How to Set Up myGov in Australia

Migratio Editorial · Last updated 7 September 2026

TL;DR: myGov is the single sign-on hub that connects you to the ATO, Medicare, Centrelink and other government services. Create your account at my.gov.au, then verify your identity with the myID app — the service that used to be called myGovID, renamed to myID on 6 February 2025 with no action needed from existing users. For Standard identity strength, which is enough to create a myGov account and link most services, myID accepts any two of: a passport, driver's licence, birth certificate, a visa (verified against your foreign passport), an ImmiCard, a citizenship certificate, or a Medicare card. That means a foreign passport plus your visa is enough — you do not need a TFN or Medicare number first.

Most of what a new migrant needs from the Australian government — applying for a Tax File Number, enrolling in Medicare, checking Centrelink eligibility — starts at myGov. It is a login hub, not a separate service in its own right: once you are in, you link the individual agencies you need. This guide walks through creating the account, verifying your identity with myID, and linking the ATO and Medicare, using the actual document requirements rather than guesswork about what a brand-new arrival can and cannot do.

What myGov Actually Is

myGov is a single sign-on portal run by Services Australia. You log in once and, from your dashboard, link the specific agencies whose services you need. The agencies you are most likely to use as a new migrant are the Australian Taxation Office (to apply for a Tax File Number and later lodge tax returns), Services Australia (Medicare and, if you become eligible, Centrelink payments and Child Support), and the National Disability Insurance Agency if relevant. myGov itself does not hold a TFN or a Medicare number — it simply routes you to the agency that does.

Nothing about setting up myGov requires you to already have any of those government numbers. The account and the identity verification behind it come first; the TFN and Medicare applications happen after you link the relevant service.

myID: Set This Up First

myID (formerly myGovID) is the Digital ID app the government uses to verify who you are before you can create or sign in to a myGov account with Standard or Strong identity strength. It is a separate download — available on the Apple App Store and Google Play — and it is worth setting up before you touch my.gov.au itself, because your identity strength decides what you can do once you are in.

There are three identity strength levels. Basic needs only an email address and gets you very limited access — some services will simply refuse a Basic-strength login. Standard needs you to verify any two of the following Australian-recognised documents: a passport, a driver's licence or learner's permit, a birth certificate, a visa (verified through your foreign passport), an ImmiCard, a citizenship certificate, or a Medicare card. Strong needs an Australian passport plus a face-verification selfie (or, in Western Australia only, a WA driver's licence with face verification plus one further document).

For a new migrant, the practical route to Standard strength is your foreign passport plus your visa — the visa is verified against the passport details already on file with Home Affairs. That is two documents, meeting the Standard threshold, and most services — including creating a myGov account and linking the ATO to apply for a TFN — only ask for Standard. Strong requires an Australian passport, which most new arrivals will not hold, so treat Strong as something to revisit only if a specific service later insists on it.

Step 1: Create Your myGov Account

Go to my.gov.au and choose to create an account. You will be offered a choice of how to sign in going forward: using myID (recommended, and required if you want Standard or Strong strength), or using an email address plus a password and a second factor — a code sent by SMS, an authenticator app, or a passkey. If you have already set up myID, signing in with it is the fastest path and carries your identity strength straight across.

If you sign in with email and password instead, you get Basic strength by default, and you will be prompted separately to verify your identity to Standard before linking most services. Either route gets you to the same place; starting with myID avoids the extra step.

Step 2: Verify Your Identity

If you have not already verified inside the myID app, you will be prompted to do it now. Open myID, choose to verify your ID, and work through scanning or photographing your two chosen documents — passport and visa is the standard combination for someone who has just arrived. The app checks the document details electronically rather than asking you to mail anything in, and for most people this takes a few minutes rather than hours or days.

Step 3: Link the Australian Taxation Office

From your myGov dashboard, choose to view and link services, then select the Australian Taxation Office. If you are signed in with a Standard or Strong myID, the ATO can often verify you directly against the identity check you already completed. If not, you will be asked to answer identity-matching questions using details the ATO already holds — which will not exist yet if this is your first-ever contact with them, so a brand-new arrival should expect to rely on the myID verification path rather than the question-based one.

If linking gets stuck at this stage, the ATO can issue a linking code over the phone that is valid for a short window — useful as a fallback, though the exact phone number and current call-centre hours are best confirmed on the ATO's own site at the time, since this guide could not independently verify them from this research pass. Once linked, click through to Tax File Number under ATO services to start your TFN application — covered in full in our separate TFN guide.

