Resource ● Last updated 16 April 2026 ● 7 min read
How to update your gender on formal documents in New South Wales
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What is this resource?
This resource is for trans and gender-diverse young people and their families in NSW.
We answer some common questions about updating your gender on formal documents, such as your:
- birth certificate issued in NSW
- If you are living in NSW but your birth was registered outside NSW, we also explain how to get a recognised details certificate, which can help you update your gender on other documents.
- driver’s licence records
- federal documents:
- passport
- Centrelink
- Medicare records.
To find out more, click on the hyperlink above for the document or record you want to update.
Can you update your gender on formal documents?
On most formal documents, yes. However, different documents have different requirements and different gender identity options.
The steps required depend on whether the document you would like to change is issued by:
- a state or territory government organisation; or
- a federal government organisation.
How to update the gender on your NSW birth certificate
Birth certificates are issued and regulated at a state and territory level. This means that the approach to updating your birth certificate to match your gender identity will be different depending on which state or territory your certificate was issued in. In NSW, this is managed by the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages.
If you are aged 18 or older and your birth was registered in NSW, you can apply to the Registry with:
- a statutory declaration that you identify as the sex specified in the declaration and live (or seek to live) as a person of that sex; and
- a support statement from an adult who has known you for at least 12 months.
You can nominate the sex or gender that best reflects your identity.
If you are under 18, your parent(s) or guardian(s) can apply on your behalf. You will either need to make the same statutory declaration described above, or the adults applying for you will need to make a statutory declaration that changing your recorded sex is in your best interests. You will also need a support statement from a qualified counsellor.
The requirements to get a recognised details certificate are the same as the requirements to update a birth certificate.
How to update the gender on your NSW birth certificate
Birth certificates are issued and regulated at a state and territory level. This means that the approach to updating your birth certificate to match your gender identity will be different depending on which state or territory your certificate was issued in. In NSW, this is managed by the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages.
If you are aged 18 or older and your birth was registered in NSW, you can apply to the Registry with:
- a statutory declaration that you identify as the sex specified in the declaration and live (or seek to live) as a person of that sex; and
- a support statement from an adult who has known you for at least 12 months.
You can nominate the sex or gender that best reflects your identity.
If you are under 18, your parent(s) or guardian(s) can apply on your behalf. You will either need to make the same statutory declaration described above, or the adults applying for you will need to make a statutory declaration that changing your recorded sex is in your best interests. You will also need a support statement from a qualified counsellor.
The requirements to get a recognised details certificate are the same as the requirements to update a birth certificate.
Prior to 1 July 2025, you were required to have had gender-affirming surgery before you could change the sex marker on your NSW birth certificate. Now, you do not need to have had surgery and/or hormone therapy to update your gender on your birth certificate.
You can apply to ‘record a change of sex’ in NSW if:
- your birth was registered in NSW; and
- you are at least 18 years old.
What if you are under 18 years old?
If you are under 18, your parent(s) or guardian can apply on your behalf.
What if your birth was registered outside NSW?
If your birth was registered somewhere else in Australia, you will need to apply to update your gender in the state or territory you were born in. The factsheet for the state or territory that issued your birth certificate will have the eligibility requirements for updating the gender on your birth certificate.
Recognised details certificate
You can apply for a recognised details certificate with your new sex descriptor if you are 18 or above; and:
- You are an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia
- You have lived in NSW for at least one year; and
- Your birth is not registered in Australia
This certificate can help you update your gender on other documents.
How do you apply to ‘record a change of sex’ or apply for a recognised details certificate?
You need to:
- Complete the ‘Change of Sex’ form. This includes options for persons who were born overseas.
- Get your supporting documents:
- three valid identity documents (such as an Australian passport, Medicare card, private healthcare card or an overseas issued driver licence or identity card); and
- statutory declarations from you and certified by an authorised witness, using the template provided with the online form; and
- if you are applying for a recognised details certificate, you will also need to provide proof that you are an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia and that you have lived in NSW continuously for at least 12 months.
- Submit your application and supporting documents:
- Online via the online ‘Change of Sex’ form. Online applications have the fastest processing time of up to four weeks;
- posting them to NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages, GPO Box 30, Sydney NSW 2001; or
- taking them to a Service NSW service centre in person.
- Pay the application fee. For a current list of fees and processing times, please visit Change of sex – NSW Government.
How to update the gender on your driver’s licence records
The steps to update the records associated with your driver’s licence depend on the state or territory that issued your licence.
What you need to do in NSW
There is no sex/gender marker on physical driver’s licence cards issued in NSW. However, Transport for NSW records the gender of each person when they apply for a licence.
To update the records associated with your driver’s licence, you will need to visit a Service NSW service centre with originals of:
- your proof of identity documents (see here for more information); and
- at least one of the following:
- Birth certificate showing your gender.
- A List 1 proof of identity document showing your gender.
- A recognised details certificate issued by NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages (or equivalent Australian authority) that states your gender.
- A medical certificate confirming your gender, from an Australian registered medical practitioner.
- You do not need to have had gender-affirming surgery but you should have had, or be receiving, clinical treatment for gender affirmation.
