What identification documents do I need?

Our electronic ID check is available when you apply for an account online.

Australian driver's licence

You'll need to provide all the information below:

• State of issue
• Licence number
• Expiry date.

Medicare card

You’ll need to provide all the information below:

• Medicare number (10 digit number on top of your card)
• Individual card reference number (this is the 1 digit number to the left of your name)
• Name as it appears on your card
• Card colour
• Card’s valid date.

Passport (all countries)

Foreign Passports must be current.
Australian Passports must be issued by the Commonwealth and not expired more than two years ago. 

You’ll need to provide some or all of the information below:

• Country of issue
• Passport number
• Expiry date
• Place of birth as stated on your passport
• Country of birth
• Family name at birth (Australian passports only)
• Family name at citizenship (if you’re using an Australian passport but you were born overseas).

Some general things to know about the ID check...

One of the following photo ID documents:

• Australian passport issued by the Commonwealth (current or less than two years expired)
• Current foreign passport and visa
• Current Australian driver’s licence, including photographic learner’s permit
• Current Australian government issued proof of age card
  • NSW photo card and birth card
  • WA photo card.

OR
 

Two of the following non-photo ID documents:

• Australian or foreign birth certificate
• Australian birth certificate extract
• Australian or foreign citizenship certificate
• Current pension card or health care card issued by Centrelink that entitles you to financial benefits.
  

OR
 

One item from the non-photo ID documents listed above AND one from the following secondary ID documents list (a total of two items):

• Current foreign driver’s licence
• Current notice that was issued to you by a local government body or utilities provider (e.g. gas, electricity, water, rates) within the last three months that:
  • Contains your name and residential address
  • Records the provision of services by the local government body or utilities provider to you at that address
• Australian Taxation Office notice issued within the last 12 months that contains your name and residential address, and records a debt payable to you, or by you, to the Commonwealth
• Current security guard/crowd safety officer ID card
• If you’re under 18, a notice issued and signed within the last three months by a school principal that contains your name, residential address and how long you’ve attended the school.

Some general things to know about the ID check...

Visit an Australia Post Bank@Post outlet with sufficient original ID documents and the relevant identity verification form from the following list:

Transaction and Savings Accounts Identity Verification Form (PDF)
Credit Card Identity Verification Form (PDF)
Personal Loans Identity Verification Form (PDF)
Mortgagor Identity Verification Form (PDF)

Check the relevant form to see what ID documents you’ll need to provide. Note that the ID documents Australia Post will accept as verification is more limited than what we accept directly at Bankwest.

You can print and complete the Student Banking Identity Verification Form (PDF). Get copies of your ID documents certified by your teacher, doctor, pharmacist… and post them to Bankwest free of charge.

If you’ll be signing and executing your documents outside of Australia, you’ll need to have your identity verified for mortgage purposes. Please speak to your lender for more information.

We may accept alternate documents from remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, refugees, people living in a declared natural disaster zone or people who’ve recently been released from an Australian Correctional Centre. Call us on 13 17 18 to find out what you can bring with you.

Bankwest is required under the AML/CTF Act 2006 to identify you prior to providing you with a designated service, such as:

• When you’re opening a new account
• When you’re becoming a signatory to an existing account
• When we take out a Mortgage as security for your loan. This is called Mortgagor Identity Verification
• When you are reclaiming funds from an inactive account which has been closed
• When reclaiming funds from ASIC for a closed inactive account.

Also, ID documents that you provide need to list your full name and date of birth and/or residential address.

An English translation from an accredited translator (NAATI translation) is required. 

If you’ll be signing and executing documents overseas, we’ll need you to verify your ID. To verify your ID, you’ll need to take an Australian Embassy/High Commission/Consulate Identity/Witnessing Certification Form (PDF) or/and an Identity Witnessing Certification Form (PDF) to an Australian Embassy or Consulate.