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Overseas Directors and Director ID – 2026

Overseas Directors and Director ID – 2026

January 23, 2026

Sanicki Lawyers

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Published

23 January 2026

Category

Commercial

An overseas director of an Australian-registered company must apply for a Director Identification Number (Director ID) whether they live here or overseas and this also applies to a registered foreign company.  

The Director ID is a unique 15-digit number that you keep forever, issued by the Australian Business Registry Services (ABRS) to prevent fraud and illegal phoenix activity. The number is tied to the person not the company, so even if you change companies or stop being a director you retain that number.

The application only needs to be made once to the ABRS with the following documents:

  • Primary: Foreign passport or birth certificate.
  • Secondary: National photo ID, driver’s license, or foreign government ID.
  • Certification: Documents must be certified by an authorized person – staff at an Australian embassy, high commission, or consulate, or a notary public.

 

You must apply for a director ID before being appointed a director with ASIC.

No one else can apply on your behalf, such as your tax agent or company secretary cannot do it on their behalf and once issued the director’s ID and overseas directors must complete a (NAT75433) application which requires certified copies of identity documents, such as:

1. Primary: Foreign passport or birth certificate.
2. Secondary: National photo ID, driver’s license, or foreign government ID.

All documents must be certified by an authorized person, such as staff at an Australian embassy, high commission, or consulate, or a notary public.  

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Failing to have a director’s ID when required is a criminal offence with civil and criminal penalties or, in extreme cases, imprisonment.

Contact

Sanicki Lawyers Corporate Group 

Robert Toth I Special Counsel I Accredited Commercial Law Specialist

robert@sanickilawyers.com.au  mobile  + 61 412 673 757

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