Hi I have created a company for my client. Director is australian resident but the company has the shareholder who is non resident for tax purpose. I got ACN but ABN is on hold, they need more identity . So I requested client in overseas to send Foreign passport and foreign identity like license. Now my question is after the client post to ABR, will there any further delay?
Hi @BAWA2025,
When you apply for an ABN for a company with a non-resident shareholder, you need to provide certified proof of identity documents. You can review the proof of identity for non-residents on the ABR website.
The ABR only accepts certified copies of original proof of identity documents. They don't accept certified copies of digital identity documents. Processing times can vary when verifying foreign identity documents, as the ABR may verify details of the foreign business application with the relevant authority in your client's country.
After the documents are posted to the ABR, there may be some processing time while they verify the identity of the non-resident shareholder. If the documents provided meet the requirements and can be verified, the ABN application should be approved.
You can check the status of the ABN application through the ABR website.
2 Dec 2025 · 6 min read time
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