Change your personal details

As a current student, you may update most personal details by logging in to My Details with your SIMS username and password. This page covers how you can update other personal details. Please follow the instructions and take note of supporting documentation required.

Change of personal details

You can change your personal details at any time by logging in to your student portal with your SIMS username and password and completing the Change of Personal Details form.

Your personal details include:

• preferred name
• gender
• title
• legal name
• date of birth
   

LGBTIQ+ community support

Swinburne is committed to creating an inclusive environment that embraces and supports the LGBTIQ+ community. Learn more about the ways we offer support.

Change to your legal name

If you change your legal name you will need to attach documentation to support your name change. We accept the following types of documentation:

• birth certificate with change of name details
• citizenship certificate with change of name details
• change of name certificate
• deed poll document
• married or registered relationship certificate (issued by the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages)
• divorce decree/revocation of registered relationship or death certificate of spouse or adult partner of a registered relationship
• court order directing child's change of name

Note: Marriage certificates issued on the day of the wedding, known as a commemorative certificate, are not sufficient. The marriage certificate must be issued by the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

What you need to know

You’ll need to make sure that the personal details you provide to the University match government records (e.g. Centrelink, the USI registry system and the Australian Taxation Office).

We’re required to report your personal details (except your preferred first name and title) to the government, so you need to check that your information is also up to date in official government records.

Australian Taxation Office (ATO)

You need to update your details with the ATO directly. We're not permitted to do this on your behalf.

To be eligible for a HELP loan, you need to make sure the details you provide us with (name, gender, date of birth, home address and tax file number) match the details held by the ATO. If they don't match, we won’t be able to verify your tax file number and you won't be eligible for a HELP loan – this means you'll need to pay your course fees up front.

Unique Student Identifier (USI) registry

You may also need to update your details in the Unique Student Identifier (USI) registry to make sure your USI is verified.

Centrelink students

Make sure your personal details at the University match those held by Centrelink, or your support payments could be disrupted.

To update your details with Centrelink:

• Log into myGov
• Select Centrelink
• Select menu from the home page
• Click My Details, then select personal and contact details.
   

Changing your address

If you move house, change your contact address details by logging in to My Details (with your SIMS username and password) within seven days.

For international students, keeping your address updated is a requirement of your student visa and failure to do so could result in visa cancellation.

It is possible to have two addresses:

• your contact address (where your mail is sent while studying)
• your permanent address (where you live when not studying).
   

Swinburne cannot accept responsibility for problems that occur if incorrect or inadequate address information is provided.

Residency status

If you request a change of residency or citizenship from an international student to a domestic student, you cannot continue your enrolment as an international student and the University will amend your enrolment to that of a domestic student.

You can change your residency status by completing our update your permanent address and residency form through which you can also submit your documents, or you can present any documents to studentHQ.

Certified documents to support citizenship change include:

• If changing Permanent Resident (PR/New Zealand citizen status to Australian citizen status) – a certified copy of Australian Citizen certificate
• If changing international status to Permanent Resident (PR) status – a certified copy of your passport and new visa
   

Learn about what a certified copy of an original document is.

Note: If you currently hold a Student Visa and have been granted a Temporary Resident Visa, please email a copy of your visa grant notice to Swinburne's ESOS Compliance team at intlcompliance@swinburne.edu.au.

Your enrolment responsibilities

You are responsible for ensuring that all details of your enrolment are correct. You must make changes to enrolment by the relevant deadlines. Late changes may result in academic and/or financial penalties.

If you are an international student, check if any detail changes will breach the terms of your student visa.