Document and identity verification
Document verification
What is a certified copy?
A certified copy is a duplicated version of an original document that has been certified as a true copy by an authorised person.
Authorised persons1 include:
Certain occupations
A person who, under a law in force in a State or Territory, is currently licensed or registered to practice in one of the below occupations:
- Architect
- Chiropractor
- Dentist
- Financial adviser or financial planner
- Legal practitioner
- Medical practitioner
- Midwife
- Migration agent (registered under Division 3 or Part 3 of the Migration Act 1958)
- Nurse
- Occupational therapist
- Optometrist
- Patent attorney
- Pharmacist
- Physiotherapist
- Psychologist
- Trade marks attorney
- Veterinary surgeon
Other persons
- 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);
- 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 in a foreign country who is authorised by law in that jurisdiction to administer oaths or affirmations or to authenticate documents
- An accountant who is a fellow of the National Tax Accountants’ Association; or a member of any of the following:
- Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand;
- the Association of Taxation and Managed Accountants;
- CPA Australia; or
- the Institute of Public Accountants
- An agent of the Australian Postal Corporation who is in charge of an office supplying postal services to the public
- APS employee engaged on an ongoing basis with 2 or more years of continuous service
- 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
- Chief Executive Officer of a Commonwealth court
- Clerk of a court
- Commissioner for Affidavits or for Declarations
- Employee of a Commonwealth authority engaged on a permanent basis with 2 or more years of continuous service
- Employee of the Australian Trade and Investments Commission who is:
- in a country or place outside Australia; and
- authorised under paragraph 3 (d) of the Consular Fees Act 1955; and
- exercising his or her function in that place.
- Employee of the Commonwealth who is:
- at a place outside Australia; and
- authorised under paragraph 3(c) of the Consular Fees Act 1955; and
- exercising the employee’s function at that place
- Engineer who is:
- a member of Engineers Australia, other than at the grade of student; or
- a Registered Professional Engineer of Professionals Australia; or
- registered as an engineer under a law of the Commonwealth, a State or Territory; or
- registered on the National Engineering Register by Engineers Australia.
- 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
- 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:
- an officer; or
- a non-commissioned officer within the meaning of the Defence Force Discipline Act 1982 with 2 or more years of continuous service; or
- 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 the:
- Parliament of the Commonwealth
- the Parliament of a State
- a Territory legislature
- a local government authority.
- The Australian Defence Force who is:
- Minister of religion registered under Subdivision A of Division 1 of Part IV of the Marriage Act 1961
- Notary public, including a notary public exercising functions at a place outside the Commonwealth; and the external Territories of the Commonwealth
- Permanent employee of the Australian Postal Corporation with 2 or more years of continuous service who is employed in an office providing postal services to the public
- Permanent employee of:
- a State or Territory or a State or Territory authority; or
- a local government authority
with 2 or more years of continuous service who is not otherwise specified 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 employee of:
- a Commonwealth authority
- a State or Territory
- SES employee of the Commonwealth
- Sheriff
- Sheriff's officer
- Teacher employed on a permanent full time or part time basis at a school or tertiary education institution.
To obtain an originally certified copy, you will need to present the original document and a photocopy of that document to an authorised person.
If the documentation has not been certified in the correct manner, you may be asked to provide a new certified document. The certification must:
- Include the statement "I certify that this is a true copy of the original document”;
- Include the certifier’s full name, signature, date, registration number (if any) and qualification or occupation which makes them eligible to certify documents;
- Contain original wet ink (i.e. you cannot present a photocopy of a certified document);
- Be dated within the last 12 months; and
- Not be provided by a family member.
- Credit union officer with 2 or more years of continuous service
1 Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Rules Instrument 2007 (No.1)
Online identity verification
Online identity verification is the process of confirming your identity using digital technology.
By choosing to verify your identity electronically, you confirm that you understand and agree to these terms and conditions.
If you do not wish to proceed with the online identity verification, you can choose to provide certified copies of your identification documents (ID).
To complete your online identity verification, ClearView Life Assurance Limited (ABN 12 000 021 581, AFSL 227682) (ClearView) may exchange your personal information with external organisations including Commonwealth and State government departments, independent or private sector organisations and outsourced providers. Your personal details will be matched to information held by the issuer or Official Record Holder via third party systems.
By proceeding with online identity verification, you:
- confirm that you are authorised to provide the personal information presented;
- agree to ClearView making identity verification requests to external organisations to electronically match your information with identification data on their databases; and
- permit these external organisations to record, use and disclose your information in accordance with their own privacy policies and legal obligations.
If we are unable to verify your identity electronically, we will let you know and you will need to provide certified copies of your ID.
To understand how we collect, use, hold, disclose and dispose of your personal information, view our Privacy Policy.