Confirming your identity

Australian driver’s licence

Confirming your identity is an important part of the application process.

The easiest way is by attaching a certified copy of an Australian driver’s licence with your correct name and address details. The licence can be expired for up to two years.

Other documents

Alternatively, you can attach certified copies of three other documents that confirm your name and address details in the following combinations:

  • one document from category A plus two documents from category B
  • two documents from category A plus one document from category B

Category A

  • Australian Birth Certificate (not an Extract or commemorative certificate) issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages
  • Australian Citizenship papers
  • Australian Passport
  • Australian Driver's Licence
  • Overseas Passport/Visa
  • Australian Firearm Licence
  • Tasmanian Government Personal Information Card (displaying full name)
  • Department of Home Affairs issued travel documents, including a visa
  • Department of Home Affairs Certificate of Evidence of Resident Status

Category B

  • Medicare card
  • Plastic bank or credit card, with signature
  • Student Identity Card with photo issued by an Australian Educational Institution
  • Department of Veterans Affairs / Centrelink Pensioner Concession card
  • Births, Deaths and Marriages - Change of Name / Marriage Certificate or Deed Poll

Evidence of change of name

If you have changed your name and your documents don’t show your new name, you must also attach a certified copy of one of the following documents:

  • Marriage Certificate issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages (or interstate / overseas Registry office equivalent)
  • Divorce Paper indicating the name being reverted to, as issued by a Court
  • Change of Name Registration issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages or Deed Poll
  • Guardianship Order issued by the relevant Authority
  • Adoption Paper issued by a Court

Evidence of residential address

If your documents don’t show your current residential address, you must also attach a certified copy of a document (less than six months old) to establish your current residential address. Examples include:

  • Financial institution statement
  • Utility account (power, water, sewerage, phone, gas) with evidence of payment
  • Council rate notice
  • Lease or rent agreement
  • Land Tax Valuation notice
  • Australian Tax Office Assessment (current or last financial year)
  • Certificate of Title

Certified copies of documents

Copies of your original documents must be certified by a Commissioner for Declaration or a Justice of the Peace (JP) as a true copy of the original.

For more information visit the Commissioners for Declaration page or Justice of the Peace page.