Ways to prove your identity
All super funds will ask you to prove your identity before paying any money out. We have a few ways for you
to do this.
Electronic verification (recommended)
All you need to do is add in your Australian driver's licence or passport details on the form you're filling out or in Member Online. We’ll use it to confirm your identity electronically.
See where to find your driver's licence card number.
If you don't have an Australian driver's licence or passport, you’ll need to prove your identity in a different way.
Living overseas?
If so, you'll need to use document-based verification.
Document-based verification
Selfie ID
A selfie ID is when you take a photo of yourself holding your ID.
If you decide to use a selfie ID to prove your identity, send us an email that includes the following:
-
A scan or clear photo of the front and back of ONE of the following documents: Australian or foreign driver's licence (physical card only), ID card, or passport
-
A recent photo of you holding your ID. Make sure you send us the original photo files (not in a document or PDF) and that your selfie is clear enough we can see your face and read the writing on your ID
-
Your relevant form filled in.
Certified documents
Post or give us in person a certified copy of ONE of these documents:
- Current Australian driver's licence (front and back)
- Current Photo identification card or Proof of Age card issued by an Australian state or territory (front and back)
- Passport (Australian passports can have expired in the last 2 years).
If you're changing your name, you have the option to email us your certified ID but in all other instances, please post or give us your certified ID in person.
Other documents you can use for document-based verification
If you don't have any of the above identity documents, you can give us TWO documents – one from each of the lists below.
One document from here
- Birth certificate or birth extract (Australian, foreign, or UN)
- Citizenship certificate (Australian or foreign)
- Pension card or healthcare card from Services Australia (Centrelink)
And one from here
- Notice from Services Australia showing a financial benefit has been given to you (sent within
the last 12 months)
- Australian Taxation Office (ATO) notice of assessment (sent within the last 12 months)
- Local council rates notice (sent within the last 3 months)
- Electricity or gas notice (sent within the last 3 months)
- If you’re under 18, notice from your school principal (from the last 3 months).
Make sure your current name and address are on the notice.
Tip: If you bring your documents into one of our member centres, they don’t need to be certified first.
Download our Proving Your Identity factsheet (pdf) for more details.
Need help to prove your identity?
If you're having issues proving your identity, there may be another way. Like getting a
statement from a community elder. Contact us to talk about your options.
How to get your documents certified
Get copies of your ID documents. Then take them, along with the originals, to someone who's allowed to
certify documents. You can usually do this at a police station or courthouse.
Who can certify identification documents in Australia?
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- Justice of the Peace, or Commissioner for Declarations
- Police officer
- Judge or magistrate of a court
- Registrar or deputy registrar of a court
- Legal practitioner
- Pharmacist
- Medical practitioner (includes GP, surgeon, specialists, nurse)
- Notary public
- Chief executive officer of a Commonwealth court
- Australian consular officer or Australian diplomatic officer
- Australia Post employee (who's permanent with at least 2 years of constant employment)
- Bank or other financial institution officer (with 2 or more years of constant service
with financial institutions)
- Accountant (with 2 or more years of constant membership with either the Institute of
Chartered Accountants in Australia, the Australian Society of Certified Practising
Accountants or the National Institute of Accountants)
- Financial adviser or planner (with 2 or more years of constant employment)
Who can certify documents if you're living overseas?
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- Police officer of an overseas force (police badge number required)
- Commissioner of oaths
- Australian consular officer
- Australian diplomatic officer
- Judge
- Notary public
- Court registrar
- Justice of the Peace
Are your documents in a language other than English? We'll need an English translation by an accredited translator. Here's a list of approved translators in Australia.
FAQs about proof of identity
A certified copy is a copy of your document that's been verified by a person who's authorised to do so.
They must see both the original and the copy (front and back if needed) to make sure they're identical. Then they write or stamp ‘certified true copy’ on all pages.
They also need to sign and print their name on the document, and note their qualification (e.g. Justice of the Peace), any registration number or company name (if needed), and the date.
Where do I find my driver's licence card number?
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Your card number is different to your licence number. Below are examples of where you can find it.
Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
New South Wales (NSW)
Northern Territory (NT)
Queensland
South Australia (SA)
Tasmania
Victoria
© State of Victoria
Western Australia (WA)
All super funds will ask you to prove your identity before paying any money out. We have to by law.
We also need you to prove your identity before we make significant changes to your account. Some of the common times this happens are:
- Making a withdrawal
- Opening an Income account
- Starting a Lifetime Pension
- Help with searching for and combining multiple super accounts together
- Transferring to a self-managed super fund or a KiwiSaver account
- Claiming your super as a temporary resident leaving Australia
- Making a claim as a beneficiary of another member’s account.
You need to make sure your selfie is close enough and clear enough that we can see your face and read the writing on your ID. Here's an example of how to take a selfie with your ID:
Make sure you check that your document has been certified the right way. The authorised person should:
- Write or stamp ‘certified as a true copy of the original’
- Sign and date the document
- Write their name and qualification
- Write their address (if needed)
- Add their stamp and registration number (if relevant) and/or their company/employer name.
All copied pages need to be certified.
If your ID doesn’t match the name on your account, we’ll need some extra proof. You'll need to give us a certified copy of your ID in your current name, and a certified copy of one of the following:
- Marriage certificate from the Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages
- Change of name certificate from the Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages
- Deed poll.
What certified documents do I need if I'm a Guardian or Power of Attorney?
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If you're signing a form for one of our members, you'll need to give us a certified copy of:
- Guardianship papers or Power of Attorney (each page)
- The member’s identification document/s
- Your identity documents.
We want to help you connect with your super. And we understand it can be harder to prove your identity when you're living in a remote area.
If you don't have the ID you need, you may be able to do it another way. Like getting a community elder to write a statement.
Contact us to talk about your options.
If you need help with proving your identity, or you're concerned about the security of your identity, contact us.
We can talk you through your options.