Find out how to verify your identity (ID) with us to participate in schemes and open accounts.
There are separate processes for individuals and organisations. Different sets of ID documents are needed for some of our schemes.
Verification methods
Digital verification
Digital verification allows you to submit the details on your physical ID documents instead of uploading certified copies. It’s the easiest way to prove your identity and should be used when possible.
This option is available to Australian citizens and residents. Foreign citizens or residents must follow the document certification and upload process.
When submitting your details through the relevant form, we use GreenID to verify your documents with the issuer or official record holder. Only your name and date of birth will be securely stored.
There are limitations on which information can be digitally verified – a utilities or rates notice, student ID or firearms licence can’t be used for this method.
Document certification and upload
If you aren’t eligible for digital verification, you need to upload certified copies of your ID documents through the relevant form.
Approved certifiers are identified in the Statutory Declarations Regulations 2023. The certifier must be a different person from the declarant.
To certify a document, the approved certifier must write the following on each copy and sign them:
I certify that this document is a true copy of the original document sighted by me.
Signature:
Name:
Qualification: (e.g. Justice of the Peace)
State/territory in which qualification conferred:
Date:
For lengthy documents:
- the first page must be annotated and signed
- the following pages should be numbered (e.g. ‘page 1 of 40’) and either signed or initialled.
Approved certifiers outside of Australia include:
- Australian non-honorary consulate
- Australian embassy
- Australian High Commission.
If these are not available to certify your document, you can use an Apostille Certificate from a Hague Apostille Convention Competent Authority.
Authorised referee
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons can have an authorised referee provide either a letter or statutory declaration to confirm their identity. Depending on the scheme you are registering for, this can be uploaded or sent to us after submitting the relevant form.
The referee must state they have verified your identity based on records that you keep or control (such as organisational, council, school, church or medical records).
To be authorised, the referee must have known you for at least 12 months and can’t be your parent, grandparent, sibling, child or grandchild. They can be one of the following:
- the chairperson, secretary or chief executive officer of an incorporated Indigenous organisation, including a land council, community council or housing organisation
- the individual’s employer
- a school principal or a school counsellor
- a minister of religion
- a medical practitioner
- a treating health professional or a manager in an Aboriginal Medical Service
- a person who has been a Commonwealth, state or territory public servant for at least 5 years.
ID for individuals and sole traders
ACCU Scheme, ANREU accounts, GO Scheme, Nature Repair Market scheme
The same set of ID documents can now be accepted when registering for:
- an Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme project
- an Australian National Registry of Emissions Units (ANREU) account
- the Product Guarantee of Origin (PGO) or the Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO)
- a Nature Repair Market scheme project.
To prove your identity for these schemes, use one of the below options.
You must provide details from 3 of the ID documents listed below, with at least one from Category A.
Category A
- Birth certificate (not extract)
- Australian passport (either current or no more than 3 years expired)
- Australian citizenship certificate
- Australian visa (using your foreign passport)
Category B
- Australian driver's licence (front and back to show the licence and card numbers)
- Medicare card
Your citizenship status determines which documents you need to verify your identity. You must provide 3 of the relevant ID documents listed below, with at least one from Category A.
Australian citizens or residents
Category A
- Birth certificate (not extract)
- Australian passport (either current or no more than 3 years expired)
- Either:
- Australian citizenship certificate
- documentary evidence that the individual has been registered by the Commonwealth as an Australian citizen by descent
- Australian visa (using your foreign passport)
Category B
- Australian driver’s licence (front and back to show the licence and card numbers)
- Medicare card
- Utilities or rates notice, issued by a local government body or utilities provider within the last 3 months
- Student identification card with your photo, issued by an education authority that is accredited by the Commonwealth or by a state or territory government
- Australian firearms licence
Foreign citizens or residents
Category A
These documents are all issued by a foreign government, the United Nations or an agency of the United Nations:
- Birth certificate (not extract)
- Foreign passport with your photo and signature
- National identity card with your photo and signature
Category B
These documents are all issued by a foreign government:
- Identity document
- Driver’s licence with your photo and street address matching your application
- Marriage certificate
For ACCU, ANREU and GO, you only need to verify your identity once with the CER. When registering for these schemes through Online Services, our system will automatically recognise your verified status.
You will need to re-verify your identity with your updated ID documents if your details change.
RET
ID verification for the Renewable Energy Target (RET) happens in the REC Registry rather than in Online Services.
This is a digital verification system – there is no option to upload ID documents when applying for a REC Registry account.
You must provide details from 3 of the ID documents listed below, with 2 from Category A and one from Category B.
Category A
- Birth certificate (not extract)
- Australian passport (either current or no more than 3 years expired)
- Australian visa (using your foreign passport)
- Australian driver’s licence (front and back to show the licence and card numbers)
- Change of name certificate
Category B
- Medicare card
- Marriage certificate
Foreign persons or organisations can open a general account to transfer certificates – this doesn’t need ID verification.
ID for organisations and trusts
ACCU Scheme, ANREU accounts, Nature Repair Market scheme
Your organisation must supply the following, as applicable:
- Australian Business Number (ABN), if available, or Australian Company Number (ACN)
- Indigenous Corporation Number (ICN)
- certified copies of the below identifying documents.
Sole traders who form a partnership or joint venture, and individual trustees, need to verify their identity as individuals.
