The Australian Certificate of Identity (COI) is a
biometric
Biometrics are body measurements and calculations related to human characteristics. Biometric authentication (or realistic authentication) is used in computer science as a form of identification and access control. It is also used to identify in ...
travel document
A travel document is an identity document issued by a government or international entity pursuant to international agreements to enable individuals to clear border control measures. Travel documents usually assure other governments that the beare ...
issued by the
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is the department of the Australian federal government responsible for foreign policy and relations, international aid (using the branding Australian Aid), consular services and trade and inv ...
to individuals who are not
Australian citizens
Australians, colloquially known as Aussies, are the citizens, nationals and individuals associated with the country of Australia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or ethno-cultural. For most Australians, several (or all) ...
and are about to leave
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
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.
Eligibility
A person in one of the following can apply for a COI:
[ ]
* Stateless person
* Person in Australia on a protection Class BA subclass 202 Global Special Humanitarian or Special Assistance Category 208 to 217 visas
* Holder of a Resolution of Status (RoS) visa (Class CD) subclass 851 who previously held a non-refugee visa
* Voluntary or non-voluntary returnee
* A non-Australian/non-British citizen in Australia whose government does not have a presence in Australia but who has an urgent need to travel for compassionate circumstances and who can show that their government cannot provide a travel document in time to meet their travel needs.
Use
Holders of a COI who are refugees or stateless persons and legally resident in Australia can enter
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
and
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
visa-free.
[Information pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 of 15 March 2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement](_blank)
/ref> Holders of a COI who are refugees (but not stateless persons) legally resident in Australia can enter Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
visa-free.
See also
*Australian Convention Travel Document
An Australian Convention Travel Document (CTD) is a biometric refugee travel document issued for international travel purpose by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to individuals recognised as refugees residing in Australia un ...
* Australian Document of Identity
The Australian Document of Identity (DOI) is a travel document issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to Australian citizens and some Commonwealth citizens in specific and rare circumstances. It is not intended to be a broadly use ...
*Australian passport
Australian passports are travel documents issued to Australian citizens under the ''Australian Passports Act 2005'' by the Australian Passport Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), both in Australia and overseas, which e ...
References
External links
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Travel related documents
{{Australian Identity Documents
International travel documents
Identity documents of Australia