Apply for your director ID
You must apply for your own director ID. The fastest way to apply is online.
View this page in other languages or watch Video – How to apply for a director ID.
Before you start
Before you apply for a director ID online, you need a myGovID with at least a Standard identity strength.
You’ll use your myGovID to log in to ABRS online to apply for your director ID online.
If you:
- don’t have a myGovID with at least a Standard identity strength, go to Step 1 – Set up myGovID
- have a myGovID, go to Step 2 – Gather your documents
- can't get a myGovID and live outside Australia, see How to apply if you cannot get a myGovID.
myGovID is different from myGov
- myGovID is your Digital Identity and is unique to you. It’s an easy and secure way to prove who you are online and securely sign into a range of government online services including your myGov account.
- myGov is an account. Your myGov account lets you link to government services online, like the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Centrelink, Medicare and more.
Step 1 – Set up myGovID
Follow these steps to set up a myGovID:
- Download the myGovID app from the App Store or Google Play.
- Enter your details.
- Choose your identity strength (you must choose at least a Standard identity strength).
You need at least 2 of the following Australian identity documents to achieve a Standard identity strength:
- passport (current or not more than 3 years expired)
- driver’s licence or learner’s permit
- birth certificate
- citizenship certificate
- Medicare card
- visa (using your foreign passport)
- ImmiCard.
Tip: Use your Australian passport as one of your documents to increase your myGovID identity strength from Standard to Strong. A Strong identity strength reduces the identity documents required to complete your director ID application.
If you don’t have at least 2 of these documents, see How to apply if you cannot get a myGovID.
Step 2 – Gather your documents
Once you have your myGovID, you need some additional information to apply for a director ID. This information must relate to you personally, and not the company you work for.
If you have a myGovID with a Strong identity strength, you only need to provide one of the following:
- your individual tax file number (TFN)
- your residential address as held by the ATO.
If you have a myGovID with a Standard identity strength, you need to provide:
- your individual TFN – optional but it will help speed up the process
- your residential address as held by the ATO
- information from 2 of the following documents to verify your identity.
Examples of the documents you can use, include:
- bank account details the ATO has on record – most likely where you’ve received a tax return refund or an account that has earned interest in the last 2 years
- an ATO notice of assessment
- a dividend statement
- a Centrelink payment summary
- a PAYG payment summary – this is different to your income statement or your PAYG instalment activity statement.
For more information about the documents you can use, see Verify your identity – Online application.
Step 3 – Complete your application
Log in to ABRS online using your myGovID to apply online for your director ID:
When you log in, you’ll receive a 4-digit code that you need to enter in to your myGovID app.
We recommend you use Google Chrome or Firefox to complete your online application.
If you have issues with your online application, check for system maintenance and known issues.
How to apply if you cannot get a myGovID
If you cannot set up a myGovID with at least a Standard identity strength, how you apply depends on where you currently live.
Find out how to apply if you:
- live in Australia
- live outside of Australia.