Effective 1 November 2021, all directors of registered bodies are required to obtain a Director Identification Number (DIN). A DIN is a unique identifier that has been introduced as a means of addressing phoenixing arrangements, to help reduce fraud and fictitious behaviours and to enable tracking of directors and their relationships with different companies. Proof of identity will improve traceability and prevent the existence of fictitious directors and prevent unscrupulous parties from installing ‘dummy directors’ who are unaware of their position and are used to ‘take the fall’.
Once a director has applied for and received their DIN, they will keep it permanently, even if they cease to be a director or move overseas. Read our previous article on the scheme here, to find out more about the scheme, its governing legislation and penalties that apply should a director fail to obtain a DIN within the prescribed timeframe.
Do I need a DIN?
If you’re a director of Australian registered body or a director of a foreign company registered with ASIC and carrying on business in Australia (regardless of where you live), or you wish to become a director in the future, you’ll need a DIN.
When do I need to apply?
When you apply for your DIN is dependent on the date you became a director, as set out below.
| Date you became a director | Date you must apply |
| On or before 31 October 2021 | By 30 November 2022 |
| Between 1 November 2021 and 4 April 2022 | Within 28 days of appointment |
| From 5 April 2022 | Before appointment |
How should directors apply?
Australian directors
The fastest way to receive your DIN is to apply online via the myGov ID app using the following steps:
1.Set up myGovID – note that myGovID (an app that can be downloaded to your smart device and provides access to government online services including myGov) is different to myGov (an account that links services such as the ATO, Centrelink and Medicare).
2. Gather identification documents – including your tax file number, residential address (as held by the ATO) and two of the following identity verification documents:
- Bank account details
- ATO notice of assessment
- Super account details
- Dividend statement
- Centrelink payment summary
- PAYG payment summary
3. Complete DIN application – once your identity is verified in myGovID, you can then can complete their application via ABRS online.
You can also apply by phone and paper application. Find out more here.
Foreign directors
Foreign directors will need to lodge a paper application and provide:
- A certified copy of one primary document, such as a foreign birth certificate or foreign passport, and
- A certified copy of one secondary document, such as a national photo ID or driver’s license.
Your documents must be certified by Notary publics or staff at an Australian embassy, high commission or consulate, including consulates headed by Austrade honorary consuls. The paper application is available to download here.
What do I do with my DIN once I have it?
When you receive your Director ID, you need to give it to your corporation record-holder. This could be your company secretary, another director, a contact person or an authorised agent of the company.
If we provide corporate secretarial services for your company, we’ll be in touch to obtain your DIN over the course of the next year if you have not already supplied it.
