Overview
BGLiD supports several different types of identification. This article aims to outline where to locate information needed to complete an identity request, a requirement for the BGLiD verification process.
Important
Only the document types listed below are accepted by BGLiD. Using an unsupported document (including foreign driver's licences, NZ passports, or Heavy Vehicle licences) will result in a failed check. Confirm your contact has a supported document before sending a request.
The Identification types currently supported by BGLiD are:
| Document | Accepted? |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AU Passport | ✔ Yes |
Must be current (not expired). |
| AU Driver's Licence (light vehicle) physical card only | ✔ Yes |
Standard car licence (class C). Card number and licence number must be legible. Digital driver's licence apps are not accepted. |
| Australian Medicare Card | ✔ Yes* |
*Only accepted as a secondary document alongside an Australian Passport or Driver's Licence. Cannot be used on its own. See Medicare - Australia. |
| Passports of other countries registered with the Australian Government | ✔ Yes* |
*Only accepted if the contact holds an eligible visa subclass registered with the Department of Home Affairs, and the passport details match that record. Not every current visa qualifies. See Foreign passports below. |
| New Zealand Passport | ✘ No* |
*Accepted only where the holder has been granted subclass 444 (Resident Return & Bridging). Contact BGL Support before attempting. |
| Heavy Vehicle Licence (HR, HC, MC) | ✔ Yes |
Heavy Rigid, Heavy Combination and Multi-combination (HR, HC, MC). Card number and licence number must be legible. Digital driver's licence apps are not accepted. |
| Digital Driver's Licence (appbased, e.g. NSW/VIC) | ✘ No |
Not supported. The contact must present their physical card. |
| Overseas Driver's Licence (US, UK, EU, etc.) | ✘ No |
Not supported. |
| Expired Documents | ✘ No |
Any expired document will result in an automatic failure. |
| NSW Photo Card | ✘ No |
Not supported. |
| Proof of Age Cards | ✘ No |
Not supported. |
Medicare card: How it works as a secondary document
A Medicare card is a secondary document only. You can add it to a BGLiD request, but it needs to be paired with a primary document, either an Australian Passport or Driver's Licence. On its own, it won't work.
How to include a Medicare card in a request
When setting up the BGLiD verification request, select both the primary document type (Passport or Driver's Licence) and the Medicare card option. The contact will then be asked to provide both during the verification flow.
| Combination | Accepted? |
|---|---|
| Medicare card + Australian Passport | ✔ Yes |
| Medicare card + Australian Driver's Licence | ✔ Yes |
| Medicare card only (no primary document) | ✘ No |
For full details on the Medicare verification step, see Medicare - Australia.
Foreign passports: How the check works
Conditions for acceptance
A non-Australian passport will only work if all three of these are true:
- The contact holds an Australian visa in a supported visa category (see table below). Holding a current visa in an unsupported category will still fail.
- The visa is current and matches the entitlement record held by the Department of Home Affairs.
- The passport details (number, name, date of birth) match the visa grant record held by the Department of Home Affairs.
Visitors, people on expired visas, people on an unsupported visa subclass, and anyone whose passport details don't match the Home Affairs record will fail. Even for visa holders in a supported category, it's not a guarantee, it depends on whether the details in the system align exactly.
Supported visa categories
| Visa category | Example subclasses | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Partner & Family | 100, 101, 102, 103, 143, 804, 835-838 | ✔ Supported |
| Skilled & Work | 186, 187, 189, 190, 191, 482, 491, 494 | ✔ Supported |
| Business & Investor | 132, 188, 888 | ✔ Supported |
| Humanitarian | 200-204, 866 | ✔ Supported |
| Resident Return & Bridging | 155, 157, 444 | ✔ Supported - 444 is how New Zealand citizens are verified |
| Legacy/historical subclasses | 175, 176, 885, 886, 808, 814, etc. | ✔ Supported if still held (no longer issued to new applicants) |
| Visitor visas | 600 | ✘ Not supported |
| Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) | 601 | ✘ Not supported |
| eVisitor | 651 | ✘ Not supported |
| Student visas | 500 | ✘ Not supported |
| Working Holiday / Work and Holiday | 417, 462 | ✘ Not supported |
| Temporary Graduate | 485 | ✘ Not supported |
If a contact holds a visa in an unsupported category, the foreign passport check will fail regardless of how current the visa is or how well the details match. The visa subclass itself is not on the accepted list.
