Does a certificate of currency cost anything?

Not usually. Insurers and brokers issue them as part of servicing a policy, and a request for one is a routine administrative task, not a variation to the policy.

How long is a certificate of currency valid for?

It states a period of insurance, and it is evidence of what was in force on the day it was issued. It is not a guarantee for the whole period, because a policy can be cancelled inside its term, which is why parties collecting certificates re-check them at renewal.

Can I write my own certificate of currency?

No. It is a statement by the insurer or its authorised representative about a policy they administer. A document produced by the insured has no evidential value to the party asking for it.

What if I need it today?

Say so in the request and phone as well as email. Most certificates are generated from a system, not drafted by hand, so a same-day turnaround is normal when the policy record needs no change.

How to get a certificate of currency

In short

Ask whoever arranged the policy — your broker, or the insurer directly if you bought online. It is normally free and issued the same day.
Ask the party who wants it what they need to see on it before you request it, because a certificate missing a required notation has to be reissued.
For statutory schemes such as workers compensation, the certificate comes from the scheme or its insurer, not from a broker.

A certificate of currency is the standard way a business proves it holds insurance. Licence renewals, site inductions, landlords and tender panels all ask for one, usually at short notice.

Requesting one is straightforward. The part that wastes time is requesting the wrong thing, so this page covers what to ask for as well as who to ask.

Work out who issues it

The certificate comes from whoever holds the policy record. If a broker arranged the cover, the broker issues it. If the policy was bought directly from an insurer, the insurer issues it, usually from the online account or by phone.

Statutory cover works differently. Workers compensation is arranged through a state or territory scheme, so the certificate comes from the scheme insurer or its portal rather than from a broker. Statutory building schemes issue their own certificates for the work they cover.

Ask the requesting party what has to be on it

Most reissues happen because the first certificate was correct but incomplete for the purpose. Before requesting it, ask the party who wants it whether they need anything noted beyond the standard details.

The common additions are a named interested party, a principal noted for a specific contract, or evidence of a particular extension. Each of those is a change to the policy record or the certificate, and asking for all of them at once saves a round trip.

The entity name that must appear as the insured, exactly as it is on the contract
The classes of cover required, since one certificate may not cover every class
The minimum limit the contract or licence specifies
Whether anyone has to be noted as an interested party
Whether a principal has to be covered for the work

Make the request

Send one message naming the policy, the classes of cover needed, the entity name to appear as the insured, and any notations required. Say what the certificate is for, because that lets the broker spot a mismatch before it is issued.

Keep the reply. A certificate is dated and time-limited, so the copy you were sent is the record of what was in force when it was issued.

Check it before you forward it

Read the certificate as though you were the person receiving it. The insured name has to match the contracting entity, the period has to cover the work, the classes have to be the ones asked for, and the limit has to meet the requirement.

The free checker on this site reads a certificate and lists what it does and does not show, including the fields a requesting party usually looks for.

Check a certificate against a requirement

Questions

Does a certificate of currency cost anything?: Not usually. Insurers and brokers issue them as part of servicing a policy, and a request for one is a routine administrative task, not a variation to the policy.
How long is a certificate of currency valid for?: It states a period of insurance, and it is evidence of what was in force on the day it was issued. It is not a guarantee for the whole period, because a policy can be cancelled inside its term, which is why parties collecting certificates re-check them at renewal.
Can I write my own certificate of currency?: No. It is a statement by the insurer or its authorised representative about a policy they administer. A document produced by the insured has no evidential value to the party asking for it.
What if I need it today?: Say so in the request and phone as well as email. Most certificates are generated from a system, not drafted by hand, so a same-day turnaround is normal when the policy record needs no change.

Sources

Moneysmart (ASIC) — General guidance on business insurance from the regulator’s consumer site, including making and documenting a policy.
ASIC — Regulator of the licensed intermediaries that issue certificates of currency.