When your name on your Indian passport and your Indian drivers licence is different (even if it's just abbreviations or initials), in addition to submitting all the necessary documents under Section A in the IDLV checklist, you must also satisfy the requirements of Section B.
What IDLV services do we provide?
As a leading provider of notary public services in Sydney, we help clients with Section B, Option 1 being the notary public services and arranging for the apostille from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
This service includes the following:
- We prepare the notary certificate verifying that you are the one and the same person.
- We prepare the IDLV affidavit in which you declare that you are the one and the same person.
- We make certified copies of your Indian passport.
- We make certified copies of your Indian drivers licence.
- We arrange for the apostille from DFAT.
In the end, all you need to do is prepare your own documents from Section A and submit those with the notarised documents that we provide to you (to satisfy Section B) to VFS for processing.
Some clients choose to arrange for their own apostille, which means then we provide all other requirements for Section B, Option 1 except the apostille.
Why do you need the Indian Drivers Licence Verification?
If you have migrated to Australia (or you are living in Australia for more than 3 months) and you want to drive, you must have a valid Australian drivers licence. You can only drive with your Indian drivers licence in Australia temporarily.
To obtain an Australian drivers licence, you can apply without converting, which means you would have to follow the various processes of the licence (ie, from sitting for the knowledge test, qualifying for your learners licence through to a probationary licence) before you can qualify for a full drivers licence. However, if you want to potentially bypass those licensing requirements because you already have the pre-requisite driving experience in India, then you can apply to 'convert' your Indian drivers licence to an Australian drivers licence. Part of the conversion process is to have your Indian drivers licence verified - this is the Indian Drivers Licence Verification or IDLV process that VFS provides to Indian citizens living in Australia.
You can find all of the necessary information about the IDLV process from the VFS website or by downloading the IDLV checklist. Completing the IDLV process will then allow you to convert your Indian licence to an Australian licence.
The IDLV process can be straightforward if your name on your Indian passport and your Indian drivers licence is the same. All you need to do is complete the requirements under Section A and submit them to VFS for processing. However, if your name is different, that's when things get a little more complicated. In addition to completing the requirements under Section A, you must also provide documents specified under Section B. That's where we can help!
Why do people choose our IDLV service?
Very simple. People use our IDLV service for peace of mind.
For most things legal or related to law, you can actually do it yourself if you made the effort and you took the time. You can write all of your own documents, you can always represent or advocate for yourself, you can do your own research and give yourself advice/inform yourself of what you need to know. When it comes to the Indian Drivers Licence Verification process, the only thing you really need us to do for you is the notarisation. You need us to witness your signature and attest/notarise your document. Aside from that, you can do everything else yourself.
But do you really want to? One of the reasons you're probably reading this article is to understand the process and what you need to do, especially to do it right. That's one of the biggest challenges if you've never done it before. Is it worth guessing or fumbling your way through the process? People engage professionals to assist them with what they need to do because professionals know what they're doing (or should know what they're doing).
We've been providing notary public services for a long time - nearly 20 years. In the years that we've been assisting the Indian community with the IDLV service, we've continuously developed our forms and formats to satisfy the IDLV checklist from VFS. The way that we prepare and notarise the IDLV notary certificate, IDLV affidavit, and other associated documents has been accepted by VFS without issue or problems. That's the peace of mind you get when you choose our IDLV service.
Can you make your own IDLV statutory declaration?
If our IDLV services are beyond your budget, or you prefer to write your own IDLV statutory declaration (and prepare your own accompanying documents), we can still provide the notary public service to take your declaration, witness you sign the IDLV statutory declaration and notarise that statutory declaration (or certify your accompanying passport).
If you wish to 'save a little cost' by preparing your own document, you can just follow instructions from VFS and prepare your own document based on their specific template - and that's ok with us too. We're here to serve and can still assist you even if you don't need our IDLV service.
In fact, if you incorrectly submit your IDLV application to VFS, they'll generally provide you with a template NSW statutory declaration for you to complete and have it notarised. They'll also provide you with various instructions as to what they need you to submit with your application, which sometimes includes the apostille as well.
If you write your own IDLV statutory declaration then we just provide the notary public service to take your declaration and witness you sign the IDLV statutory declaration. We can notarise, but then we wouldn't check or comment on the contents of your declaration.
Can you apply for your own apostille?
Yes, of course, you can apply for your own apostille.
In Australia, DFAT is the issuing authority for the apostille and the apostille can only be issued by DFAT. If you wanted to, you can always make your own arrangements directly with DFAT to have your documents stamped with an apostille. That applies whether your documents are documents that you created yourself or whether they're the documents that we created as part of the IDLV service (less the apostille) for you.
In Sydney, DFAT issues the apostille through the Sydney Passports Office at Level 7, 26 Lee Street, Sydney (near Central Station). You should call or visit their online booking service to make an appointment if you intend to apply for your own apostille.
Acknowledgements
This blog is supported and maintained by Phang Legal. Phang Legal is a leading provider of notary public services in Sydney. With offices conveniently located in Parramatta and Rouse Hill, Phang Legal supports and services the Indian community across Sydney with readily available and easily accessible notary public services at highly competitive rates.
Frequently asked questions regarding our notary public services can also be found at https://www.notary-parramatta.com.au/faqs/.
Ern Phang
Notary Public
Ern Phang is the solicitor director of Phang Legal and a notary public. Ern regularly writes about his experiences as a notary public, including the kinds of problems and solutions that his clients face when sending documents to India.
IMPORTANT: the information in this article is correct at the time of publication, however, the law constantly changes. This means you should always refer to the most recent articles because we try to update this blog on a regular basis with the most current information.