Why foreign passports involve more steps
Australian passports hit the Government's Document Verification Service (DVS) directly, which is a database match that comes back in seconds.
Foreign passports can't go through the DVS. The system has to do more work:
- Document capture and OCR. The contact uploads a photo of their passport. The system runs optical character recognition (OCR) and authenticity checks to read the details and confirm the document is genuine.
- Biometric liveness check. The contact completes a live selfie to match their face against the passport photo.
- VEVO check. The system queries the Department of Home Affairs' Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) to confirm the contact's visa status, conditions, and category and to establish their identity records within Australia. This is what satisfies the requirement for a government-verified data source under AML/CTF obligations.
That's three steps instead of one, which is why foreign passport verifications take longer and are more likely to fail than Australian document checks, either on photo/biometric quality, or because the visa subclass itself isn't on the supported list.
Valid visa but still failing? Contact BGL Support with the contact's name, document type, and visa details. The two most common causes are: a mismatch between the passport details and the visa grant record held by Home Affairs, or a visa subclass that isn't on the supported list (see table above).
Who this applies to
| Contact type | Can they use a foreign passport? |
|---|---|
| Foreign national on a supported visa category (see table above) | Possibly; it depends on whether their passport details match the Home Affairs visa record. |
| Foreign national on a visa category not listed as supported | No; the visa subclass isn't on the accepted list, regardless of validity. |
| Visitor or tourist (subclass 600, 601, 651) | No; explicitly unsupported. |
| Student visa holder (subclass 500) | No; explicitly unsupported. |
| Working Holiday / Work and Holiday visa holder (subclass 417, 462) | No; explicitly unsupported. |
| Expired visa holder | No. |
| New Zealand citizen on subclass 444 | Possibly; it depends on whether their passport details match the Home Affairs visa record. |
What to do if your contact has no supported document
BGLiD electronic verification isn't available for every contact. If someone can't provide an Australian Driver's Licence, Australian Passport, or an eligible visa-registered foreign passport, you'll need to verify them manually.
In that case:
- Conduct manual identity verification in accordance with your AML/CTF program requirements.
- Record the manual verification outcome in CAS 360 using the manual verification fields.
- Contact BGL Support if you are unsure how to record a manual verification result in the system.
See also: BGLiD Manual Review.
Australian Driver's Licences
Australian Driver's Licences carry two separate numbers. BGLiD requires the Card Number and not the Licence Number. People mix these up constantly, and it's the most common reason a check fails.
While all Australian Driver's Licenses have a Licence Number and Card Number, these can appear in different positions based on the issuing state.
| Field | What it is |
|---|---|
| Licence Number | Your unique licence identifier. Stays the same across renewals. |
| Card Number (required) | Changes each time a new card is issued. BGLiD uses this to confirm the card is current. |
Refer to the appropriate tab below to see how to locate these numbers:
Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
Licence Number: Next to "Licence No." under Date of Birth.
Card Number: Placed vertically next to your photo.
New South Wales (NSW)
Licence Number: Next to "Licence No." under Address.
Card Number: Above your photo.
Northern Territory (NT)
Licence Number: Next to "Licence No." under Name.
Card Number: On the back of the card at the bottom.
Queensland (QLD)
If licence was issued BEFORE 12 June 2019
Licence Number: Under "Licence No. / CRN" above your photo.
Card Number: On the back of the card at the bottom.
If licence was issued AFTER 12 June 2019
Licence Number: Under "Licence No." above your photo.
Card Number: At the bottom middle of the card.
South Australia (SA)
Licence Number: Under "Licence No." in the top-left of the card.
Card Number: On the back of the card in the top-right corner.
Tasmania (TAS)
Licence Number: Under "Licence No." in the top-left of the card.
Card Number: On the back of the card in the top-right corner.
Victoria (VIC)
If licence was issued BEFORE 7 November 2022
Licence Number: Under "Licence No." above your photo.
Card Number: On the back of the card on the right-hand side.
If licence was issued AFTER 7 November 2022
Licence Number: Under "Licence No." above your photo.
Card Number: On the back of the card in the top-right corner.
Western Australia (WA)
Licence Number: Under "Licence Number" above your photo.
Card Number: On the back of the card on the right-hand side.