Mobile number porting
Move a mobile number to your account, including the SMS identity check and what to do if you can't receive it.
You can port a mobile number to your account. Before the port goes ahead, the carrier sends an SMS to the number to confirm you own it, and you must reply within 30 minutes. Most failed mobile ports are caused by wrong account details or a missed SMS, so prepare first.
Before you start
Section titled “Before you start”Check each of these with your current provider. A port that’s rejected for any of these reasons attracts rejection charges.
- Prepaid or postpaid? Find out which plan the number is on. If the application says prepaid but it’s postpaid (or the other way round), the port is rejected.
- Postpaid: have a recent invoice showing the account name, account number and the mobile number. You’re legally required to prove you own the number.
- Prepaid: have a recent top-up invoice, plus something else that proves you own the number, such as a screenshot of your provider’s customer portal showing it.
- Account details are correct. Confirm the details on the invoice with your provider. Any mismatch is rejected as an account mismatch.
- The number is active. It must be connected, with no pending disconnection.
- You can receive and reply to SMS on the number, for the verification check.
- The application matches the invoice, or the details your provider gave you, and every required field is filled in.
1. Submit the application
Section titled “1. Submit the application”- Go to Services › Number porting and click New porting.
- Choose the Country of the phone number(s), and in Type of the number(s) choose the type that matches the number. If you’re not sure, choose the closest match: the porting team corrects it if needed.
- Under Upload the most recent invoice from a previous service provider, upload your invoice. Then complete the application form.
- Click Submit application and confirm.
The porting team checks your details against the invoice. If they match, the port is sent upstream to the carriers.
2. Reply to the verification SMS
Section titled “2. Reply to the verification SMS”After the port is sent upstream, the number receives an SMS for pre-port identity verification (PPV). This usually arrives within an hour, though it can be delayed.
- Keep the phone with you once the porting team confirms the port has gone upstream.
- When the SMS arrives, reply to it with the unique 6-digit code it contains.
- Reply within 30 minutes, or the check expires.
If the check succeeds, the port goes to the losing provider.
If you miss the SMS
Section titled “If you miss the SMS”The porting team is told the check failed. You can either:
- Try again: ask for the port to be resubmitted when you’re ready, with a comment on your porting. Only three PPV attempts are allowed in total. After the third failure, the port is invalidated and you must submit a new application and pay the porting fees again.
- Ask to skip the SMS check: see below.
If you can’t receive the SMS
Section titled “If you can’t receive the SMS”Explain in a comment on your porting why you can’t receive or reply to the SMS. The porting team passes your explanation to the upstream partner, who decides whether the SMS check can be skipped.
If it’s approved, you must prove your identity and that you own the number. Under the Telecommunications (Mobile Number Pre-Porting Additional Identity Verification) Industry Standard 2020, you need either:
- 2 Category A documents, or
- 1 Category A document and 2 Category B documents.
Once the upstream partner verifies them, the port is submitted.
Category A documents
Section titled “Category A documents”| Document | Conditions |
|---|---|
| Australian driver’s licence | Issued in your name by a state or territory. |
| Australian passport | Current, or expired no more than 2 years ago. |
| Birth certificate | Issued by an Australian state or territory government. |
| Foreign military ID card | |
| Foreign passport | Current, with a valid Australian entry stamp or visa. |
| Australian citizenship certificate | Issued by the Commonwealth government. |
| Certificate of identity or document of identity | Issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (or its successor). |
| ImmiCard | Issued by the Department of Home Affairs (or its successor). |
| Indigenous Community Card | Issued by Services Australia (or its successor). |
| Firearms licence | Issued by a state or territory police force, with your photo. |
| Aviation Security Identity Card | Issued by an authorised body, with your photo. |
| Maritime Security Identity Card | Issued by an authorised body, with your photo. |
| Australian government photo ID (employee ID) | Issued by a Commonwealth, state or territory government, with your photo. |
| Defence Highly Trusted Token | Issued by the Department of Defence (or its successor). |
| Defence Force identity card | Issued by the Australian Defence Force, with your photo. |
| Police identity card | Issued by a state or territory police force, with your photo. |
| Prisoner identity card | Issued by a state or territory prison authority, with your photo. |
| Trade (work or business) licence | Issued by a state or territory government, with your photo. For example trade, real estate or security licences. |
| Tangentyere Community ID card | Issued by the Tangentyere Council (or its successor), with your photo. |
| Proof-of-age card | Issued by a state or territory government, with your photo. |
| Australia Post Keypass | With your photo. |
| Working with Children or Vulnerable People card | Issued by a state or territory government, with your photo. |
Category B documents
Section titled “Category B documents”Where a document must show your name and address, it must be the same name and address you gave on the porting application.
| Document | Conditions |
|---|---|
| Bank or financial institution card, passbook or statement | From an Australian bank, credit union or building society, in your name. Statements and passbooks must cover at least 6 months of transactions and show your current address. Cards must carry your signature. Foreign banks aren’t accepted. |
| Medicare card | |
| Postpaid telecommunications bill | From an Australian telco, issued in the last 12 months, showing your name and address. |
| Council rates notice | From an Australian local council, issued in the last 12 months, showing your name and address. |
| Student ID card | From an Australian university or other tertiary institution, secondary school, TAFE or registered training organisation. |
| Concession or health care card | Issued by Services Australia (or its successor). |
| Veterans’ Affairs card | Issued by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. |
| Tenancy agreement or lease | Current, showing your name and address. |
| Motor vehicle registration | Current registration papers for a vehicle registered in Australia, with your name, address and proof of payment. |
| Electoral enrolment | Proof of enrolment showing your name and address. |
| Seniors card | Issued by a state or territory government to a resident aged 60 or over. |
| Utility account | Showing your name and address. |
For the full legal list, see Schedule 1 of the Industry Standard.
3. Validation and cutover
Section titled “3. Validation and cutover”- Losing provider checks: they confirm the number is theirs, it’s active, and the application details match their records. For prepaid numbers they check the date of birth; for postpaid numbers, the account name and number. If anything doesn’t match, the port is rejected: see Porting rejections.
- Cutover: the gaining and losing carriers agree a cutover booking and port the number.
- Testing: the porting team makes test calls to check the number routes to your account. If it does, they mark the port as completed. If there’s a routing problem, they tell you and escalate it upstream until it’s fixed.
Check it works
Section titled “Check it works”When the port is marked completed, call the mobile number from another phone. It should follow your call flow. Make sure the number is in an Inbound number: see Prepare for porting cutover.