How to Set Up myGov in Australia (2026): No TFN or Medicare Number Needed First
How to create a myGov account and verify your identity with myID using just your passport and visa. Covers the three identity strength levels, linking the ATO and Medicare, and why you don't need a Tax File Number or Medicare number to get started. Figures as at September 2026.
Read the full guide, with official sources →
Watch
Chapters
- 0:00 You don't need a TFN or Medicare number
- 0:12 One login, multiple services
- 0:25 myGovID became myID
- 0:40 3 identity strength levels
- 0:52 Any 2 of these = Standard
- 1:05 Passport + visa = Standard strength
- 1:27 3 ways back in:
- 1:44 Step 4: Medicare,
- 1:57 No Australian phone number needed
- 2:09 Where to read more
Transcript
Setting up myGov? You don't need a Tax File Number or a Medicare number to start. All you need is your passport and your visa.
myGov is a single login for Australian government services. The two you'll use most are the Australian Taxation Office, for your Tax File Number, and Services Australia, which runs Medicare.
The identity check behind myGov is an app called myID. It used to be called myGovID — the government renamed it on 6 February 2025. Existing users kept the same login and didn't have to re-register.
There are 3 identity strength levels: Basic, Standard, and Strong. Most services, including a myGov account and linking the ATO, only need Standard.
For Standard, any 2 of these count: a passport, a driver's licence, a birth certificate, a visa verified against your foreign passport, an ImmiCard, a citizenship certificate, or a Medicare card.
For someone who's just arrived, a passport plus a current visa is exactly 2 of those documents. That reaches Standard — without a Tax File Number or a Medicare number.
That solves the ordering problem. Standard strength doesn't need a TFN or a Medicare number — but a TFN and a Medicare number both need Standard strength first.
Once your account exists, you can sign back in with myID, a passkey, or your myGov username and password plus a code.
Step 3 is linking the Australian Taxation Office, to start your Tax File Number application.
Step 4 is Medicare — but only once you're eligible. Permanent residents and citizens qualify automatically; some temporary visa holders qualify only if their country has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement.
One more thing that trips people up: you don't need an Australian phone number. Any working mobile, including an international SIM, can usually receive the SMS codes.
The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description.
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