Step 4: Link Medicare (Once You're Eligible)

Medicare eligibility depends on your visa — permanent residents and citizens are automatically eligible; some temporary visa holders are eligible only if their country has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia. Linking Services Australia to myGov follows the same pattern as the ATO: view and link services, select Services Australia, and verify your identity. Our separate Medicare guide covers eligibility and the enrolment steps in detail — do that check before you assume linking Medicare will do anything useful for you.

Signing In: Digital ID, Passkeys, Authenticator or an SMS Code

Once your account exists, myGov's own help pages describe four ways to sign back in: using myID (Digital ID), a passkey stored on your device, a code generated by an authenticator app, or a one-time code sent by SMS. A passkey is the newest option and, once set up on a phone or computer you trust, lets you sign in without typing a password at all. Pick whichever combination you are comfortable managing — the important thing for a new migrant is that none of these options require an Australian phone number specifically; any working mobile number can usually receive the SMS code.

What You Can and Cannot Link Before You Have a TFN or Medicare Number

This is the sequencing question that trips people up: you cannot get a TFN or a Medicare number without first reaching Standard identity strength, but Standard strength does not require either of those numbers — it only needs two Australian-recognised identity documents, and your foreign passport plus your current visa satisfies that. So the order is: passport and visa get you to Standard myID, Standard myID gets you a working myGov account, and a working myGov account is what lets you apply for the TFN and Medicare in the first place. None of it is blocked by not yet holding the numbers you are there to apply for.

Common Problems

Identity verification fails or times out. Double-check that the name on your visa matches your passport exactly, including middle names, and that photos of your documents are clear, uncropped and glare-free. A mismatch in spelling is the most common cause of a rejected document check.

The ATO or Medicare link does not appear after verification. Linking can take a short time to sync between agencies after your identity is confirmed — wait, then try linking again from the same dashboard before assuming something has gone wrong.

You do not have an Australian phone number yet. Any working mobile number, including one on an international SIM, is generally accepted for SMS-based verification steps; you are not required to already hold an Australian number before you can create an account.

Keeping myGov Secure

Use a strong, unique password if you sign in by email rather than myID. Never share your password, myID PIN or verification codes with anyone, including a migration agent or employer helping you — legitimate services never need them. The ATO and Services Australia will never ask for your password or a one-time code by text or email; treat any message that does as a scam and do not respond to it.

The myGov and myID Apps

Both myGov and myID have dedicated apps, separate from each other. myID handles identity verification and, once set up, can be used to approve sign-ins on other devices. The myGov app itself lets you check your linked services, read your inbox and manage documents from your phone. Setting up biometric unlock (fingerprint or face) on either app is optional but saves re-entering credentials each time.

Next Steps

1. Download myID and verify to Standard strength using your passport and visa.
2. Create your myGov account at my.gov.au, signing in with myID.
3. Link the Australian Taxation Office and start your Tax File Number application — see our TFN guide for the full process.
4. Check your Medicare eligibility, then link Services Australia if you qualify.
5. If your visa situation or eligibility for any of this is unclear, that is a question for a MARA-registered migration agent rather than a guess — you can get matched with one for free through Migratio.

Frequently asked questions

What is myGov actually used for?

It is the single login that connects you to Australian government services — mainly the Australian Taxation Office (for your Tax File Number and tax returns) and Services Australia (for Medicare, and Centrelink or Child Support if they apply to you). You create one myGov account, then link the specific agencies you need.

Is myGovID the same thing as myID?

Yes. The government renamed myGovID to myID on 6 February 2025. Existing users kept the same login details and identity strength — there was nothing to re-register. Any guide or form that still says myGovID is describing the same app under its old name.

Can I create a myGov account before I have a Tax File Number or Medicare card?

Yes. Creating the account and reaching Standard identity strength only needs two Australian-recognised documents — for a new migrant, a foreign passport plus a visa is the standard combination. You apply for the TFN and Medicare after your myGov account exists, not before.

What documents do I need for Standard identity strength in myID?

Any two of: a passport, a driver's licence or learner's permit, a birth certificate, a visa verified via a foreign passport, an ImmiCard, a citizenship certificate, or a Medicare card. Strong strength needs an Australian passport plus a face-verification check, which most new arrivals will not have yet.

How do I link the Australian Taxation Office to myGov?

From your myGov dashboard, choose to view and link services, select the Australian Taxation Office, and either verify through a Standard or Strong myID or answer identity-matching questions. If that fails, the ATO can issue a short-lived linking code by phone as a fallback — check the current number on the ATO's own site.

Do I need an Australian phone number to set up myGov?

No. Any working mobile number can generally receive the SMS verification codes myGov and myID use — you are not required to already hold an Australian SIM before creating an account.

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