You may need to provide certified copies of your identity documents when requesting changes to the Healthcare Identifiers (HI) Service. Only acceptable referees can certify copies of your identity documents.
Your referee can’t be:
- your family member or relative
- your business partner or business owner.
The following individuals are acceptable referees:
- Individuals in some government roles.
- Medical practitioners.
- Legal professionals.
- Members of council or community elders.
- Other professionals.
Individuals employed as an officer or employee by certain government organisations are acceptable referees. They must have been employed for at least 5 years. This includes if they were employed for part of that time as an officer and for part as an employee. They need to have been employed by one of the following:
- the Commonwealth, a state or territory
- an authority of the Commonwealth, a state or territory
- a local government body of a state or territory.
Any of the following are also an acceptable referee:
- a member of parliament or a state parliament
- a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory or the Northern Territory
- a Commissioner of Oaths of a state or territory.
Medical practitioners include:
- a registered or licensed dentist, medical practitioner, pharmacist or veterinary surgeon
- a nursing sister registered as a nurse.
Legal professionals include someone who is:
- a legal practitioner, registrar, clerk, sheriff, bailiff, judge or master of a federal, state or territory court
- a stipendiary magistrate of the Commonwealth or of a state or territory
- a justice of the peace of a state or territory.
Council or community elders include:
- a member of a municipal, city, town, district or shire council of a state or territory
- an individual who, in relation to an Aboriginal community, is recognised by the members of the community to be a community elder
- an individual who, where there is an elected Aboriginal council that represents the community, is an elected member of the council.
Other people who can be an acceptable referee include:
- a member of the Australian police force, state or territory
- a full-time teacher or principal at an educational institution who’s been employed for at least 5 years
- a manager of a post office
- a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants or the National Institute of Accountants.