Guide

Online identity verification services in Australia

Online identity verification services confirm who a person is without an office visit. They check an ID document against the issuer’s record or other reliable data, and match the person’s face to their photo ID. In Australia, a business reaches the government’s Document Verification Service through a gateway or identity service provider.

By Matt Collis·Updated 21 October 2026·Reviewed 21 October 2026·Version 4·6 min read

This guide is for compliance officers and practice managers choosing how to verify clients online, including accountants, lawyers, conveyancers and real estate agents regulated from 1 July 2026. Facts come from the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), IDMatch, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and the Digital ID System, checked on 21 October 2026.

What is an online identity verification service?

An online identity verification service checks that a person is who they say they are, without an office visit. Most combine two checks: one confirms the identity exists, from an ID document or other data, and the other confirms the person on camera owns it.

That split mirrors AUSTRAC’s initial customer due diligence guidance. You verify the customer’s details with reliable and independent data. For an individual, you also take reasonable steps to establish they are who they claim to be.

Our guide to online identity verification methods covers each technique in depth. This page covers the services you can use in Australia.

How does an online identity check work?

An online identity check, from form to result

A remote check for an individual customer, before the service starts

Step 1
Onboarding form

Full name, date of birth, residential address and any other names.
Step 2
ID document

A primary photo ID such as a driver’s licence or passport, or a non-photo primary document plus a secondary one.
Step 3
Document check

Details checked against reliable and independent data, such as the DVS.
Step 4
Face match

Biometric technology or a video call compares the person with their photo ID.
Result recorded

Keep a record of how you established their identity, then provide the service.

Sources: AUSTRAC, Initial CDD for individuals; AUSTRAC, Overview of initial customer due diligence Reviewed 21 Oct 2026

The customer gives their details and an ID document, the service checks the document and matches their face, and you record the result before you provide the service.

Screens vary by provider, but a remote check for an individual runs in much the same order. AUSTRAC’s guidance on due diligence for individuals sets out what each step needs to prove.

For the ID document, AUSTRAC’s examples are one government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s licence or passport. The alternative is a non-photo primary document plus a secondary one showing name and address.

To match the face online, AUSTRAC lists a video call or biometric technology from an ID verification provider. You cannot start the service until you are satisfied the customer is who they claim to be.

Which verification methods can you use?

Online verification methods in Australia

Method	What it confirms	Who can use it	Watch for
Document Verification Service (DVS)	Details on an Australian ID document match the issuer’s record, usually as a yes or no	Approved organisations; a business connects through a gateway or identity service provider	No face check, so it does not prove the sender is the holder
Electronic data from a digital identity service	The customer’s details match other records	Any business, if the data is reliable and independent	Who maintains the data, and whether the system is secure and up to date
Biometric face match	A live selfie or video matches the photo on the ID document	Businesses, through an ID verification provider	Biometric information is sensitive information under the Privacy Act 1988
Face Verification Service (FVS)	The face matches the government image for a passport or WA driver licence	Approved Australian Government agencies and state and territory governments	Private sector access is planned, not yet open
Reusable Digital ID, such as myID	The person verified their ID documents once with an accredited provider	Government services now; private businesses can apply to join by December 2026	Check the provider is on the Digital ID registers

Sources: IDMatch, About our services; AUSTRAC, Overview of initial customer due diligence; OAIC, Biometric scanning; Australia’s Digital ID System, How the system works Reviewed 21 Oct 2026

A document or data check confirms an identity exists; a face check confirms the person owns it. Businesses cannot use the government’s Face Verification Service yet.

Online services draw on five main methods. Most providers pair a document or data check with a face check, because neither proves identity on its own.

Electronic data checks match the customer’s details against other records, not a document. AUSTRAC says you can use a third-party digital identity service if the data you receive is reliable and independent.

A reusable Digital ID, such as the government’s myID, is verified once and used again. To set up a Standard myID, a person verifies at least two Australian ID documents.

What is the Document Verification Service?

