa page) | A minimum of 2 statutory declarations |
| Who can make it | People aged 18 or older who know you both and your relationship | Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens |
| Time limit | Not part of the witness rule quoted above | Each made within the last 6 weeks |
| Does Form 888 count? | Yes | No. Form 888 is not a statutory declaration |
If you are in Australia without a substantive visa, read the official Subclass 820 Partner visa page carefully, or get advice from a registered migration agent or lawyer.
Form 888 vs your relationship statement
Form 888 is your witnesses talking about you. Your relationship statement is you talking about your relationship. Home Affairs asks you to "tell us in writing" about how you met, how the relationship developed, when you moved in, got engaged or married, what you do together, time apart, significant events and your future plans.
You need both. Our guide to the partner visa relationship statement walks through those seven topics with a fill-in structure.
Common mistakes (our advice)
These are not official rules, but each one weakens a Form 888.
- Calling it a statutory declaration. It isn't one, and it doesn't meet the separate statutory declaration rule.
- A witness who only knows one of you. Home Affairs asks for people who know you and your partner.
- Generic praise. "They are a lovely couple" says little. Dates, places and events say a lot.
- Statements that read the same. If both witnesses use the same sentences, it looks like you wrote them. Let each witness use their own words.
- Dates that clash with your own story. If a witness says they met you as a couple in 2022 but your statement says you met in 2023, the case officer will notice. Check the dates, but don't change what a witness truthfully remembers.
- Forgetting proof of status. If a witness is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, include evidence of this.
- Using an old copy of the form. Download the current Form 888 from Home Affairs when you are ready to use it.
Key Takeaways
- Form 888 is the supporting witness statement for Partner and Prospective Marriage visas.
- The Partner visa page asks for statements from 2 witnesses who are 18 or older and know you, your partner and your relationship.
- Witnesses don't need to be Australian. If one is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, include evidence of this.
- Form 888 is not a statutory declaration.
- A separate rule (2 statutory declarations made within 6 weeks) applies to onshore applicants without a substantive visa.
- Your own relationship history is a different document, written by you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of witness statements do you need for a partner visa?
The Partner visa page asks for statements from 2 witnesses who are 18 or older, know you and your partner, and know about your relationship. Witnesses can do this by completing Form 888.
Is Form 888 a statutory declaration?
No. Home Affairs says Form 888, the "Supporting statement in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application", is not a statutory declaration.
How many Form 888 statements do I need?
The Partner visa page says: "You must provide statements from 2 witnesses." That is 2 witness statements for the application.
Can family members be witnesses on Form 888?
The Partner visa page's witness rule does not exclude family members. A witness must be 18 or older and know you, your partner and your relationship. Our advice: choose one witness from each side if you can.
Do Form 888 witnesses need to be Australian citizens?
No. The Partner visa page does not require witnesses to be Australian. If a witness is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, include evidence of this. The separate statutory declaration rule for onshore applicants without a substantive visa is different: those declarations must be made by Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens.
Which pillars should we have a statutory declaration for?
For most applicants, the witness evidence is Form 888, which is not a statutory declaration. Home Affairs groups evidence into finances, your household, social matters and commitment, and witness statements support how others see you as a couple. The statutory declaration rule applies to onshore applicants who don't hold a substantive visa.
Is Form 888 used for the Prospective Marriage visa too?
Yes. Its full name is "Supporting statement in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application", so it is used for both.
Can I write my witness's Form 888 for them?
Each witness should write in their own words about what they know. You can share a list of points to cover, like the checklist above, but the statement must be the witness's own account.
