How to apply for an Australian director ID from outside Australia

What is a director ID?

A director ID (director identification number, sometimes abbreviated DIN) is a unique identifier issued by ABRS after verifying your identity. You receive one director ID for life, and it does not change if you change companies, stop being a director, change your name, or move countries. The application is free, and you must make it yourself; no one can apply on your behalf.

Who needs a director ID?

You need a director ID if you are a director of an Australian company, a registered foreign company, a registered Australian body, or an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation. An alternate director must apply before acting in the appointing director’s place. Directors of registered foreign companies need one wherever they live. A company secretary who is not also a director does not need one.

Can you apply online from overseas?

The paper process is for people who cannot set up a myID. An Australian citizen or former resident living overseas who holds sufficient Australian identity documents can apply online and receive a director ID immediately. See How to apply for an Australian director ID in Australia.

Step 1: Download the form

The form is Application for a director identification number, for people living outside Australia (NAT 75433), available from the ABRS website.

Step 2: Gather your identity documents

You must provide certified copies of either one primary identity document and one secondary identity document, or two primary identity documents. Primary documents include a foreign passport or foreign birth certificate. Secondary documents include a national identity card, foreign driver’s licence, or marriage certificate. Send certified copies only; ABRS does not return documents.

Step 3: Have the copies certified

Have each copy certified by a notary public or by staff at an Australian embassy, high commission, or consulate. Either route is sufficient on its own. If your country is party to the Hague Apostille Convention, its competent authority can also attach an apostille to a notarised document, but an apostille is not required. Documents that are not in English must be accompanied by a translation prepared by an approved translator.

Step 4: Complete the form

The form asks for your full legal name, any former names, date and place of birth, residential address, and contact details. The details you enter must match the certified documents exactly. Mismatches between the form and the documents are a common cause of delay.

Step 5: Post the form to ABRS

Post the completed form and the certified copies to the ABRS address on the form. Use tracked international mail and keep copies of everything you send. Do not lodge a second application while you wait.

Timing and your appointment

You can be appointed as a director of an Australian company or a registered foreign company as soon as your paper application has been delivered to ABRS; you do not need to wait for it to be processed. You can also apply early: the application form covers anyone who intends to become a director within 12 months after applying. Applying from outside Australia is usually the longest lead item in a market entry, so start it first.

New director ID requirements from 1 July 2027

From 1 July 2027, companies will need to provide director IDs to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) through company reporting processes, including at annual reviews and when notifying appointments and changes to director details. You can still be appointed as a director of an existing Australian company while ABRS processes your director ID application. The amendments expressly provide for this: once the director ID issues, you have 7 days to give it to the company, and the company has 14 days from issue to lodge it with ASIC. If your director ID has already issued when you are appointed, you must give it to the company within 7 days of the appointment. The position is stricter for new company registrations: an application to incorporate a new company or to register a foreign company must include each director’s director ID, so registration cannot proceed until the director IDs have issued. The director ID has been a standalone identifier since the regime commenced in November 2021; the changes, legislated in June 2026, connect it to ASIC’s companies register for the first time. Before 1 July 2027, check that your details are consistent between ABRS and ASIC.

Keeping your details current

Overseas residents update their details by telephoning ABRS. If your name or residential address changes, tell each company of which you are a director within 7 days, and the company must notify ASIC within 28 days.

Penalties

Criminal and civil penalties apply for failing to apply for a director ID when required, applying for more than one, or misrepresenting a director ID. Since 1 July 2026, ASIC can disqualify a person from managing corporations for up to 3 years if the person fails to apply when directed by ABRS. If you have been appointed without applying for a director ID, you should apply as soon as possible. If you need more time before you apply, ABRS also provides an application for an extension of time (NAT 75390). Unlike the director ID application itself, you or a person you authorise can complete it, and it must be lodged before you apply.

How I can help

Each director must make their own application, but I can prepare it for your signature, check your certified identity documents, and manage the process as part of incorporating subsidiaries and registering foreign companies in Australia. If you would like help, please enquire through the contact form.