How to Verify Your Identity Online for a NSW Sale or Purchase
Verification of identity used to mean a queue at the post office. It doesn’t anymore. Here’s exactly what happens when we send you the link.
Can I verify my identity online instead of going somewhere in person?
Yes. Every buyer and seller in NSW has to have their identity verified before a property can change hands, and we do it remotely through a secure service called IDYou. You need a device with a working camera, an internet connection and your ID documents in front of you. It takes most clients about ten minutes, and you never have to hand your documents to a stranger or take time off work.
At a glance
- Do I have to verify my identity? Yes. It applies to every party in a NSW property transaction, and it protects you from someone selling your property out from under you.
- Can it be done online? Yes, from any device with a camera. No appointment, no post office.
- What do I need? A photo of yourself taken on the spot, plus your ID documents, usually a passport or birth certificate together with a driver’s licence.
- How long does it take? Around ten minutes, and the report reaches our team within minutes of you submitting it.
Why verification of identity exists
Verification of identity, or VOI, is the step that confirms you are who you say you are before your name goes on or comes off a property title.
It exists because property fraud is real. Without it, someone holding a copy of your documents could attempt to sell a property that isn’t theirs. The check protects the owner far more than it inconveniences the buyer.
It used to be genuinely painful. It meant queuing at the post office, or sitting across a desk from someone you’d never met while they photocopied your passport. That’s no longer how it works.
In plain English
We’re proving to the land titles system that the person signing is the real person. You do it on your phone, we get the report, and your matter keeps moving.
What happens, step by step
Once you’ve sent us your buyer or seller instructions through our online form, the process runs like this.
We email you a link
Click the continue button in that email and you’ll land on the IDYou home page. Check your junk folder if it hasn’t arrived within a few minutes.
Enter your security code
A code is sent by SMS to the mobile number you gave us in your instructions. That’s what opens your VOI portal, so use the same phone.
Take a live photo
Look straight at the camera, keep a natural expression, and make sure nothing is covering your face. Treat it like a passport photo, then save and continue.
Upload your ID
You’ll need multiple forms of identification, typically a passport or birth certificate plus a driver’s licence or proof of age card. IDYou checks them against government databases and fills in the fields for you. Read those fields carefully and make sure they match your documents exactly.
Review and sign
Check everything you’ve uploaded, tick the confirmation box, then sign the privacy and consent form and the declaration. You can sign with a stylus, a mouse or your finger.
Submit
Press submit and your verification of identity report comes straight through to our conveyancing team. That’s it. You’re verified.
What if my name has changed?
If the names on your ID documents don’t all match, you’ll be asked to upload proof of the change, such as a marriage certificate. This catches a lot of people out, so it’s worth finding that certificate before you start rather than halfway through.
If your name hasn’t changed and your documents match, select the option confirming the names are the same and keep going.
Stuck partway through, or the link has expired? Call us and we’ll reissue it the same day.
How this fits with the anti-money laundering checks
Verification of identity and the anti-money laundering checks that now apply to conveyancing are related but not the same thing. VOI confirms who you are. The AML checks go a step further and look at where your funds are coming from.
For most clients both are handled in the same run of paperwork, and we’ll tell you if anything extra is needed for your matter.
The short version
You can verify your identity online from home, on any device with a camera, in about ten minutes. Have your ID documents ready, use the phone number you gave us, and check the extracted details match your documents before you sign.
Ready to get started?
Talk to Justin, Julie, Amanda or Nicole today. We’ll send your verification link and get your matter moving straight away.
