Acceptable forms of ID and/or using a Trusted Referee

It is our preference to verify your identity and address electronically (via a third party app) if you have a NZ or Australian passport, or a NZ Drivers Licence, and a cell phone with a camera. If this is not possible, please see the list below for acceptable IDs and bring them to your first appointment, or pop into our offices with them so we can verify them for you.

Acceptable forms of ID

Option 1 – One form of primary photographic ID
We must see the original of one of the following:

• New Zealand passport
• New Zealand certificate of identity
• New Zealand refugee travel document
• New Zealand emergency travel document
• New Zealand firearms licence
• Overseas passport or a similar document issued for the purpose of international travel that:
– Contains your name, date of birth, a photograph and your signature; and
– Is issued by a foreign government, the United Nations or an agency of the United Nations
• A national identity card issued for the purpose of identification that:
– Contains your name, date of birth, a photograph and your signature; and
– Is issued by a foreign government, the United Nations or an agency of the UN.

Option 2 – One Form of Primary Non- Photographic Identification AND
One Form of Secondary Photographic Identification
We must see the original of one of the following:
• New Zealand full birth certificate
• Certificate of New Zealand citizenship
• A citizenship certificate issued by a foreign government
• A birth certificate issued by a foreign government, the United Nations or an agency of the United Nations
AND the original of one of the following:
• New Zealand driver licence
• 18+ card
• Valid and current international driving permit and a licence from another country with a translation

Option 3 – “The Wallet Test”
We must see your original:
• New Zealand driver licence;
AND the original of one of the following:
• A credit card, debit card, EFTPOS card or other document issued by a registered bank that contains your name and signature (when we make a copy we will cross out any credit card number and will not record the number).
• A SuperGold card or other card/document issued by a government agency that contains your name and signature.
• A statement issued by a government agency or a registered bank to you in the preceding 12 months, for example, an IRD statement, a Bank Statement.
• Confirmation that the information presented on your driver licence is consistent with records held in the National Register of driver licences, or records held by a reliable & independent source eg Births, Deaths & Marriages.

If you cannot use electronic verification or come into our offices in person, please take your ID(s) to a Trusted Referee to verify your identity.

Using a trusted referee

A Trusted Referee must be at least 16 years of age and one of the following:
• Commonwealth Representative (as defined in the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957
• Member of the police
• Justice of the peace
• Registered medical doctor
• Kaumatua (as verified through a reputable source)
• Registered teacher
• Minister of religion
• Lawyer
• Notary public
• NZ Honorary consul
• Member of Parliament
• Chartered accountant
• A person who has legal authority to take statutory declarations or the equivalent in NZ
Trusted Referees outside New Zealand must be a person authorised by law in that country to take statutory declarations or equivalent.
In addition, the trusted referee must not be related to the individual, the spouse or partner of the individual, a person living at the same address as the individual, or a person involved in the transaction or business requiring the certification.

The Trusted Referee must follow these steps to complete the verification:
• View the original ID(s)/documents being presented by the individual and check that they comply with one of the three options in the left hand column.
• Check that the photo in the ID matches the individual presenting it.
• Check that the name and date of birth in any non photographic ID matches the details on the photographic ID.
• Check that neither ID(s)/documents appear to be fakes (to the best of your knowledge). If a foreign ID is being presented and you are unsure what it is meant to look like, please do a Google search to see what it is meant to look like, or decline to continue as trusted referee.
• Take a photocopy of the ID(s)/documents (both sides of the ID where relevant). If you are taking a copy of a credit card, please cross out the credit card numbers on the copy.
• Please write or stamp the following onto the copies, circle 1. or 2. (to indicate whether the copy contains a photo or not), fill in the name of the individual, date and sign the copy, and include your name and capacity to be a trusted referee:

I certify this to be a true copy of the original,
which I have sighted, and
1. that the photo represents a true likeness of
OR
2. it represents the identity of
(circle or delete one)

______________
Name of Individual

Dated this day of 20

_______________
Signature of Certifier

_______________
Name and Position of Certifier