Australian Certificate of Identity should not be confused with Australian Document of Identity.
| Document Name: | Australian Certificate of Identity |
| Date First Issued: | September 2022 (current version) |
| Using Jurisdiction: |  Australia |
| Document Type: | Travel document |
| Purpose: | International travel document |
| Eligibility: | Non-Australian citizens |
| Expiration: | Maximum of 3 years |
The Australian Certificate of Identity (COI) is a biometric travel document issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to individuals who are not Australian citizens and are about to leave Australia or one of its territories.
It should not be confused with the Document of Identity, which conversely is intended mainly for use by Australian citizens in circumstances where it would be unnecessary or undesirable to issue a passport.
A person in one of the following can apply for a COI:[1]
The Australian Certificate of Identity contains a note on the inside of the front cover which words the following in English:
This Certificate of Identity is issued for the sole purpose of providing the holder with a travel document that can serve in lieu of a national passport. It is issued without prejudice to and no way affects the nationality of the holder. It does not constitute authority to re-enter Australia. If the holder returns to the country of which the holder claims to be a national and is able to obtain a valid document from that country, this Certificate of Identity ceases to be valid and must be surrendered to the issuing authority.
and in French:
Holders of a COI who are refugees or stateless persons and legally resident in Australia can enter Germany, Hungary and Slovenia visa-free.[2] Holders of a COI who are refugees (but not stateless persons) legally resident in Australia can enter Slovakia visa-free.[2] The maximum length of stay under these visa exemptions is 90 days in a 180-day period.