Is a certificate of insurance the same as a certificate of currency in Australia?

Often, but not always. It is frequently used as another name for the same document. Where a form uses the phrase without defining it, confirm with the requesting party which document they mean.

Can I request a policy schedule instead of a certificate?

Yes, through whoever arranged the policy. A schedule contains more detail than most requesting parties need, so it is usually asked for only when a specific question about cover cannot be answered from the certificate.

Why does a certificate leave out so much detail?

It is built to answer one question — does this cover exist — without disclosing the rest of the policy. That is a deliberate design choice, not an omission.

Certificate, policy schedule and certificate of insurance compared

In short

A certificate of currency is a short summary produced on request. A policy schedule is part of the contract itself and carries more detail.
"Certificate of insurance" is used loosely in Australia — sometimes it means the same thing as a certificate of currency, sometimes it means something more specific to a scheme or contract.
When a certificate does not answer a question, the schedule usually does, because the schedule is the document the certificate was summarised from.

Three names get used for documents that prove insurance exists, and they are not interchangeable. A certificate of currency, a policy schedule, and what people loosely call a "certificate of insurance" each carry a different amount of detail and a different standing.

Knowing which one is actually needed avoids two common mistakes: accepting a document that does not answer the question being asked, and asking for a document that carries more detail than the situation requires.

Certificate of currency

A certificate of currency is a summary document, generated specifically to hand to a third party. It states the insured, the insurer, the classes of cover, the period of insurance and usually the limits, without reproducing the policy wording itself.

It exists because handing over a full policy — often many pages of terms, exclusions and definitions — is more than most requesting parties need or want to read. It answers "does this cover exist" without disclosing everything the policy says.

Full definition and what it can be used for

Policy schedule

The schedule is part of the policy itself. It sits alongside the policy wording and states the specific details that apply to that insured — the sections selected, the limits chosen, any endorsements added, and any special conditions negotiated for that risk.

Where a certificate summarises, the schedule is authoritative: it is what the insurer actually agreed to, not a summary of it. Anyone who needs to know exactly what is and is not covered, rather than simply whether cover exists, should be looking at the schedule and the wording, not the certificate.

Why a business policy is a set of selected sections, not one product

"Certificate of insurance"

The term "certificate of insurance" is not fixed in Australian usage the way it is in some other markets. It is often used to mean exactly the same document as a certificate of currency, especially in contracts drafted from an overseas template.

It can also mean something more specific — a statutory scheme’s own certificate, or a document a particular industry body issues under its own rules. Where a contract or a form uses the phrase, the safest step is to ask the requesting party which document they actually mean before producing anything.

Which one to reach for

For routine proof that cover exists — site access, licence renewal, a standard tender requirement — a certificate of currency is normally what is being asked for and normally what gets accepted.

For anything that turns on the detail of what is covered — an argument about whether an event falls inside the policy, or a contract clause that names specific extensions or exclusions — the schedule and the relevant part of the wording are the documents that actually settle the question.

Questions

Is a certificate of insurance the same as a certificate of currency in Australia?: Often, but not always. It is frequently used as another name for the same document. Where a form uses the phrase without defining it, confirm with the requesting party which document they mean.
Can I request a policy schedule instead of a certificate?: Yes, through whoever arranged the policy. A schedule contains more detail than most requesting parties need, so it is usually asked for only when a specific question about cover cannot be answered from the certificate.
Why does a certificate leave out so much detail?: It is built to answer one question — does this cover exist — without disclosing the rest of the policy. That is a deliberate design choice, not an omission.

Sources

ASIC — Regulator of the AFS licensees and authorised representatives — including brokers — who issue certificates of currency.
business.gov.au — business insurance — Australian Government guidance on business insurance types and managing cover.