An identity, or ID, document is a document that shows your proof of identity. Your identity document gives evidence of your:

• Full legal name
• Date of birth
• Citizenship or residency status

It will also show any name changes that you have had.

To enrol into courses, your personal identity and citizenship or residency status must be verified by the University of Auckland.

Verification involves matching the information you’ve provided in your application for admission with your identity documents.

We ask you to provide your identity documents in your application for admission so that we can verify your details before you receive an offer of place.

This is so that you can enrol into classes as soon as you accept your offer of place at the University and without further delay.

Please note that your application can still be assessed without an identity document, however, you will not be able to enrol if you receive an offer of place until you provide this document.

Depending on your citizenship or residency status, your identity document may be your:

• Passport, including your visa where applicable
• Birth certificate
• Citizenship certificate

All documents submitted must be certified and translated into English. You can find more information on certification and translation further down this page.

Definition of domestic and international

If you want to know more about what being a domestic or international student means, please visit Domestic or international status.

Documents

The table summarises the documents you can submit based on your citizenship or residency status:

*You must provide your residency visa alongside your international passport. This can be an e-visa or a visa label.

**Your birth certificate can be accepted if you were born in 1986 or earlier.

***If you are accepted into your chosen programme, you will need to apply for a student visa. For more information, please see Visa information.

Please note, if you have provided evidence of your Australian citizenship, you do not need to give evidence of New Zealand permanent residency or residency.

You will need to submit evidence of your residency status if you’re:

• A New Zealand permanent resident
• A New Zealand resident
• An Australian permanent resident living in New Zealand

If you’re an Australian permanent resident, you must submit either a:

• Visa label in your passport
• VEVO letter sent directly from Australian Immigration

For more information, please see Visa Entitlement Verification Online system (VEVO).

Please note, if you hold both New Zealand and Australian permanent residency, you will need to apply using one of them. You can choose the residency that you feel best represents your position. New Zealand permanent residency is preferred.

For more information, please see Frequently asked questions about identity documents.

Yes, your identity document must be certified.

For more information about what this means and how to have your documents correctly certified, please see Certifying copies of your documents for admissions.

Please note, if you submit incorrectly certified documents this may cause a delay in you being able to enrol in your courses. 

Yes, your identity documents must be officially translated if they are in a language other than English. For more information, please see Translation of documents for admissions.

Passports usually have both English and your national language. You do not need to translate this document if you're using it for your application if it has English on it.

You can submit your certified identity document online through your application portal.

Your identity documents will generally take two to five working days to be processed. However, during periods of peak processing, your document could take longer to be processed.

Our peak processing times are:

• September to February for Semester One
• May to July for Semester Two