Identity verification

Who needs to verify their identity

You may need to complete an identity verification check as part of your application.

An identity verification check is required for:

• authorised representatives (unless they are a lawyer)
• applicants over 18 who are applying without an authorised representative
• applicants over 18 who have an authorised representative who is not a lawyer
• children applying independently to the FAS (see Identity requirements for children applying independently to the FAS).

An identity verification check is not required for:

• an authorised representative who is a lawyer with a valid practising certificate
• applicants who have a lawyer as their authorised representative (if their authorised representative confirms their identity through the FAS portal)
• applicants under 18 who are not applying independently to the FAS.

Applicants: Verify online through Service Victoria

Documents you will need

• Australian passport (current or less than 3 years expired)
• Australian driver licence or learner permit
• Medicare card
• full Australian birth certificate (not a birth extract or birth card)
• Australian citizenship certificate
• Immicard issued by the Australian government
• foreign passport with a valid Australian visa.

You can only use the identity documents if both identity documents have the same given name and family name. For some identity documents, the given name may include your first and middle name.

If you have recently changed your name, you will need to contact the place that issued your documents and request that the documents be updated into the same name.

Your name and date of birth on your FAS account also needs to match your identity documents.

If you do not have these documents, see I can't complete the verification online.

How you verify your identity

Applicants who do not have an authorised representative will be directed to the Service Victoria website when they register an account in the FAS portal.

Applicants with an authorised representative who is not a lawyer will receive an email asking them to verify their identity. We will know what your email is because we will ask your authorised representative to provide it to us.

You will need to:

1. Click on the link in your email to open a FAS webpage. The webpage will contain more information about the process and a link to the Service Victoria website.
2. Click on the link to the Service Victoria website.
3. Complete your identify verification check.

You will have 20 minutes to complete your identity verification check from the time you click on the link to the Service Victoria website.

If the Service Victoria link expires, ask your authorised representative to send you a new link.

If the identity verification check fails, ask your authorised representative to check that the name and date of birth on your identity documents match your details on the FAS portal. Your authorised representative can also send you a new email to re-complete the Service Victoria identity verification check.

I can't complete the verification online

If you can't complete the verification online, you will need to send us certified copies of your identity documents. For help certifying documents, see: Certified copies of original documents(opens in a new window).

I have the correct identity documents

If you have the required documents but cannot complete the verification online, you will need to send us certified copies of 2 of the required identity documents.

If the name(s) on your identity documents do not match, or do not match the name(s) on your FAS application, you also need to provide certified copies of a marriage certificate or change of name certificate.

For instructions, see How to send copies of your identity documents to the FAS.

If you do not have the correct identity documents

We understand that you might not have all the identity documents we are asking for.

If you do not have 2 of the documents identified above, you can send us:

• certified copies of any documents you do have from the above list, and
• any other available documents to help establish your identity.

These could include:

• foreign ID documents
• student ID cards
• utility bills, council rates notices, lease agreements
• Centrelink documents
• other government issued documents in your name.

We will consider the available identity documents and assess whether we can verify your identity.

For instructions, see How to send copies of your identity documents to the FAS

How to send copies of your identity documents to the FAS

If you complete an online application through the FAS portal, we will send you (or your authorised representative) a task via the portal. The task will ask you to upload a copy of your certified identity documents. We will send you this task when we start to review your application.

If you are completing a paper application form, we will provide you with instructions on where to send a certified copy of your identity documents. Do not send your original identity documents to the FAS, as we may not be able to return them to you.

We treat identity documents according to the department's collection notice(opens in a new window) and information privacy policy.(opens in a new window) We will destroy all identity documents once verification has been confirmed.

Identity requirements for children applying independently to the FAS

Children under 15 will need to send us certified copies of their documents. If you do not have the required documents, you can send us:

• certified copies of any of the documents required by Service Victoria that you do have, and
• any other available documents to help establish your identity.

These could include:

• foreign ID documents
• student ID cards
• utility bills, council rates notices, lease agreements
• Centrelink documents
• other government issued documents in your name.

See How to send copies of your identity documents to the FAS.

For more information about children applying independently, see children applying to the FAS.

Authorised representatives who are not a lawyer

Authorised representatives (unless they are a lawyer) will be redirected to the Service Victoria website to verify their identity as part of the account registration process on the FAS portal(opens in a new window).

The authorised representative will need 2 Australian government issued identity documents from the list above to meet Service Victoria’s requirements.

They can choose to create an ongoing digital ID with Service Victoria so that they can use this saved identity when using Service Victoria’s services for other applications (where applicable).

Further information, including on how Service Victoria handles personal information, will be provided to your authorised representative when they are completing the application through the FAS portal.

Still need help?

For more information or support with your application, including issues with identity verification, please:

• call the FAS helpline on 1800 161 136 (opens in a new window)
• call the Marra Yattakunar helpline on 1800 849 778(opens in a new window)
• submit an online enquiry.(opens in a new window)