Proof of identity

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Forms 

When proof of identity is required 

Who can be an identity referee 

Valid documents for verifying identity 

How to verify documents 

Evidence of name change 

Consent for disclosure for a police vet check 

Forms

These forms are designed to be filled out onscreen. Download and save to your desktop. Open the saved form, fill it out and save again. It is now ready to be printed and signed. 

Note: you may be able to fill these forms out online, if you are completing an application in Hapori Matatū. 

Proof of Identity (POI) form

Proof of Identity Overseas (POI-OS) form 

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When proof of identity is required

• You are applying for registration or a practising certificate for the first time 
• You haven’t verified your identity with the Teaching Council since 1 July 2015 
• You have changed your name or identity (e.g., marriage, divorce) 

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Who can be an identity referee

If you are living in NZ 

• Any school principal 
• Any ECE centre manager 
• Any ITE head of programme 
• Any endorser – a professional leader (or a senior staff member/s holding a full practising certificate and authorised by a professional leader) who endorses teacher practising certificates.

Your identity referee does not have to be your employer.  

If you are living overseas 

• Judge 
• Justice of Peace 
• Commission of Oath Commonwealth Representative (Ambassador/High Commissioner)  
• Person authorised by law of that country to administer an oath for the purpose of judicial proceedings 

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Valid documents for verifying identity

If you are living in NZ 

Show your identity referee one document from Category A and one from Category B.* One of these must be a form of photo I.D. and both documents must be valid (not expired).   

*A Category C (name change) document is required if: 

• you have changed your name 
• the name on your Category A document is different from the name on your Category B document
• the name on your qualification is different to the name on your identity documents 

Category A: primary identification document 

• New Zealand Passport 
• New Zealand Certificate of Identity issued under the Passports Act 1992 to Non-New Zealand citizens who cannot obtain a passport from their country of origin. 
• New Zealand Certificate of Identity (issued to people who have refugee status)  
• New Zealand Refugee Travel Document  
• Emergency Travel Document 
• New Zealand Firearm Licence  
• Overseas Passport (with or without New Zealand Immigration visa/permit) 
• New Zealand Full Birth Certificate issued on or after 1998  
• New Zealand Citizenship Certificate 

Category B: secondary identification document 

• New Zealand Driver Licence  
• Kiwi Access Card (previously known as 18+ Card) 
• Community Services Card  
• Super Gold Card 
• Veteran Super Gold Card  
• Inland Revenue Number 
• Electoral Roll Records 
• New Zealand utility bill, issued not more than six months earlier 

If you are living overseas 

Category A 

• Overseas passport 
• NZ passport 

Category B 

• Overseas driver's license  
• NZ driver’s license 
• National Police certificate issued within the last 6 months 

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How to verify documents

To verify identity, the referee must: 

• Be shown the applicant's original documents by the applicant themselves 
• Check there is one document from Category A and one from Category B 
• Check the documents are valid (not expired) 
• Check one of the documents is a form of photo I.D. 
• Check that the document numbers in the proof of identity section (either on the hardcopy form supplied or online), match those on the documents 
• Supply their details and the details of their learning centre and registration number (where applicable) 
• Supply their signature, date, and the official stamp/seal of the school, ECE centre, or university/wānanga/polytechnic. 

What information should a stamp include? 

• Name of the school/centre/organisation 
• Address of the school/centre/organisation 

The following information is not required, but is useful to have on a stamp: 

• MOE number 
• Phone number 
• Principal, Centre Manager, or ITE Head of Programme name 

Some schools and centres may have a Common Seal. A Common Seal is used on legal documents and contracts, has an official legal status and can be used on the Proof of Identity form. 

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Evidence of name change

If the name on your identity documents or qualification is different from your official name, please also provide your identity referee with your official name change document from the below list. You will also need to attach a certified copy of this with your proof of identity, so that we have it on file. 

*Please note - If your name has changed as you were married in New Zealand, the Council will need details of your New Zealand Marriage Certificate. Please note that this is different to the Copy of Particulars of Marriage that a couple signs on their wedding day. A New Zealand Marriage Certificate can be ordered from Births, Deaths and Marriages at the Department of Internal Affairs. 

Watch our helpful video below on how to certify name change documents. 

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Consent for disclosure for a police vet check

Applicants need to complete a consent for the disclosure for a police vet check as part of their application in Hapori Matatū. By agreeing to the declaration, you acknowledge and understand the following:

1. The information that NZ Police may consider relevant to an application and release in vetting comprises any conviction history and, for certain agencies, infringement/demerit reports; and it may include any other information, such as active charges and warrants to arrest, any information received or obtained by NZ Police, and any interaction a person has had with NZ Police in any context (including family violence), even where a person had not been charged, or charges are withdrawn, or a person has  been acquitted (not guilty) of a charge, or has been discharged without conviction.
2.   Any conviction history will be released in accordance with the Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act 2004; this means that, if a person is  “eligible” for clean slate (e.g. no convictions for seven years, never been to prison, no convictions for specified sexual offending, etc-see section 7of the Act):
   • criminal record of convictions will not be disclosed; but
   • if a role for which a person has applied is an exception to the clean slate scheme (e.g., predominately involving care and protection of a child or young person), the criminal record of convictions will be disclosed.
3. Where a Court suppression order exists in respect of criminal information not subject to the Clean Slate regime, any active criminal charge, or any past non-convicted charge, NZ Police may, if it considers the information to be sufficiently relevant and of concern, disclose in the result:
   •  to certain approved agencies, such as government agencies, details of the suppressed information with a warning against publication:
   •  to other approved agencies, the existence of the suppressed information without offence details.
4.  Where NZ Police hold relevant information that it is unwilling to disclose to the approved agency for privacy, confidentiality or law enforcement reasons, NZ Police may recommend against unsupervised access to children or vulnerable persons (this is known as a “red stamp”).
5. The personal information provided in this form is being collected for vetting purposes and may be used for the purpose of updating NZ Police records.
6. A person may withdraw this consent, prior to the Police’s disclosure of the vetting results, by notifying the approved agency who will immediately notify NZ Police to cease the vetting process.
7. A person is  entitled to access the vetting result to the approved agency and seek correction of Police information about me in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 by making a request to the approved agency in the first instance.
8. No later than 12 months after the release of the vetting result, the approved agency will securely dispose of this consent form and copies of identification documents, as well as the vetting result released by NZ Police, in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 or any other enactment, unless a longer retention period is required under legislation.
9. The information provided in this form relates to the applicant and is correct.

For further information about Police vetting visit the Police website.

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