When do I need to provide proof of identity?
You will need to give us proof of identity when you:
- Apply for housing service (that is, place your application on the Victorian Housing Register) or
- Apply for a service provided by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing Services, such as:
- Signing residential rental agreements
- Applying for a bond loan, movable unit or rental rebate
- Choose to receive your housing correspondence through Digital mail (for further information refer to HousingVic Online Services)
- When applying on the Victorian Housing Register. If you are a Centrelink customer, current documents confirming this may be used to verify your identity, as Centrelink has already established your identity. For all other services as outlined above, you will need to provide proof of identity.
How will my information be used?
For details about how your information is used refer to the Privacy impact assessment (Word).
What can I use as proof of identity?
We will accept original documents or copies of original documents. Examples of the types of documents we need are listed in Table 1: Primary proof of identity documents and Table 2: Secondary proof of identity documents.
Please make sure:
- The documents you give add up to at least 100 points
- One of your proof of identity documents is from Table 1: Primary proof of identity documents and shows your photograph and signature
- The rest of your documents can come from Table 1: Primary proof of identity documents or Table 2: Secondary proof of identity documents. You can only use a document once
- Your name is the same on all of the documents you give us. If your name is different, you must give us a change of name certificate
- Your documents are current. We do not accept expired documents except an Australian Passport that has expired in the last 3 years.
If you do not have 100 points of identification, contact your local office. They may be able to help you in special circumstances.
Primary proof of identity documents
| Points | Document type |
|---|---|
| 70 | Australian birth certificate |
| 70 | Australian citizenship certificate |
| 70 | Australian residency status certificate |
| 70 | Australian visa |
| 70 | Certificate of Evidence of Resident Status (CERS) issued by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection |
| 70 | Certificate of Identity (COI) issued by the Australian Passport Office |
| 70 | Document of identity (DOI) issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade |
| 70 | Australian Passport (current or up to 3 years from the expiry date) |
| 70 | Foreign Passport (current only) |
| 70 | Shooter or firearm licence |
| 70 | Security protection industry or crowd control licence |
| 40 | Australian driver’s licence |
| 40 | Australian working with children check card |
Secondary proof of identity documents
| Points | Document type |
|---|---|
| 70 | Australian birth certificate |
| 70 | Australian Defence Force discharge papers |
| 40 | Australian Defence Force identity card |
| 40 | Australian divorce papers (Decree nisi, Decree absolute) |
| 40 | Centrelink card (containing a reference number) |
| 40 | Child’s birth certificate with your name as parent/guardian |
| 40 | Department of Veterans’ Affairs gold card |
| 40 | Intervention order |
| 25 | Australian driver learner permit |
| 25 | Change of name certificate issued by a registry of births, deaths and marriages of an Australian state or territory |
| 25 | Council rates notice |
| 25 | Credit or account card, statement or passbook for a current account issued by an Australian bank, credit union or building society |
| 25 | Electoral enrolment for current address |
| 25 | Marriage certificate issued by an Australian state or territory government agency (not church or celebrant issued certificates) |
| 25 | Medicare card |
| 25 | Motor vehicle registration |
| 25 | PAYG payment summary with tax file number |
| 25 | Private health insurance card |
| 25 | Proof of age card issued by an Australian government agency |
| 25 | Reference from Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander organisation showing referee’s full details and length of time they have known applicant |
| 25 | Residential rental agreement or lease, or receipt issued by residential rental provider, agent or owner |
| 25 | Student identification card |
| 25 | Superannuation statement |
| 25 | Taxation assessment notice |
| 25 | Utilities notice (water rates, electricity, gas or phone account) |
Total must be at least 100 points