What is Verification of Identity (VOI)?
Verification of Identity is the land-registry identity requirement for property transactions, set by ARNECC's Model Participation Rules and their VOI Standard. Before certifying a conveyancing transaction, the practitioner takes reasonable steps to verify that clients are who they claim to be — the Standard describes a face-to-face regime built on prescribed categories of original identity documents, and evidence of each verification must be retained (commonly for at least 7 years from lodgment) and produced if the Registrar calls a compliance examination.
VOI is separate law from your AML/CTF obligations under AUSTRAC — related, but with different sources, different records and different retention rules. Most firms end up running the two identity processes twice, on paper, for the same person.
What the VOI Standard requires
- Face-to-face interview: the verifier meets the person and sights original identity documents — not photocopies, not emailed scans.
- Document categories: the Standard prescribes categories of acceptable document combinations (passport plus driver licence at the top, through to Identifier Declarations), and the highest category the person can satisfy should be used.
- Attestations: the verifier confirms the documents appear genuine, the photographs are a reasonable likeness, and the person appears to be who the documents say they are.
- Retained evidence: copies of what was sighted and a record of the verification, kept on file and producible on demand — inside PEXA you certify that you hold the evidence; nothing is lodged.
How CompliDesk runs your VOI
- Start at the meeting: search the client's name on the VOI page and begin — or add a VOI-only person for someone who isn't your AML client, like an attorney under a power of attorney or the other seller.
- Guided categories: tick the documents the person hands you. The wizard knows the Standard's category combinations and tells you if what you have isn't enough — or if a higher category is available.
- Capture once: photograph each document. CompliDesk cross-checks the images against the details you typed and flags any mismatch before you can complete.
- Attest and sign: the attestations and declaration are recorded, the client signs, and the certificate is generated and stored on the client's file automatically.
One meeting, both identity checks
If the person's AML/CTF identity check hasn't been done yet, a completed face-to-face VOI can be adopted as that verification too — sighting original government photo ID in person is a strong documents-based method. In CompliDesk this is an explicit, recorded compliance-officer decision (never automatic): the officer confirms the details match the client file, records the timing basis, and the decision is stored in full. One meeting replaces the e-KYC link, the waiting, and the second identity fee — while screening and risk assessment remain separately required, exactly as AUSTRAC expects.
Never lose track of currency
A VOI supports transactions for 2 years from the interview. CompliDesk tracks every certificate's currency, shows lapsing verifications at the top of your VOI list, and emails you a weekly summary when any certificate lapses within the next 3 months — so a stale VOI never surprises you at settlement.
Audit-ready in one click
If the Registrar calls a compliance examination — or a lender asks for your evidence — the Examination Pack button assembles everything into a single PDF: a cover sheet, the full certificate, and every captured document image. Emailing a certificate to the other side's solicitor is one click too.
Simple pricing
VOI is $10 per completed verification, purchased as you need them — no plan change, no separate subscription. Conveyancer and law-firm accounts come with VOI switched on and your first 2 checks free; any other firm can turn it on in Settings. Buying checks never interrupts an interview: payment opens in a separate tab and your meeting screen stays put.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does CompliDesk VOI satisfy ARNECC's requirements?
CompliDesk structures your face-to-face verification around the VOI Standard's document categories, attestations and record-keeping, and produces the certificate and retained evidence the Model Participation Rules expect you to hold. The verification itself is yours — you sight the originals in person — and we recommend confirming your state Land Registry's specific evidentiary requirements for your matters.
Does a VOI replace my AML/CTF identity check?
They are separate legal obligations, but a completed face-to-face VOI can be adopted as the client's AML identity verification in CompliDesk through an explicit, recorded compliance-officer decision. Screening and the ML/TF risk assessment always remain separately required.
How long does a VOI stay current?
Two years from the interview under the VOI Standard. CompliDesk tracks this for every certificate and warns you before any lapse. If you are still acting under the Client Authorisation signed at the original VOI, reliance may continue under the current Participation Rules — check your own program.
Can I verify someone who isn't my client?
Yes — VOI-only person records exist for exactly this: an attorney under a power of attorney, the second seller, a company signatory. They get a VOI file with no AML/CTF checklist attached, and can be converted to a full client later if you ever act for them.