Types of documents we accept

We need your identity documents if we haven't seen them before or we haven't got a copy of these on your file.

If you applied for a benefit or payment in MyMSD, you may have verified your identity online using Identity Check. If so, you do not need to provide any identity documents.

Verify your identity online using Identity Check

If you haven't verified your identity online using Identity Check, you need to:

• provide 2 identity documents (at least 1 of these needs to be government-issued), and 
• bring the government-issued ID you're providing into a service centre.

You can choose to either:

• upload your 2 identity documents to MyMSD and bring your government-issued ID into a service centre, or
• bring your 2 identity documents into a service centre.

If you can't provide identity documents, talk to us about ways we can help.

Phone us

Verify your identity at a service centre

Your partner needs to provide their identity documents as well. They can only do this by bringing their ID into a service centre. They can't use Identity Check.

Types of government-issued ID

Documents must be current, or up to 2 years expired.

You must provide original government-issued identity documents. We cannot accept copies, including certified copies.

If you were born in New Zealand

Examples of government-issued ID include:

• NZ birth certificate (apply online for a birth certificateexternal)
• NZ passport
• NZ driver licence which is either a:
  • photo licence
  • temporary paper driver licence
• Firearms licence
• Steps to Freedom release form
• Oranga Tamariki issued Custody Order.

If you're born overseas

As well as ID that proves who you are, we also need proof that you have the right to live in New Zealand. Examples include:

• New Zealand passport
• Passport from another country (current or up to 6 months expired) showing your residence class visa or permit
• Citizenship certificate
• NZ Refugee Travel document
• If you're from Australia, either your Australian:
  • passport
  • birth certificate
  • proof of residence
• If you're from Cook Islands, Tokelau or Niue, either:
  • birth certificate
  • letter of confirmation
  • certificate of registration
  • certificate of naturalisation
• Letter of confirmation of your residence class visa or permit from Immigration New Zealand.

Other documents that prove your identity

Examples:

• education organisation documents
• letter from Inland Revenue
• marriage certificate
• Kiwi Access card (18+).

Other documents that prove your identity, but should be less than 6 months old:

• bank document
• document from a health practitioner
• employment letter or payslip
• power account document
• rates notice
• telecommunications account
• tenancy agreement
• insurance document
• letter from a prominent community member.

If your legal name on your Government-issued ID has changed, you'll also need to provide either:

• a marriage certificate
• a deed poll
• other proof of the name change.

You need to provide evidence of the bank account you want your payments to go into. This can be a:

• bank statement
• deposit slip
• screenshot of your online banking
• printout of your online banking.

Your evidence must show the:

• bank's logo
• full bank account number
• account name (plus other names if it's a joint account)
• web address (if you're providing an online banking printout).

If you're providing a bank statement or online banking print-out, you only need to provide one page with all the information shown above.

If your evidence doesn't show this information, it will need to be stamped, initialled and verified by the bank.

You need to tell us your IRD number. We'll check this with Inland Revenue.

If your IRD number doesn't match with Inland Revenue, we may ask you for proof of your IRD number, if we don't already have it. Proof can be things like:

• a letter from Inland Revenue (digital or paper)
• a screenshot/photo of your myIR account (this must show your name, IRD number, the IR logo and web address).

You need to provide evidence of your last pay and all income you've received from any source in the last 26 weeks and 52 weeks. We'll use this information to compare your earnings over these 2 periods and work out the earliest date we can start your benefit. For example, we would need to see evidence of your last pay and all income you've received from:

• work
• regular insurance payments, e.g. ACC
• investments
• interest
• business
• private pensions
• rent or boarders.

If you're working for someone else, this can be:

• payslips
• a printout of your earnings for the last 12 months from Inland Revenue
• bank statements
• a letter from your employer(s).

If you run your own business, this can be your:

• latest tax return
• latest full set of accounts.

If you don't have either of these you need write a personal statement, with details of your business income and expenses.

You need to provide evidence of your accommodation costs.

If you rent or board, this can be a Tenancy Agreement.

If you own your own home, you will need to provide your original:

• mortgage agreement
• insurance (excluding contents)
• rates
• ground lease
• water rates.

Your evidence must show:

• your full name
• how much you pay
• how often you pay these costs.

For you or your partner (if you have one)

You or your partner (if you have one) need to provide a medical certificate from your health practitioner (for example your doctor or GP) to tell us how your health condition or disability affects your ability to work.

Some health practitioners send us medical certificates electronically. If you or your partner already have a Work and Income client number, make sure they include that on the certificate.

If your health practitioner doesn't send the medical certificate electronically, you'll need to bring or send it in.

For a child

You need to provide a medical certificate for any children or young people you care for. It needs to confirm that the child or young person needs constant care and attention due to a serious disability.

For someone you're caring for

You need to provide a medical certificate to confirm the level and type of care the person you're caring for needs.

Medical certificates - information for Medical and Nurse practitioners

If you're applying for a Disability Allowance, you need to get your health practitioner to complete a Disability Certificate.

A Disability Certificate needs to be completed for each family member who has expenses relating to a disability. You'll also need to provide of any medical costs that your health practitioner lists in question 6 of this form. (PDF 197 KB)

If you're applying for a Disability Allowance for counselling, you, your health practitioner and your counsellor also need to complete the 'Disability Certificate - Counselling' form.

You need to provide evidence of your health and disability related costs that have been verified by a registered health practitioner.

These can be either:

• invoices
• receipts
• quotes
• printouts.

Your evidence must show:

• your full name
• how much you pay
• how often you pay these costs.

You need to provide evidence of each dependent child in your care. This must be a full birth certificate.

If you're applying for Temporary Additional Support, you need to provide evidence of your:

• essential household items, e.g. hire purchase agreements
• employment-related costs, for example:
  • bus fares
  • cc rating of your car and the mileage.

Your evidence must show:

• your full name
• how much you pay
• how often you pay these costs.

You need to provide proof of your overseas pension, for example:

• pension certificates
• letters.

You need to provide evidence of your cash assets, for example:

• bank statements (a page showing the account amount(s) and bank logo)
• bonus bonds
• trust documentation
• share certificates.

You also need to provide evidence of any non-cash assets, for example insurance certificates.

If you're 20 or under and have recently left high school or tertiary education, you need to provide your leaving certificate.

If you're applying for a Funeral Grant, you need to provide the death certificate of the person who has died.

Get a death certificateexternal