Verifying your identity is an important step in working with a conveyancer. We do this to prevent theft and fraud, and to confirm that you’re legally able to deal with the property in question.
As a result of the rise in fraud, new conveyancing rules were added under section 12E of the Real Property Act in 2016. According to these rules, conveyancers must take reasonable steps to verify the identity of their clients, client agents, and any person to whom certificates of title are provided.
Verifying your identity
We know that you take your privacy seriously. Therefore, we use a secure application called WebVOI through Infotrack to verify your identity. The app takes a photo of your identification and pulls that into a secure report. Consequently, this means that we don’t have to store copies of your scanned ID on site.
To begin, WebVOI asks you to record yourself saying a number as a way of verifying your identity (we can also meet with you in person or through video conference to do this). After this, you’ll need to provide us with the necessary documents for a Verification of Identity.
What documents do I need?
According to the NSW Land Registry Services, the identification you provide must meet ALL the requirements of ONE of the following categories.
Australian Citizens and Residents
Category 1:
- Australian Passport or foreign passport
- Australian drivers license
- Change of name or marriage certificate if necessary
Category 2:
- Australian Passport or foreign passport
- Full birth certificate, citizenship certificate, or descent certificate
Medicare, Centrelink, or Department of Veterans’ Affairs card - Change of name or marriage certificate if necessary
Category 3:
- Australian drivers license or Photo Card
- Full birth certificate, citizenship certificate, or descent certificate
Medicare, Centrelink, or Department of Veterans’ Affairs card - Change of name or marriage certificate if necessary
Category 4:
- Australian Passport or foreign passport
- Another form of government-issued photographic identity Document
- Change of name or marriage certificate if necessary
OR
- Australian Passport or foreign passport
- Full birth certificate
Another form of government-issued identity Document - Change of name or marriage certificate if necessary
Category 5:
- Identifier Declaration
Full birth certificate, citizenship certificate, or descent certificate
Medicare, Centrelink, or Department of Veterans’ Affairs card
Change of name or marriage certificate if necessary
OR
- Identifier Declaration
Medicare, Centrelink, or Department of Veterans’ Affairs card - Change of name or marriage certificate if necessary
Alternatively, if you’re not an Australian citizen or resident, you’ll need to provide;
- Your foreign passport
- Another form of government-issued photographic identity document
- Change of name or marriage certificate if necessary
Additionally, you may need to provide these items as well as a full birth certificate.
To avoid any delays in your purchase, aim to have the necessary documents ready ahead of time.
Some important things to remember
What is a “certified document”?
In NSW, a certified copy of a document refers to a document verified by;
- A Justice of the Peace
- A notary public
- A commissioner of the court for taking affidavits
- An authorised solicitor
- Another person authorised by law to administer an oath
What is an “Identifier Declaration”?
An ‘Identifier Declaration’ refers to a Statutory Declaration made by;
- An Australian legal practitioner
- Bank manager
- Community leader
- Court officer
- Doctor
- Land Council officeholder
- Licensed conveyancer
- Local government officeholder
- Nurse
- Public servant
- Police officer
Finally, if you have further questions about Verification of Identity, please call us on 4910 0522