Apply for the Covenant
Veterans and Reservists can now apply for the Covenant, including the Veteran Card, Lapel Pin and Oath, online using MyService.
Depending on your type of service, you may be eligible for all, or some, of the Covenant items. These items will be sent in the mail, noting that the Lapel Pin and Oath will be sent separately to the Veteran Card.
Eligibility
Veterans
Veterans who have served in the permanent ADF are eligible to apply for all components of the Covenant including the Veteran Card, Lapel Pin and Oath.
Reservists
Reservists who have served one day of Continuous Full-Time Service (CFTS), have engaged in Disaster Relief Service, Border Protection Service, or involved in a serious service-related training accident, are eligible to apply for all components of the Covenant including the Veteran Card, Lapel Pin and Oath.
| Veteran Card | Oath | Veteran Lapel Pin | Reservist Lapel Pin | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent ADF (includes National Service) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Reservist with Continuous Full Time Service (CFTS) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Reservist with Non-Liability Health Care (NLHC)-Mental Health (MH) eligibility | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Reservist with Accepted Condition | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Reservist (not above) | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| DVA Health Card holders (not above) | Yes | No | No | No |
| Dependant | No | No | No | No |
| Other clients | No | No | No | No |
Eligibility Notes
- Permanent ADF - includes serving / ex-serving / national service member of the Permanent Forces of the ADF with one day’s permanent service. This group will also include those entitled to:
- treatment for an accepted service related injury or condition; and/or
- Non-Liability Health Care (NLHC) for mental health conditions, cancer (malignant neoplasm) or pulmonary tuberculosis.
- Reservist with CFTS - a member / ex-member of the Reserve forces who has rendered a period of Continuous Full Time Service (CFTS). These members are treated the same as 'Permanent ADF'.
- Reservist with NLHC-MH eligibility - a member / ex-member of the Reserve forces without CFTS, but entitled to access Non-Liability Health Care (NLHC) for mental health conditions due to their service with Border Protection, Disaster relief, and/or Involvement in a serious service-related training accident.
- Reservist with accepted condition - a member / ex-member of the Reserve forces not recognised in the "Reservist with CFTS" but has an accepted service related condition.
- Reservist - a member / ex-member of the Reserve forces not recognised in the "Reservist with CFTS", "Reservist with accepted condition" or "Reservists with NLHC eligibility" categories.
- DVA Health Card Holders not above - a client who currently holds or becomes eligible for a DVA Health Card for an accepted service related injury/condition, NLHC eligibility, or other treatment entitlements such as:
- War Widow/ers
- Orphans and Eligible Young People
- British and Commonwealth Allied (BCAL) veterans, eligible under the VEA and MRCA
- Australian Federal Police (AFP) eligible under the VEA
- Allied veterans with a Health card to facilitate treatment in Australia on behalf of an Allied country
- BCAL WW2 veterans with an Orange card who have access to subsidised RPBS pharmaceuticals
- British Nuclear Testing (BNT) civilians
- SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation) Members of the Australian civilian surgical and medical teams who provided medical aid, training and treatment to local Vietnamese people during the Vietnam war
- Civilians eligible for veteran-like entitlements.
- Dependant - clients who may receive payments or services due to their dependant relationship with a Veteran and who do not have an entitlement to treatment (DVA Health Card), e.g. Partner Service Pension, education payments, etc.
- Other Clients - clients who are not recognised in the above categories.
How to apply
- Apply for your lapel pin and oath on MyService.
- I have an old DVA Gold, White or Orange card and need to apply for my new card, pin and oath
Log in to your MyService account, select ‘Veterans’ Covenant’ and follow the prompts to apply for your lapel pin and oath.
You will receive the new-look Veteran Card when your current card expires. - I do not have a Veteran Card, lapel pin or oath
Log in to your MyService account, select ‘Veterans’ Covenant’ and follow the prompts to apply for your Veteran Card, lapel pin and oath. - I need to apply for the Oath and Lapel Pin. I have already applied for my card
Log in to your MyService account, select ‘Veterans’ Covenant’ and follow the prompts to apply for your lapel pin and oath. - I am a Reservist, am I eligible for a lapel pin and oath?
If you do not meet the eligibility requirements for a Veteran Card, you can still receive the Lapel Pin and Oath.
To apply, log in to MyService, select ‘Veterans’ Covenant’ and follow the prompts to apply for your lapel pin and oath.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Read frequently asked questions about the Australian Defence Veterans' Covenant / Veterans' Recognition Program.