An Affidavit of Identity is a sworn or affirmed written statement in which a person confirms their full legal name, date of birth, residential address, and the identity documents they currently hold. It may also disclose previous names used, including names before marriage, divorce, or a formal change of name by deed poll or court order. As an affidavit, it is made under the Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) or the equivalent evidence legislation of the relevant Australian state or territory and must be sworn or affirmed before an authorised witness such as a Justice of the Peace (JP), solicitor, or barrister.

The Affidavit of Identity serves as formal sworn evidence of a person's identity when primary identity documents are unavailable, do not match the person's current name, or when a government agency or institution requires a higher level of assurance than a standard statutory declaration provides. Because it carries the force of sworn evidence — and because making a false affidavit constitutes perjury, a serious criminal offence — it is accorded significant weight by government agencies, financial institutions, courts, and other bodies.

This document is distinct from a statutory declaration of identity. A statutory declaration is made under the Statutory Declarations Act 1959 (Cth) and is used for general administrative purposes, while an affidavit is specifically designed for use in legal proceedings or where a sworn document is expressly required. In practice, many government agencies and financial institutions accept either form, but some (particularly courts and certain Commonwealth agencies) require an affidavit.

The Affidavit of Identity is routinely accepted by Services Australia (Centrelink and Medicare), the Australian Passport Office, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), state motor vehicle registries, the Department of Home Affairs, state and territory courts, banks and credit unions, superannuation funds, and land titles offices. It is particularly valuable where the deponent's name has changed through marriage or other means and the name on their existing documents does not match their current legal name.

An Affidavit of Identity is needed in a wide range of situations in Australia where formal sworn confirmation of identity is required.

Passport applications and renewals frequently require an Affidavit of Identity where the applicant cannot produce their birth certificate or where their name has changed since their last passport. The Australian Passport Office accepts affidavits as alternative evidence of identity and name change in appropriate circumstances.

Centrelink and Medicare applications under Services Australia may require an Affidavit of Identity where standard identity documents have been lost or destroyed, where the applicant's name has changed, or where the applicant is establishing identity for the first time in the Australian government's systems. This includes applications for the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, JobSeeker Payment, and other social security payments.

ATO (Australian Taxation Office) identity verification requires an Affidavit of Identity in some circumstances, particularly where a taxpayer's records reflect a different name to their current legal name, or where identity verification is required for changes to superannuation or tax file number records.

Bank and financial institution onboarding may require an Affidavit of Identity where a customer cannot produce standard primary identity documents or where their name has changed. This is particularly relevant for superannuation fund beneficiary claims, where identity documents may need to match both the deceased member's records and the claimant's current identity.

Court proceedings require an Affidavit of Identity when a party needs to formally confirm their identity as part of the proceedings — for example, in probate applications, family law matters where identity is in issue, or enforcement proceedings against a specific named individual.

Name change purposes include circumstances where a person has changed their name through marriage, divorce, deed poll, or change of name certificate, and needs to formally reconcile their old and new names for government, legal, or commercial purposes. An Affidavit of Identity setting out the old name, new name, and the reason for the change is often accepted where the change of name certificate alone is not sufficient.

Department of Home Affairs visa and citizenship applications may require an Affidavit of Identity as supporting evidence of the applicant's identity, particularly where identity documents from a foreign country are unavailable or cannot be authenticated.

A valid Australian Affidavit of Identity must contain several essential elements to be accepted by government agencies, courts, and financial institutions.

The deponent's full current legal name must be stated clearly. This is the name that the deponent uses on their current identity documents. If there has been a name change, both the current name and the previous name(s) must be disclosed.

The date of birth must be stated in full (day, month, and year). This is a primary identifying fact and must match the deponent's identity documents.

The current residential address must be provided in full: street address, suburb, state or territory, and postcode. This address must be the deponent's current place of residence.

The identity documents held by the deponent should be listed with sufficient detail to enable verification: type of document (passport, driver licence, Medicare card, etc.), issuing authority, document number (where it is safe to include this), and expiry date. Certified copies of these documents may be attached as annexures.

A name change history must be disclosed where the deponent's name has changed. The previous name(s), the date of the change, and the reason for the change (marriage, divorce, deed poll, change of name certificate) must be stated. Supporting documents (marriage certificate, change of name certificate, divorce order) should be attached as annexures.

Additional identifying facts may be relevant depending on the purpose of the affidavit. These may include: place of birth, country of citizenship, tax file number association details, employment history for the purpose of superannuation identification, or other facts relevant to the specific agency or institution requiring the affidavit.

The jurat must confirm: where the affidavit was sworn or affirmed; the date; the deponent's signature; and the witness's signature, name, qualification, and address. The witness must have verified the deponent's identity before witnessing the affidavit.

Annexures (certified copies of supporting documents) should be attached where required by the receiving authority. Each annexure must be signed by the witness and marked with the identification words required by the relevant court or body.