DASP Claims: Certified Copies From Overseas

If you have left Australia and are claiming your super as a departing temporary resident, the online DASP application often avoids the need for certified copies altogether. Paper claims, and some funds, do need certified copies of identity documents. From overseas, a notary or Australian consular officer can usually certify them.

Key takeaways

• A Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP) lets former temporary residents claim their Australian super after leaving and after their visa ends.
• The online DASP application often verifies identity electronically, so certified copies may not be needed.
• Paper claims and some funds require certified copies of your passport and other documents.
• From overseas, certifiers typically include notaries and Australian consular officers, but follow the fund's or ATO's own list.
• Copies certified by a relative, or by someone not on the list, are likely to be rejected.

What is a DASP claim?

Many people who worked in Australia on a temporary visa, such as working holiday makers and temporary skilled workers, had superannuation paid into an Australian super fund by their employers. After they leave Australia and their visa has ended, they can usually claim that super as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment. Tax is withheld from the payment at special rates, and the rules are set by the ATO.

Claims are made either through the ATO's online DASP application, which can send the claim to your super funds, or on paper directly to each fund. If your super has already been transferred to the ATO as unclaimed super, which happens some time after departure, the claim goes to the ATO instead. The ATO's website explains the current process and eligibility; start there rather than with a third party. You will usually need your fund details, your passport and the details of the visa you held while working in Australia.

Do you need certified copies at all?

Often not, if you use the online application. The online system can check your visa status and identity details electronically against government records, and in many cases no certified copies are needed. Some funds may still ask for extra documents, for example if your details do not match their records, if you claim a large amount, or if they cannot verify something online.

Paper claims are different. The paper DASP form generally requires certified copies of identity documents, such as your passport and evidence of your visa, and sometimes other documents linking your name or showing that your visa has ended. If you can use the online application, it is usually simpler, especially from overseas. Our guide to superannuation forms covers Australian super paperwork more broadly, including forms that need a witness in Australia.

Who can certify copies if you are overseas?

If you need certified copies and you are outside Australia, the people who may certify them are set by the ATO and by each fund, and the fund's own list is the one that matters for a claim to that fund. Lists for certification outside Australia typically include a notary public in the country where you are, and Australian consular or diplomatic officers at an Australian embassy, high commission or consulate. Some lists include other categories of officials or professionals.

Read the list on the form or the fund's website carefully, including any conditions, such as the certifier's full name, title, contact details and a statement that they have sighted the original. A copy certified by a relative, a friend, or someone whose profession is not on the list will usually be rejected, and the claim delayed. Our guide to certified copies from overseas covers the general approach.

What documents are usually needed?

For a paper claim, funds typically ask for a certified copy of the passport identity page, evidence of the visa you held in Australia, and sometimes a copy of the passport pages showing your departure. If your name has changed since you worked in Australia, for example through marriage, you may need a certified copy of the document that shows the change. Some funds also want proof of your bank account for payment.

Document	Why it is asked for	Certified copy?
Passport identity page	Proof of identity	Usually, for paper claims
Visa details	Proof you held a temporary visa	Sometimes; may be checked online
Departure evidence	Proof you have left Australia	Sometimes
Name change document	Linking an old name to your current one	Usually, if your name changed
Bank account details	Where to pay the benefit	As the fund asks
Fund membership details	Finding your account	No

What does a certified copy need to show?

A certified copy for a super fund usually has to include a statement by the certifier that it is a true copy of the original they have sighted, their signature, their full name, their qualification or role, their contact details and the date. Some funds want each page certified separately. A notary will usually use their own certificate and seal, and an Australian consular officer the post's official stamp. Make sure the certification meets the fund's stated requirements, because a copy that lacks one element may be returned.

The copy must be made from the original document, not from another copy, and should be clear and complete. If your passport has expired since you left Australia, check whether the fund will accept the expired passport, a new one, or both.

Do DASP documents need an apostille?

Generally not. Australian super funds and the ATO deal with overseas claims all the time and set their own certification rules, which do not usually include an apostille on certified copies. If a notary abroad certifies your copies, their notarial certificate is normally what the fund relies on. Add an apostille only if the fund specifically asks for one, which is uncommon. Our guide to documents notarised overseas for Australian use explains when authentication is needed.

How do you prepare a DASP claim from overseas?

1. Check the ATO's current DASP guidance, including eligibility and whether your super is with a fund or the ATO.
2. Try the online DASP application first, which may avoid certified copies.
3. For a paper claim, read each fund's list of accepted certifiers outside Australia.
4. Have copies certified from originals by a notary or Australian consular officer, as the list allows.
5. Send the claim as instructed, keep copies, and track the payment.

What if your name or details have changed?

Many former temporary residents marry, move or change passports after leaving Australia, and their details no longer match the fund's records. If your surname has changed, include a certified copy of your marriage certificate or other document showing the change. If the document is not in English, the fund may want a translation too, and it will say whose translations it accepts. If you have a new passport, include both the old details the fund knows and your current passport, where the fund's form allows.

Mismatches are one of the main reasons online claims are referred for manual checks and paper claims are returned. Updating your details with the fund first, or explaining the change clearly in the claim, usually avoids a delay. Our guide to mismatched names explains how to link documents that disagree.

Should you use a claims service?

Many private companies offer to handle DASP claims for a fee. Some are helpful for people with several funds or complicated circumstances, but the claim process itself is designed to be done by you, and the online application is free to use. Before signing up with a service, check what it charges and whether you could make the claim yourself. Never give anyone your myGov or fund login details. If a service asks you to sign a document, read it carefully, because some include authorities to receive the payment on your behalf.

What does this look like in practice?

Here is an illustration, not a real case. Sophie worked in Australia on a working holiday visa and is now back in France. She has super in two funds and wants to claim it.

She uses the online DASP application, which accepts her details for one fund without certified copies. The second fund asks for a paper form with a certified copy of her passport. Its list of certifiers outside Australia includes notaries, so she has a French notary certify the copy with the details the fund requires. The fund processes the claim without needing an apostille.

In short

For a DASP claim made from overseas, try the online application first, which often avoids certified copies. For paper claims, have copies of your passport and other documents certified from the originals by someone on the fund's list, typically a notary or an Australian consular officer. An apostille is not usually needed, and copies certified by relatives or unlisted people are likely to be rejected.

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Not sure whether your fund needs certified copies, or who can certify them where you are? Send us the fund's instructions, and we will explain each step.