Being asked for your passport by someone you've hired to help you buy a house can feel a bit backwards. You're the customer. But the ID check isn't about doubting you. It's about making sure nobody else can pretend to be you and sell, or mortgage, a property that's yours.
What is verification of identity?
Verification of identity (VOI) is the check your conveyancer or lawyer does to confirm you are who you say you are before they sign and lodge documents for you at the land registry.
Most transfers and mortgages in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria are now lodged electronically, through platforms like PEXA. The land registries in each state have adopted the same national rules for that, the Model Participation Rules, set by the Australian Registrars' National Electronic Conveyancing Council (ARNECC). Under those rules your conveyancer, as the “subscriber” signing on your behalf, must take reasonable steps to verify your identity.
Why it exists
Title fraud is rare, but when it happens it's ugly: someone impersonates an owner, signs a transfer or mortgage, and the money is gone before anyone notices. The registry relies on the person lodging the document having checked who they're acting for. VOI is that check.
It also protects you at settlement. A conveyancer who knows exactly who their client is has a much better chance of spotting someone trying to slip into the conversation and redirect your money. More on that in avoiding conveyancing payment scams.
What ID will I need?
The rules include a VOI Standard. Under it, the check is a face-to-face, in-person interview, using the strongest category of original documents you have. The standard ranks documents into categories, and the highest available category has to be used.
In practice, a current passport and driver licence is the easiest way to meet the standard. If you don't have one of these, ARNECC's rules allow other combinations of supporting documents, so tell your conveyancer what you do have and they'll work out what's needed.
Your conveyancer will also usually confirm you're the registered owner, or entitled to deal with the property, as part of the same process.
Can it be done online?
Yes, though with a catch worth understanding. The VOI Standard itself is in-person; ARNECC's guidance says a video call on its own is not a “face-to-face in-person interview”. But the standard isn't the only way to comply. The rules require reasonable steps, and a subscriber can use other methods, including remote checks, if those steps are reasonable. That choice, and the risk, sits with the subscriber.
Zettle Conveyancing verifies your identity online using Livesign. It matches your face to your photo ID with a facial biometric check and checks the ID document itself for signs of tampering. In our view that goes further than the in-person VOI Standard: Livesign is far more successful at spotting impostors and fraudulent documents than an in-person check. It's the reasonable steps we take under the rules, and the same face match confirms it's you on later steps.
A conveyancer can also appoint an Identity Agent, such as a verification provider, to do the check for them. The agent must be told in writing to use the VOI Standard.
Is VOI the same as an AML check?
No. They're two different regimes that happen to look similar.
| Verification of identity (VOI) | AML/CTF customer due diligence | |
|---|---|---|
| Rules | ARNECC Model Participation Rules, adopted by each state land registry | Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 and AUSTRAC Rules |
| Applies since | Start of e-conveyancing (rules now at Version 7) | 1 July 2026 for certain services provided by conveyancers, lawyers and real estate professionals |
| Purpose | Confirm who you are before documents are lodged at the land registry | Know your customer and assess money-laundering risk |
| Who checks | Your conveyancer or lawyer (the subscriber), or an Identity Agent | Businesses providing regulated services, including some conveyancing services |
| Record keeping | At least 7 years from lodgement | At least 7 years (AUSTRAC) |
| Official source | ARNECC | AUSTRAC |
One check can often serve both, but ARNECC is clear that an AML/CTF check doesn't automatically satisfy the VOI Standard. It may count as “reasonable steps”, if the conveyancer is satisfied it's good enough for conveyancing. So don't be surprised if you're asked for slightly different things. More in our AML article.
How long does a check last?
If your conveyancer verified your identity in the previous two years, they may not need to do it again, provided they take reasonable steps to confirm you're the same person. ARNECC has proposed clarifying this in Version 8 of the rules, but that version was a consultation draft as at October 2026 and hasn't commenced.
The evidence of your check has to be kept for at least seven years from lodgement. After that, it's up to the firm's own retention policy and privacy obligations.
What if I can't meet the standard?
Overseas, recently changed your name, or don't hold a passport or licence? It's usually still doable. The rules allow other reasonable steps, so tell your conveyancer early and they'll work out what they need, such as a marriage certificate linking two names or a verification done overseas. Leaving it to settlement week is the thing to avoid.
Get it sorted
Zettle Conveyancing checks your identity online as part of onboarding, so it's done before it can hold anything up. Buying or selling in QLD, NSW or VIC? Get a quote. See fixed fees: QLD · NSW · VIC. Just Zettle it.
Zettle Conveyancing is a solicitor-led online conveyancing practice for QLD, NSW and VIC, with offices in Maroochydore, Sydney and Melbourne.
General information only, not legal advice.
