UK Land Registry ID1 Form: Getting It Certified in Australia

If you live in Australia and a UK conveyancer cannot verify your identity, HM Land Registry's guidance lets a lawyer or notary qualified in your country of residence complete form ID1. An Australian notary can usually do this. You need a recent passport-size photograph and identity documents, and the form must be lodged within three months of signing.

Key takeaways

• Form ID1 is HM Land Registry's evidence of identity form for a private individual.
• If a UK conveyancer cannot verify you, a lawyer or notary qualified where you live may do it.
• The verifier must amend the form to state where they are qualified and who registers them.
• Bring a passport-size photograph taken in the last three months, on photographic paper.
• The completed form must be dated and signed no more than three months before lodgement.
• Check the current HM Land Registry guidance before the appointment; forms change.

What is form ID1 for?

HM Land Registry keeps the register of land in England and Wales. When an application affecting a registered property is made, the Land Registry wants to be sure the people involved are who they say they are, because property fraud often involves someone impersonating an owner. Usually a UK conveyancer acting on the transaction verifies each person's identity. Form ID1 is the route for a private individual whose identity is not being verified that way, for example because they are dealing with the Land Registry directly, or because the conveyancer is acting for someone else.

People in Australia usually meet the form when they are selling or transferring a property in England or Wales, being added to or removed from a title, dealing with a deceased relative's property, or lodging their own application. The form asks for your details, a photograph and a verifier's confirmation that they have checked your identity in person. Our guide to documents for selling property overseas covers the wider process.

Who can verify ID1 in Australia?

HM Land Registry's guidance says that where a person lives overseas and it is not possible for a UK conveyancer to verify their identity, a lawyer or notary public qualified to practise in the person's country of residence may complete the verification sections of form ID1. For someone living in Australia, that means an Australian notary or an Australian lawyer.

A notary is often the natural choice, because verifying identity for overseas authorities is a core part of a notary's work, and the notarial seal is familiar to foreign registries. Australian notaries are usually experienced solicitors who keep a permanent register of their acts. A Justice of the Peace is not a lawyer or notary, so a JP generally cannot complete ID1 under this rule. Our comparison of a notary and a Justice of the Peace explains the difference.

Who	Can they verify ID1?	Notes
UK conveyancer	Yes, the usual route	May need to meet you or use their own checks
Australian notary	Yes, if you live in Australia	Must amend the form with their qualification details
Australian lawyer	Yes, if you live in Australia	Same amendments as a notary
Justice of the Peace	Generally no	Not a lawyer or notary
Pharmacist, police officer, accountant	Generally no	Not on the Land Registry's list for ID1

What must the verifier add to the form?

This is the step most often missed. Form ID1 is written with UK conveyancers in mind. When an overseas lawyer or notary completes it, HM Land Registry's guidance says the form must be amended to confirm the country in which they are qualified to practise, that they are so qualified, and the name and address of the body with which they are registered. For an Australian notary, that usually means naming the state or territory and the body that keeps the roll of notaries there.

If these amendments are missing, the Land Registry may reject the form, and you will have to start again with a new photograph and a new appointment. Point the notary to the relevant part of the guidance, or bring a printout, so the amendments are made at the same appointment.

What about the photograph?

ID1 needs a passport-size photograph of you. HM Land Registry's guidance says it must have been taken in the last three months, be printed on photographic paper, and show your face clearly. Standard passport photos from a pharmacy or photo shop usually meet this. Do not use a photo printed on ordinary paper, an old passport photo or a cropped snapshot.

At the appointment, the verifier compares the photograph with you in person and with your identity documents, then signs or marks it to confirm it is a true likeness, as the form directs. Bring a spare photo in case one is spoiled, and do not attach or sign the photograph before the appointment unless the form tells you to.

Which identity documents should you bring?

Form ID1 sets out the kinds of evidence it accepts, and the list can change, so read the current version of the form before the appointment. In general, bring your current passport as the main photo identification, plus evidence of your current address, such as a recent utility bill, bank statement or council rates notice in your name. If your name has changed since you acquired the property, bring the marriage certificate, change of name certificate or other document that links your old and new names.

If the name on the title differs from your passport, or you hold the property with someone else, mention it when you book. The notary needs to see a clear link between you, the identity documents and the person named on the register. Our guide to how a notary verifies identity covers what notaries usually look for.

What if there is more than one owner?

Form ID1 is for one private individual, so each person whose identity needs verifying usually completes their own form, with their own photograph and documents. If two owners both live in Australia, they can usually attend the same notary appointment, and the notary verifies each of them separately. If one owner lives in the UK and one in Australia, the UK owner may be verified by a conveyancer there while the Australian owner uses a notary here. Ask the person handling the application which forms they need from whom, so nobody is left out and the three-month windows line up.

Does ID1 need an apostille?

HM Land Registry's guidance on overseas verification focuses on the verifier's qualification details, not on an apostille. In most cases, the form is sent as completed by the notary or lawyer. If the conveyancer or the Land Registry asks for an apostille, the United Kingdom is a Hague Convention member, so DFAT can apostille the Australian notary's signature. Ask before you lodge anything with DFAT, so you do not add a step no one needs. Our guide to an apostille for the UK explains how that works if it is required.

How do you get form ID1 completed in Australia?

1. Check whether you need it. Ask the UK conveyancer or the person handling the application whether ID1 is needed and whether they can verify you themselves.
2. Download the current form. Use the latest version from HM Land Registry, and read its notes on acceptable evidence.
3. Get a new photograph. Passport-size, taken within the last three months, on photographic paper.
4. Gather your documents. Current passport, proof of address, and any name-change documents.
5. Book a notary. Say it is for HM Land Registry form ID1 and that it needs the overseas verifier amendments.
6. Attend in person. The notary checks your documents, compares you with the photo, completes the verification and adds their qualification details.
7. Send it promptly. The form must be signed and dated no more than three months before lodgement, so post it with tracking straight away.

Common mistakes to avoid

The most common mistake is leaving out the verifier's qualification details. Without the amendments the guidance describes, an otherwise correct ID1 can be rejected. The second is using an old photograph, or one printed on ordinary paper. The third is completing the form and then holding it for months while the rest of the transaction is sorted out; by the time it is lodged, it is outside the three-month window. Time the appointment so the form goes to the UK soon after it is signed.

Another mistake is asking a JP to complete the form. A JP is a valuable witness for Australian documents, but is not a lawyer or notary for the purposes of this rule. Our guide to notarising UK documents in Australia covers other UK forms that often come up.

Here is an illustration, not a real case.

Grace lives in Adelaide and is transferring her late mother's flat in Bristol into her own name. The UK firm handling the estate asks her to complete form ID1 because it cannot verify her in person. She downloads the current form, gets a new passport photo, and books a notary, mentioning the overseas amendments. The notary checks her passport and a recent bank statement, compares her with the photo, completes the verification and adds the South Australian qualification and registration details. Grace couriers the form to the firm the same week.

In short

If you live in Australia and a UK conveyancer cannot verify your identity, HM Land Registry's guidance lets a lawyer or notary qualified here complete form ID1. Bring a photo taken in the last three months, your passport and proof of address. Make sure the notary adds their qualification details, and lodge the form within three months. Our document notarisation services page explains how this works with us.

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Need form ID1 verified in Australia? Send us the form and the UK firm's instructions, and we will explain each step before you book.