The federal government is simplifying the sometimes fraught question of issuing passports to children.
Social Services Minister Scott Morrison told parliament on Thursday that changes in family composition over the past 10 years had increased the number and complexity of child passport applications without full parental consent.
The requirements can cause "unnecessary distress, delays and confusion".
Mr Morrison was introducing a bill to make a range of changes to Australian passport law, including making it consistent with family law.
The main change is that a person with a court order to "spend time with" or have "access to" a child, but doesn't have parental responsibility, will no longer have to consent to a child having a passport.
However the consent of such people will still be needed for a child to travel overseas.
The bill also tightens laws against passport fraud, including a person who maliciously reports a passport lost or stolen so it will be cancelled to intentionally disrupt someone else's travel.
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