- A medical certificate confirming your gender, from the surgeon/clinic where you had gender-affirming surgery.
How to update your gender on federal government documents, such as your passport, and Medicare or Centrelink records
You can update your gender on federal documents or records by applying to the agency that looks after the document or record that you want to change.
There are Australian Government Guidelines on recognising gender. This means that:
- Federal departments and agencies must take all reasonable steps to correct the gender information in their records to make sure it is accurate, up-to-date, and not misleading.
- You can apply to federal agencies directly, such as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Services Australia, to update your gender on your personal record, or as shown on your passport.
Do you need to provide supporting documentation?
Under the Australian Government Guidelines, you need to provide one of the following with your request for a change of your recorded gender:
- A statement from a registered medical practitioner or registered psychologist which specifies your gender.
- A state or territory gender recognition certificate or recognised details certificate showing a change in sex marker.
- A valid Australian government travel document, such as a valid passport, which specifies your gender.
- A state or territory birth certificate which specifies your gender, or a document from an Australian Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages recognising an update of gender.
You do not need to have had surgery and/or hormone therapy for the recognition of a change of gender in federal government records. This means that even though you may not have any related medical procedures, you can still apply to correct the gender information recorded on your personal record. See the Australian Government Guidelines.
| Document | Department | What you need to do |
|---|---|---|
| Your Medicare card | Services Australia | If your Medicare online account is linked to myGov, you can update your gender online by signing into myGov or the myGov app. If you don’t have a myGov account or Medicare online account, you can call the Medicare program line, visit a service centre or send a letter via post. You won’t need to provide any supporting documents when you make a request this way. The Medicare contact details are available here. If you update your gender on your Medicare card, this may change the reminders you receive for cancer screening under Medicare. |
| Your Centrelink file | Services Australia | If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, you can update your gender online by singing into myGov, or the myGov app. If you don’t have a myGov account, or a Centrelink online account, you’ll need to create these accounts or call Centrelink. You will only be required to provide supporting documents to update your gender if you are either: updating your gender in your Child Support personal record; or verifying your identity under an international agreement with Centrelink. If you are required to provide supporting documents, you can provide one of the documents outlined in the Australian Government Guidelines. |
| Your passport | Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) | For both a new passport and/or to update your gender on an existing passport, you need to start the application process online and then print it for lodgement. For this application, you must also provide one of the documents outlined in the Australian Government Guidelines. If you are providing a statement from a registered medical practitioner or registered psychologist, they must complete DFAT’s Form B-14. If you have changed your name as part of your transition, you must also provide a name change certificate issued by the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. If you are in the process of affirming your gender, you can provide a statement from a registered medical practitioner or psychologist that you have had or are receiving appropriate clinical treatment for gender affirmation. This should be provided on DFAT’s ‘Declaration: sex/gender of passport applicant form’ (Form B14). |
What happens when there is inconsistent gender information in my supporting documents?
If you identify as intersex, or are in the process of affirming your gender, your supporting documents may not be the same and may refer to different genders or gender markers. If this is the case, departments may ask you for more information and supporting documents to confirm your gender identity.
Under the Australian Government Guidelines, departments will prioritise either your passport or the supporting document that is the most recent. The Australian Government recognises that there may be legitimate reasons for holding conflicting documents, for example people who identify as non-binary or intersex may want to hold a passport with a particular binary gender marker to ensure their safety while travelling overseas.
Will every application and outcome be the same?
No. The different departments may have different application forms and therefore varied outcomes around updating your gender.
What’s an example?
Services Australia can update your gender as male, female or non-binary for their personal records system. You can also tell them you prefer not to use a courtesy title such as Miss, Mr or Ms.
Whereas the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade can record your gender as M (male), F (female), or X (indeterminate/intersex/unspecified) on your passport. However, the Department notes that those travelling with a passport showing ‘X’ may encounter difficulties when crossing borders due to its infrequent use. In more conservative countries or areas you may become the focus of unwanted attention.
Where to get help and more information
Updating documents:
- The Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender.
- The Department of Justice provides guidance on what is required to make a statutory declaration in NSW.
- For more information on updating your gender on your driver’s licence, visit the NSW government’s website.
Support:
- The Department of Foreign Affairs offers travel advice for LGBTQIA+ travellers on its Smart Traveller website.
- Parents of Gender Diverse Children provides peer support nationally to parents and those parenting trans and gender-diverse children.
- The Gender Centre offers a wide range of services to people with gender-related issues, their partners, family members and friends in New South Wales. This includes assistance with changing gender markers. To find out more, contact the centre via their website or call (02) 9569 2366.
- The ICLC (Inner City Legal Centre) Trans and Gender Diverse Legal Service provides legal information, advice and assistance with documentation around changing gender markers. To make an appointment, call (02) 9332 1966 or visit their website.
- Twenty 10 provides a range of support services and social spaces for people of diverse genders and sexualities aged under 26 in NSW and some parts of the ACT.
This resource was last updated on 16 April 2026. This is legal information only and does not constitute legal advice. You should always contact a lawyer for advice specific to your situation. Please view our disclaimer for more information.
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