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Acceptable forms of identification

These identification requirements apply in addition to the land titles verification of identity requirements.

1. Primary Photographic documents

Provide one of the following:

  • Current Australian or foreign1 driver's licence containing a photograph of the person, or
  • Australian passport2, or
  • Current card issued under an Australian State or Territory law, for the purpose of proving a person’s age, containing a photograph of the person in whose name the card is issued, or
  • Current foreign1 passport or similar document issued for the purpose of international travel, that contains a photograph and the signature of the person in whose name the document is issued, or
  • Current national identity card issued by a foreigngovernment or the United Nations for the purpose of identification, that contains a photograph and either the signature of the person in whose name the document is issued or any unique identifier of the person in whose name the document is issued.

2. Primary Non-photographic documents

Provide one of the following and one secondary identification document (or two of the following):

  • Australian or foreign1 birth certificate, or birth extract issued by a State or Territory, or
  • Australian of foreign1 marriage certificate or extract, or
  • Australian or foreign1 citizenship certificate, or
  • Pensioner concession card issued by Department of Human Services, or
  • Health care card issued by Department of Human Services, or
  • An indigenous community identity card
  • Australian or foreign1 name change certificate issed by a government or government body.

3. Secondary Identification documents

Provide one of the following and one Primary Non-photographic document:

An original notice issued to an individual, of a kind listed below, that contains the name of the individual and his or her residential address:

  • issued by the Commonwealth or an Australian State or Territory within the preceding 12 months that records the provision of financial benefits, or
  • issued by the Australian Taxation Office within the preceding 12 months, or
  • issued by a local government body or utilities provider (e.g. electricity/gas bill, telephone bill, water rates notice) within the preceding three months that records the provision of services to that address or to that person

and

  • In relation to a person under the age of 18, a notice that it:
    • was issued to a person by a school principal within the preceding three months;
    • contains the name of the person and his or her residential address; and
    • records the period of time that the person attended the school.

1Where any document relied on as part of the procedure is in a language that is not understood by the employee carrying out the verification, it must be accompanied by an English translation prepared by an accredited translator.

2A passport issued by the Commonwealth that expired less than two years ago is also an acceptable form of identification.

Certification list – Australia

Occupations

A person who, under a law in force in a State or Territory of Australia, is currently licensed or registered to practise one of the following occupations:

  • Architect
  • Chiropractor
  • Dentist
  • Financial advisor or financial planner
  • Legal practitioner
  • Medical practitioner
  • Midwife
  • Migration agent registered under the Migration Act 1958, or similar legislation in a foreign country
  • Nurse
  • Occupational therapist
  • Optometrist
  • Patent attorney
  • Pharmacist
  • Physiotherapist
  • Psychologist
  • Trademarks attorney
  • Veterinary surgeon

