International students
Completing your identity check
Once you have opened a bank account, you’re required under Australian law to supply sufficient personal identification documents (Note: As per the account eligibility criteria, you will need to arrive in Australia within 365 days of account application and stay for a minimum of 12 months).
Until you have completed the personal identification process you will only be able to deposit funds into the account, no withdrawals or transfers will be allowed.
When you have successfully completed your identity check, you will have full access to your account. This means that you will be able to:
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Withdraw money at a Westpac branch
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Withdraw money at an ATM
- Transfer money online or by phone (you will need to have set up Telephone Banking and Online Banking first).
There are 2 ways to complete your identity check, depending on your funding needs:
1. If you do not need to withdraw funds until you arrive in Australia:
You will need to complete your identity check at a Westpac branch in Australia within 365 days of your account application. We recommend you make an appointment with the branch beforehand, as it can be busy particularly around lunchtime. Once this is done, you can withdraw and transfer funds from your account.
If you are completing the identity check:
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Within 6 weeks of arriving in Australia, you can be identified by showing your passport, and provide your Australian residential address
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Any later than 6 weeks after you arrive in Australia, you will need to provide at least 2 forms of identification, such as your passport and driver's licence. For information on documents required under Westpac's Customer Identification Standards please contact any branch or refer to our website www.westpac.com.au/aml.
2. If you need to withdraw funds from your account prior to your arrival to Australia:
You will need to complete your identity check at one of our Westpac offshore offices or by an approved certifier. Once you’ve completed the identity check, you will be able to withdraw funds from your account. If you are unable to visit one of these offices please email us.
You can complete an overseas identity check by:
- Downloading the following form Certified Copy Certificate (PDF 525kb)
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Present the form to an approved certifier (refer to the Certified Copy Certificate for a list of certifiers) or an offshore Westpac representative
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Your certifier or offshore Westpac representative will identify you by examining your passport or birth certificate, plus another document such as a driver's licence and complete the form
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You will need to sign Part A of the form
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Send the original copy of the completed form and the certified copies of the identification documents to:
Westpac Migrant Banking Australia
Level 28, Westpac Place
275 Kent Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia
If you don't complete the identity check
If the identity check isn't completed within 365 days of your application, the account will be closed. Note: any credit balance will be held by us pending identification of the account holder(s) and confirmation of their payment instructions.
