How to provide proof of identity
Before you can withdraw part or all of your super, or set up a Retirement Income Pension account, we need to confirm your identity. This is to prove you are the person who owns the super entitlements.
Two ways to provide your proof of ID
Electronically
If electronic identity verification is available on the form you are using (this will be noted in the 'Provide proof of your identity' section of the form if relevant) you can simply provide details of any two of your:
- Medicare card
- Driver's license
- Australian passport
With this method, you don’t need to provide printed copies of any documents. We will verify your details electronically using an identity verification provider.
By post
To prove your identity using certified copies of identity documents, see the actions and steps outlined below.
If you provide us with your tax file number when combining super, you won't need certified proof of identity.
Steps for providing your proof of ID by post
Action summary
- Time it takes
Once your documents are with the relevant person, certifying your documents can be a quick process - Hardest thing
Finding a person who is authorised to certify your printed copies - Cost
There may be a cost involved in getting your printed documents certified
What you'll need
- Photocopies of the documents you need certified
- Originals of the documents for the certifier to sight
Need help
- Call us on 13 43 72
- Connect with us in real time using Live chat
1. Choose and locate the documents you want to use
You can provide either:
- One certified document from list A, or
- One certified document from list B plus one certified document from list C
List A:
- Current Australian driver’s licence with your photograph and signature or an equivalent from a foreign country
- Current1 passport2, showing your name, date of birth, photograph and signature
- Proof of age card3
OR
List B
- Birth certificate or birth extract2
- Citizenship certificate issued by the Commonwealth
- Pension card issued by Centrelink that entitles you to receive financial benefits
List C
- Notice issued by Commonwealth or a state or territory government within the last 12 months that shows your name and residential address and records the provision of financial benefits to you (for example a letter from Centrelink)
- Notice issued by the Australian Taxation Office within the last 12 months that contains your name and residential address and records a tax debt payable to or by you (for example, a notice of assessment)
- Notice issued by a local government body or utilities provider within the last three months, that contains your name and residential address and records the provision of services to you (for example, a rates notice from a local council or a water bill)
2. Find someone to certify your documents
Documents are certified by a person who is authorised as a witness for statutory declarations under the Oaths, Affidavits and Statutory Declarations Act 2005.
The professions that can witness statutory declarations include:
- Academics - university faculties
- Architects
- Australian consular officers
- Australian diplomatic officers
- Auditors and liquidators
- Bank managers
- Chartered secretaries
- Chemists / pharmacists
- Accountant - as per the Act
- Chiropractor
- Defence force officer
- Dentist
- Doctors
- Electorate officers (State)
- Engineers
- Industrial organisation secretaries
- Insurance brokers
- Justice of the Peace
- Lawyers
- Local government CEO’s and deputy chiefs
- Local government councillors
- Loss adjusters
- Marriage celebrants
- Members of parliament
- Minister of Religion
- Nurses
- Optometrists
- Patent attorney
- Physiotherapists
- Podiatrists
- Police officer
- Post office managers
- Psychologist
- Public notary
- Public servants (Commonwealth)
- Public servants (state)
- Real estate agents
- Settlement agents
- Surveyor
- Teachers
- Veterinary surgeons
- WA police service
In addition, the following professions can also certify copies of your original documents as true copies:
- A permanent employee of Australia Post with two or more years of continuous service who is employed in an office supplying postal services to the public
- An officer with, or authorised representative of, a holder of an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL), having two or more years’ continuous service
The person certifying your documents should not be a family member or relative.
Who can certify your documents if you are not in Australia?
Persons authorised to certify documents outside Australia include the following:
- Australian consular officer
- Australian diplomatic officer
- Employee of the Australian Trade Commission
- Employee of the Commonwealth
- Any person having authority to administer an oath in that place
Information on how to certify your documents is provided on the next step.
3. Have your documents certified by the authorising person
You need to have all copied pages of your original proof of identification documents (including any linking documents) certified as true copies by a person who is authorised to do so (see the list above).
The authorising person needs to sight the original document and include the following details on the copies:
- Stamp or write ‘I certify this is a true copy of the original document’ on each page.
Followed by their:
- Printed name
- Signature
- Qualification (e.g. Justice of the Peace) and
- The date
4. Check that you have certified any linking documents, if needed
If you have changed your name or are signing on behalf of the applicant, you will need to provide a certified linking document. A linking document is a document that proves a relationship exists between two (or more) names.
See the table below for information about suitable linking documents.
| Purpose | Suitable linking documents |
|---|---|
Change of name | Marriage certificate, deed poll or change of name certificate from Births, Deaths and Marriages registration office |
Signed on behalf of the applicant | Western Australian enduring power of attorney or duly appointed administrator4 |
If your enduring power of attorney was made interstate or overseas, you need to obtain an order from the Western Australian State Administration Tribunal to confirm that your power of attorney can be used in Western Australia.
If you need more information, please call us on 13 43 72.
Changing an incorrect date of birth
If your date of birth is incorrectly listed, you will need to provide a certified identity document in order to update it.
The following table contains information about suitable identity documents.
| Purpose | Suitable identity documents |
|---|---|
Change date of birth5 |
|
If you need more information, please contact your Member Services Centre on 13 43 72.
1 The only exception to the expired document rule is a passport. An expired passport is a valid identity document provided it has been expired for less than two years.
2 If your passport or birth certificate/extract is not in English, it must be accompanied by an English translation prepared by an accredited translator. If your passport is not an Australian passport it must include your signature.
3 A card issued under a law under a state or territory law for the purpose of proving the person’s age, which contains a photograph of the person in whose name the document is issued.
4 Including an administrator, or joint administrators, appointed pursuant to the Guardianship and Administration Act 1990 (WA) authorised to act in regards to financial matters. You or the administrator may be required to produce an order made by the State Administrative Tribunal of Western Australia duly appointing the administrator.
5 Insurance cover is based on the details we have on record, including your date of birth. Amending your date of birth may affect your insurance cover including the amount of premiums that you pay.
Thank you for printing this page. Remember to come back to gesb.wa.gov.au for the latest information as our content is updated regularly. This information is correct as at 19 April 2024.