As well as providing the above business identifiers, you must provide the full set of ID documents listed under your organisation type below.
Australian private or public company
Local, state, territory or federal government agency (body corporate)
- Certificate of incorporation
- Certificate of registration with Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
Indigenous corporation (including registered native title body corporate)
- Certificate of incorporation
- Certificate of registration with the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC), other state or territory association, or ASIC
Foreign private or public company
Certificate of registration with a registry under a foreign law, if available (or a document with similar effect)
Body politic or local governing body
The application is on behalf of the state, territory or federal government.
- Either the:
- certificate of incorporation
- certificate of registration with ASIC
- Documentary evidence that the entity is a local governing body (e.g. a copy or link to the latest annual report, a constitution, a proclamation or reference to legislation that established the entity)
Partnership or joint venture
Each organisation must apply separately.
- ID documents for your relevant organisation type (as listed in this section)
- Documentary evidence of your organisation’s existence (e.g. annual report, constitution or reference of the legislation that established the organisation)
Trust (individual trustee or organisation)
- Either the:
- trust deed if available (including any variations), or the trust certificate of registration
- extract of the deed that identifies the trustees and beneficiaries (or classes of beneficiary)
- ID verification for the relevant trustee type:
- individuals – ID documents for each trustee within the trust
- organisations – either the certificate of incorporation or certificate of registration (or a document with similar effect)
- foreign organisations – certificate of registration with a registry under a foreign law (or a document with similar effect)
The executive officers must prove their identity if the body corporate does not have an ABN or ACN. We will verify the ID of each executive officer (up to 2) if the body corporate is a:
- private company
- incorporated association
- registered co-operative (including a foreign entity).
This is done using the ID for individuals – we will contact you for these verified documents after you have submitted the registration form.
For ANREU, if the body corporate is a foreign public company, the executive officers verifying their ID must not be nominated as an authorised representative under our schemes or accounts.
GO Scheme
Your organisation only needs to supply one of the following for ID verification:
- Australian Business Number (ABN)
- Australian Company Number (ACN)
- Indigenous Corporation Number (ICN)
- Australian Registered Business Number (ARBN).
If your organisation is a body corporate not registered in Australia, you must supply a certificate of the body’s registration established under the law of the foreign country.
If your organisation does not have an ABN, ACN, ICN or ARBN, we must verify:
- certified copies of identifying documents for your organisation type, which are issued by ASIC or a similar governing body
- the ID of each executive officer (up to 2) using the ID for individuals. If the organisation is a foreign person and a public company, only one executive officer must verify ID.
We will contact you for these verified documents after you have submitted the registration form.
Trusts registering for GO must provide either the:
- trust deed if available (including any variations) or trust certificate of registration
- extract of the deed that identifies the trustees and beneficiaries (or classes of beneficiary).
Trustees must also provide the required identifying information for their trustee type:
- individuals – ID documents for each trustee within the trust
- Australian organisations – either your ABN, ACN, ICN or ARBN
- foreign organisations – certificate of registration with a registry under a foreign law, if available (or a document with similar effect).
Use the Application for GO Scheme registration as a trust form.
RET
Organisations applying for a REC Registry account need a representative to complete the digital ID verification for individuals.
You will also need to provide details for your organisation type.
NGER and Safeguard Mechanism
ID verification is not needed for the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme (NGER) or the Safeguard Mechanism, but you must provide information about your business to register for these schemes.
Organisations participating in Safeguard may also need to hold an ANREU account, which requires identity verification.
Find out about these ID requirements to register as an NGER reporter, which includes registering controlling corporations and responsible emitters for the Safeguard Mechanism.
Change of name
If you’ve changed your name and your ID documents don’t match, you must provide evidence of both your previous name and current name.
You can upload a certified copy of one of these additional documents that shows the link between your names:
- deed poll
- government-issued marriage certificate
- change of name certificate.
If you are applying for the REC Registry and have changed your name, contact us to provide your new ID documents.
Translated documents
If your original ID document is in a language other than English, you must provide a written translation that is certified as a true and correct copy by either:
- an appropriate embassy – this is not an option for the GO Scheme or the Nature Repair Market scheme
- a professional translation service accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.
Checklist to verify your ID
If you can’t provide any of the ID documents in the required method, or if you need further information, contact us.
- Prepare your required ID documents, including proof of a change of name (if applicable) or a reference for First Nations people.
- Make sure your ID documents are certified if you are uploading copies rather than using digital verification.
- Submit your ID documents using the relevant forms in Online Services:
- register an individual (this includes sole traders)
- register an organisation (this includes the form for trusts).
- Complete the relevant scheme form in Online Services:
- register an ACCU project
- open an ANREU account
- register a biodiversity project.
- Prepare your required identity documents, including proof of a change of name (if applicable) or a reference for First Nations people.
- Make sure your ID documents are certified if you are uploading them rather than using digital verification.
- Complete the Register for GO form in Online Services (this includes ID verification for individuals and organisations).
- If applicable, complete the Application for Guarantee of Origin Scheme registration as a trust form and upload it as part of the Register for GO form.
- Prepare your required identity documents for digital verification.
- If you need to provide a document for upload (such as proof of a change of name or an authorised referee letter) contact us.
- Apply for the relevant type of account in the REC Registry (this includes ID verification for individuals and organisations).