The Document Verification Service (DVS) is run by the Attorney-General’s Department. It checks whether details such as name and date of birth on an Australian ID document match the original record, usually with a yes or no.

It verifies 14 document types, including driver licences, passports, Medicare cards and birth certificates. It does not check facial images, so a yes does not prove the sender is the holder. A business can reach it in two ways:

Your own connection: as a business user, through an approved gateway service provider, using results only for your own purposes
Through a provider: an identity service provider requests DVS checks for you and gives you an identity opinion, not the DVS result

Can a business use the government’s face matching?

Not yet. The Face Verification Service (FVS) compares a person’s photo with the image on their passport or a Western Australian driver licence. For now, only approved government agencies can use it.

IDMatch says private sector organisations will be able to use the FVS in future, under the Identity Verification Services Act 2023. Until then, businesses rely on a provider’s face match.

A biometric face match compares a live selfie or video with the photo on the ID document. Read more about biometric identity verification.

What does AUSTRAC require from an online check?

AUSTRAC sets the standard a check must meet, and expects you to judge whether a service meets it. You verify more for a high-risk customer than a low-risk one.

Key point

Under Australia’s AML/CTF Act, a reporting entity must verify customer information using reliable and independent data, as appropriate to the customer’s risk.

For a digital identity service, AUSTRAC expects you to consider whether its data is independent and reliable, and who maintains it, such as a government body. Also consider whether it is secure and kept up to date.

If details do not match, your policies should say what happens next. AUSTRAC suggests contacting the issuer, asking the customer to explain, or using another source such as the DVS.

If you cannot establish a matter on reasonable grounds, you must not provide the service. Under the AML/CTF Act, a company faces a civil penalty of up to A$36.4 million per contravention. See AML non-compliance penalties.

What privacy rules apply?

A face match collects biometric information. The OAIC says this is sensitive information under the Privacy Act 1988, which needs a high level of protection.

Key point

Under Australia’s Privacy Act 1988, a covered business must generally get a person’s consent before collecting their biometric information.

The Act covers government agencies, organisations with annual turnover over A$3 million, and some others. See our guide to the Australian Privacy Principles.

Under Australian Privacy Principle 11.2, you destroy or de-identify personal information you no longer need, unless a law says to keep it. AUSTRAC’s record keeping checklist says to keep due diligence records for 7 years after the relationship ends.

How do you choose a service?

Start with what your anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) program says you must prove, and where the result needs to land. Then compare services on these points:

Data sources: whether document checks run through the DVS, and what other data it uses
Face match: how it compares the person with their photo ID, and how it records consent
Coverage: which Australian and overseas documents it accepts
Records: what evidence of each check you can keep for 7 years
Storage: where images and results are held, and for how long
Fit: whether results write back to your customer relationship management (CRM) or practice software, or need rekeying

Test a service on hard cases before you commit, such as a customer with no passport. Our list of identity verification service providers covers the main options.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need consent for a DVS check?

Yes. IDMatch participation agreements require express consent from the person being verified. If they do not consent, they may need to verify another way.

What if a customer has no photo ID?

You can verify a non-photo primary document, such as a birth certificate, with a secondary document. Then confirm who they are with a reference from a reliable, independent source. See AUSTRAC’s guidance for customers without standard ID.

Do I have to keep a copy of the ID document?

No. AUSTRAC says you are not required to keep the documents themselves under your record keeping obligations. You can record their details instead.

Can my business accept myID?

Not yet, in most cases. Government services use the Australian Government Digital ID System now. By December 2026, private businesses can apply to join it.

Next steps

List the checks your AML/CTF program requires for each customer type, then test a service against them. Our customer due diligence checklist and verification of identity requirements cover the detail.

StackGo’s IdentityCheck runs a biometric ID check, an ID document plus a selfie, inside the CRM or practice software your team already uses. The result is written back to the client record. See the Verify workflow or how IdentityCheck supports AUSTRAC Tranche 2 compliance.

Sources

The facts on this page come from these sources, checked on 21 October 2026. AUSTRAC and the AML/CTF Act:

Identity services, privacy and Digital ID: