Company Directors Can Now Apply For The New Director ID
Australia’s 2.7 million company directors can now apply for their new Director identification numbers (director ID).
The director ID is a unique 15-digit identifier that will stay with a director for life.
Key dates are:
- Individuals who became a director on or before 31 October 2021 – must apply by 30 November 2022
- Individuals who become a director between 1 November 2021 and 4 April 2022 – must apply within 28 days of appointment, and
- Individuals who become a director from 5 April 2022 onwards – must apply before appointment.
How director ID works
A director ID:
- Starts with 036, which is the 3-digit country code for Australia under International Standard ISO 3166
- Ends with an 11-digit number and one ‘check’ digit for error detection
Directors need to apply for their own director ID. It’s free to apply.
Directors will only ever have one director ID. They’ll keep it forever even if they:
- Change companies
- Stop being a director
- Change their name
- Move interstate or overseas
Who needs a director ID
You need a director ID if you’re an eligible officer of:
- A company, a registered Australian body or a registered foreign company under the Corporations Act 2001 (Corporations Act)
- A Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act)
An eligible officer is a person who is appointed as:
- A director
- An alternate director who is acting in that capacity
You must apply for your own director ID to verify your identity. No one can apply on your behalf.
People who don’t need a director ID
You don’t need a director ID if you’re:
- A company secretary but not a director
- Acting as an external administrator of a company
- Running a business as a sole trader or partnership
- Referred to as a ‘director’ in your job title but have not been appointed as a director under the Corporations Act or the CATSI Act
- A director of a registered charity with an organisation type that is not registered with ASIC to operate throughout Australia
- An officer of an unincorporated association, cooperative or incorporated association established under state or territory legislation, unless the organisation is also a registered Australian body
Steps to apply for Director ID
Step 1 – set up myGovID
You will need a myGovID with a Standard or Strong identity strength to apply for your director ID online.
If you live outside Australia and can’t get a myGovID with a Standard or Strong identity strength, you will need to apply with a paper form and provide certified copies of your identity documents.
If you live in Australia and:
- Don’t have a myGovID, you can find information on how to download the app at How to set up myGovID
- Already have a myGovID, you can apply for your director ID now.
Step 2 – Gather your documents
You will need to have some information the ATO knows about you when you apply for your director ID:
- Your tax file number (TFN)
- Your residential address as held by the ATO
- Information from two documents to verify your identity
Examples of the documents you can use to verify your identity include:
- Bbank account details
- An ATO notice of assessment
- Super account details
- A dividend statement
- A Centrelink payment summary
- PAYG payment summary
Step 3 – Complete your application
Once you have a myGovID with a Standard or Strong identity strength, and information to verify your identity, you can log in and apply for your director ID: https://mygovid.gov.au/AuthSpa.UI/index.html#login
How to apply if you cannot get a MyGovID
If you can’t get a myGovID with a Standard or Strong identity strength, the best way to apply for a director ID will depend on your situation.
Apply by phone
You can apply by phone if you have:
- An Australian tax file number (TFN)
- The information you need to verify your identity
When you have the information you need to apply, contact ABRS https://www.abrs.gov.au/contact-us
Apply with a paper form
- If you can’t apply online or over the phone, you can apply using a downloadable form