Other persons

  • Accountant who is (a) a fellow of the National Tax Accountants Association or (b) a member of (i) the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, or (ii) the Association of Taxation and Management Accountants, or (iii) Certified Practising Accountants (CPA) Australia, or (iv) the Institute of Public Accountants.
  • An officer with, or authorised representative of, a holder of an Australian financial services licence, having 2 or more years of continuous service with one or more licensees
  • An officer with, or a credit representative of, a holder of an Australian credit licence, having 2 or more years of continuous service with one or more licensees
  • A person who is enrolled on the roll of the Supreme Court of a State or Territory, or the High Court of Australia, as a legal practitioner (however described)
  • Agent of the Australian Postal Corporation who is in charge of an office supplying postal services to the public
  • Australian Consular Officer or Australian Diplomatic Officer (within the meaning of the Consular Fees Act 1955)
  • Bailiff
  • Bank officer with 2 or more years of continuous service
  • Building society officer with 2 or more years of continuous service
  • Chief executive officer of a Commonwealth court
  • Clerk of a court
  • Commissioner for Affidavits
  • Commissioner for Declarations
  • Credit union officer with 2 or more years of continuous service
  • Employee of a Commonwealth authority engaged on a permanent basis with 2 or more years of continuous service not specified in another item in this list
  • Employee of the Australian Trade and Investment Commission who is: (a) in a country or place outside Australia; and (b) authorised under paragraph 3 (d) of the Consular Fees Act 1955; and (c) exercising his or her function in that place
  • Employee of the Commonwealth who is: (a) in a country or place outside Australia; and (b) authorised under paragraph 3 (c) of the Consular Fees Act 1955; and (c) exercising his or her function in that place
  • Finance company officer with 2 or more years of continuous service
  • Holder of a statutory office not specified in another item in this list
  • Judge of a court
  • Justice of the Peace
  • Magistrate
  • Marriage celebrant registered under Subdivision C of Division 1 of Part IV of the Marriage Act 1961
  • Master of a court
  • Member of the Australian Defence Force who is: (a) an officer; or (b) a non-commissioned officer within the meaning of the Defence Force Discipline Act 1982 with 2 or more years of continuous service; or (c) a warrant officer within the meaning of that Act
  • Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
  • Member of the Governance Institute of Australia Ltd
  • Member of: (a) the Parliament of the Commonwealth; or (b) the Parliament of a State; or (c) a Territory legislature; or (d) a local government authority of a State or Territory
  • Minister of religion registered under Subdivision A of Division 1 of Part IV of the Marriage Act 1961
  • Notary public
  • A person authorised as a notary public in a foreign country
  • Permanent employee of the Australian Postal Corporation with 2 or more years of continuous service who is employed in an office supplying postal services to the public
  • Permanent employee of: (a) the Commonwealth or a Commonwealth authority; or (b) a State or Territory or a State or Territory authority; or (c) a local government authority; with 2 or more years of continuous service who is not specified in another item in this list
  • Person before whom a statutory declaration may be made under the law of the State or Territory in which the declaration is made
  • Police officer
  • Registrar, or Deputy Registrar, of a court
  • Senior Executive Service employee of: (a) the Commonwealth or a Commonwealth authority; or (b) a State or Territory or a State or Territory authority
  • Sheriff
  • Sheriff’s officer
  • Teacher employed on a full-time basis at a school or tertiary education

Certification list – Foreign

Document certifiers can be foreign where certification occurs outside Australia:

  • Australian Consular Officer or Australian Diplomatic Officer (within the meaning of the Consular Fees Act 1955)
  • Bailiff
  • Bank officer with 2 or more continuous years of service
  • Building society officer with 2 or more years of continuous service
  • Clerk of a court
  • Commissioner for Affidavits
  • Commissioner for Declarations
  • Credit union officer with 2 or more years of continuous service
  • Employee of a Commonwealth authority engaged on a permanent basis with 2 or more years of continuous service not specified in another item in this list
  • Employee of the Australian Trade and Investment Commission who is: (a) in a country or place outside Australia; and (b) authorised under paragraph 3 (d) of the Consular Fees Act 1955; and (c) exercising his or her function in that place
  • Employee of the Commonwealth of Australia who is: (a) in a country or place outside Australia; and (b) authorised under paragraph 3 (c) of the Consular Fees Act 1955; and (c) exercising his or her function in that place
  • Finance company officer with 2 or more years of continuous service
  • Judge of a court
  • Justice of the Peace
  • Magistrate
  • Master of a court
  • Member of the Australian Defence Force who is: (a) an officer; or (b) a non-commissioned officer within the meaning of the Defence Force Discipline Act 1982 with 5 or more years of continuous service; or (c) a warrant officer within the meaning of that Act
  • Notary public
  • A person authorised as a notary public in a foreign country
  • A person in a foreign country who is authorised by law in that jurisdiction to administer oaths or affirmations or to authenticate documents
  • Police officer
  • Registrar, or Deputy Registrar, of a court

Accredited translator

An accredited translator means (in Australia):

An individual currently accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters Ltd. (NAATI) at a level of Professional Translator (or above).

An accredited translator means (outside of Australia):

An individual currently accredited by an accreditation authority for translators (equivalent to NAATI) at the level of Professional Translator (or above).

What you need to know

Any advice on this website is provided by Resolution Life Australasia Limited ABN 84 079 300 379, AFSL No. 233671 (Resolution Life), and is general advice and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this advice, you should consider the appropriateness of the advice having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs, as well as the relevant product disclosure statement and/or policy document, available from Resolution Life at resolutionlife.com.au or by calling 133 731, before making a decision on whether to acquire, or continue to hold, the product. 

The Target Market Determinations (TMDs) for our financial products (where applicable) can be found at Target Market Determinations (TMDs). The TMDs describe the key features and attributes of an applicable product that affect whether it is likely to be consistent with the objectives, financial situation and needs of consumers in the target market.

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