You can use the details of your Australian birth certificate when setting up your myGovID.
When verifying your birth certificate, further exceptions may apply depending on the:
- state or territory you were born in
- year the certificate was issued.
If your certificate cannot be verified online, you’ll need to use an alternative identity document to set up your myGovID.
On this page:
Examples of Australian birth certificates
You'll need to provide the following information in your myGovID app:
- Registration state or territory
- Given name/s
- Family name
- Date of birth
- Registration number or Registration date or both (depending on the state or territory that issued your certificate).
The following examples show common locations for these details on your Australian birth certificate:
ACT, SA and NT
NSW, QLD, TAS, VIC and WA
Information by state or territory
Find information to help you verify your birth certificate, depending on the state or territory you were born in:
- Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
- New South Wales (NSW)
- Northern Territory (NT)
- Queensland (QLD)
- South Australia (SA)
- Tasmania (TAS)
- Victoria (VIC)
- Western Australia (WA)
Australian Capital Territory
Single name
If you only have your family name on your certificate, enter it in the Family name field and leave the Given name field blank.
If you only have your given name on your certificate, it cannot be verified online. You’ll need to use an alternative identity document to set up your myGovID.
New South Wales
Registration number
If your New South Wales birth certificate was issued between 1952 and 1974 and doesn’t have a registration number, only enter the District number in the Registration number field.
Note: The district number on certificates issued in 1970 and 1971 may not verify. If this occurs, you’ll need to use an alternative identity document to set up your myGovID.
If your certificate was issued before 1952 and does not have a registration number, it cannot be verified online.
Single name
If you only have your family name on your certificate, enter it in the Family name field and leave the Given name field blank.
If you only have your given name on your certificate, it cannot be verified online.
Northern Territory
Registration number
Registration numbers on Northern Territory birth certificates can differ and can be made up of both numbers and letters. Examples of how they may appear and how to enter them in myGovID include:
- NT 123/45 – enter 45
- B 2000/00001 – enter 00001
- 93/93/21 – enter 21
- 136 book 40 – enter 40
- N.T.232.70 – enter 70
- 54/35 – enter 35
- 775/155/18 – enter 18
- 1631/3234/17B – enter 17.
Single name
If you only have your family name on your certificate, enter it in the Family name field and leave the Given name field blank.
If you only have your given name on your certificate, it cannot be verified online.
Queensland
Date of issue
If your certificate was issued before 1 January 1941, it cannot be verified online.
Single name
If you only have a single name (either your given or family name) on your certificate, it cannot be verified online.
South Australia
Date of issue
If your certificate was issued before 1 January 1944, it cannot be verified online.
Single name
If you only have your family name on your certificate, enter it in the Family name field and leave the Given name field blank.
If you only have your given name on your certificate, it cannot be verified online.
Family name
If you have a capital letter within your family name, then you may need to include a space. For example, McCartney should be entered as Mc Cartney.
SA Districts
Your certificate cannot be verified online if it was issued by the SA District of:
- Adelaide
- Angaston
- Burra
- Clare
- Daly Encounter Bay
- Flinders
- Frome
- Gawler
- Gilbert
- Grey
- Hindmarsh
- Kapunda
- Mount Barker
- Murray
- Norwood
- Pinnaroo
- Pirie
- Port Adelaide
- Robe
- Talunga
- Willunga
If your certificate was issued by one of these districts you can apply for a new birth certificate through the SA Registry of Births, deaths and marriages or use an alternative identity document to set up your myGovID.
Tasmania
Date of issue
If your certificate was issued before 1 January 1970, it cannot be verified online.
Single name
If you only have a single name (either your given or family name) on your certificate it cannot be verified online. You’ll need to use an alternative identity document to set up your myGovID.
Time of birth
Some certificates issued for multiple births (twins, triplets, etc) before 1 November 2000 include the time of birth with either the given name or family name. You must include the time of birth as displayed on your certificate when entering your given name or family name details. For example, Smith 10:05pm.
Victoria
Re–registered certificates
If your certificate was re-registered due to an update, correction, name change or legitimation before or during 1993, it may not verify. This is because the certificate registration number and year were changed.
If this occurs, you'll need to use an alternative identity document to set up your myGovID.
Single name
If you only have a single name (either your given or family name) on your certificate and the other field has either ‘no registered surname’ or ‘no registered given name’, enter the details as they appear.
If you only have your family name on your certificate, enter it in the Family name field and leave the Given name field blank.
If you only have your given name on your certificate, it cannot be verified online.
Western Australia
Single name
If you only have a single name (either your given or family name) on your certificate, enter it into the Family name field and leave the Given name/s field blank.
Change of name
If you have had a change of name which was registered outside of WA, your certificate cannot be verified online. You will need to contact the WA Registry of Births, deaths and marriages to update your birth record or use the alternative identity documents to set up your myGovID.
Registration number
The registration number for Western Australia birth certificates may be formatted in different ways depending on the year it was issued.
You only need to enter the seven numbers in the Registration number field, and do not include any letters. For example, for Registration number 1234567X/YYYY, you would only enter 1234567 in the Registration number field.
If you do not have seven numbers, you will need to add zeros at the front. For example, for Registration number 123456X/YYYY, you would enter 0123456 in the Registration number field.
If your certificate was issued before 26 November 2001, it will include a registration number and district name. You will need to enter both the district number and registration number in the Registration number field. For example, for Registration number 1/234/56/X, ‘1’ is the district number and ‘234’ is the registration number. You would enter 0100234 in the Registration number field.
See the Western Australian Registration District Codes for the list of district numbers.