To help protect New Zealand’s reputation and economy from money laundering and the financing of terrorism, before conducting certain activities, real estate agents, lawyers, conveyancers and banks must confirm your identity under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009 (the AML/CFT Act).
The agent will also need to confirm your identity if you are selling a property on someone else’s behalf.
The agent may verify your identity by using:
- Primary photo identification, for example, a passport, a certificate of identity or refugee travel document or a firearms licence.
- Non-photo identification such as a birth certificate or a citizenship certificate, accompanied by a supporting form of photo identification such as a driver’s licence, an 18+ card, or an international driver’s licence.
- A New Zealand drivers licence supported by evidence such as a bank card, a gold card, or an IRD letter.
In certain circumstances, an agent (with whom you do not have an agency agreement) may need to obtain and verify identity information about you if you deposit $10,000 or more in cash or by cheque into that agent’s trust account.
Even if you have been a client for a long time, the agency will need to confirm that you are who you say you are. You can read more about this on the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) website.
