Valid identity document list

Group 1 – Primary Trusted Identity Credentials

• Valid Passport - UK or EEA (or non EEA in combination with a Biometric residence Permit or current Work Permit/Visa)
• Biometric Residence Permit (UK)
• Current Driving Licence (UK)(Full or provisional) Isle of Man/Channel Islands
  • Photo card only (a photo card is only valid if the individual presents it with the associated counterpart licence; except Jersey)
• Birth Certificate (UK & Channel Islands) – issued within 12 months of date of birth; Full or short form acceptable including those issued by UK authorities overseas, such as Embassies, High Commissions and HM Forces

Group 2a – Trusted Government/State Issued Documents

• Current valid Passport (UK, EEA or Non-EEA)
• Current UK Driving licence (Photo card or old style paper version)
• Biometric residence Permit (UK)
• Birth Certificate (UK & Channel Islands) – issued within 12 months of date of birth
• Certified copy of Birth Certificate (UK & Channel Islands) – issued after 12 months of date of birth
• Marriage / Civil Partnership Certificate (UK)
• Adoption Certificate (UK)
• HM Forces ID Card (UK)
• Fire Arms Licence (UK)

Group 2b – Financial/Social History Documents

• Mortgage Statement (UK)**
• Bank/Building Society Statement (UK)*
• Credit Card Statement (UK)*
• Financial Statement - eg pension, endowment, ISA (UK)**
• P45/P60 Statement (UK & Channel Islands)**
• Council Tax Statement (UK & Channel Islands)**
• Work Permit/Visa (UK) (UK Residence Permit)**
• Utility Bill (UK) - Not Mobile Telephone*
• Benefit Statement - eg Child Allowance, Pension*
• A document from Central/Local Government/Government Agency/Local Authority giving entitlement (UK & Channel Islands) - eg from the Department for Work & Pensions, the Employment Service, Customs & Revenue, Job Centre, Job Centre Plus, Social Security*
• EU National ID Card
• Cards Carrying the PASS accreditation logo (UK)

Please Note:

If a document in the List of Valid Identity Documents is:

• denoted with * - it should be less than three months old
• denoted with ** - it should be issued within the past 12 months
• not denoted - it can be more than 12 months old

Route One

Can the applicant produce a Group 1 document?

If yes, then the applicant must produce 3 documents:

• document from Group 1 (refer to list of valid identity documents) and
• further documents from Group 1 or 2; one of which must verify their current address

Note – Non-UK/Non-EEA Nationals:

All Non-UK/Non-EEA Nationals should be validated via Route One by supplying the following combination of documents:

• Current Passport; and
• Biometric Residence Permit OR Work Permit/Visa (UK);and
• 1 further document from Group 2a or 2b (refer to list of valid identity documents), which verifies their current address.

If the applicant has satisfied this route, then the document check is complete.

If the applicant cannot produce a Group 1 document then go to Route Two.

Route Two

The applicant must produce:

• 3 documents from Group 2 comprised of:
  • 1 document from Group 2a; and
  • 2 further documents from Group 2a or 2b; one of which must verify their current address and
  • The organisation conducting the ID check will then need to ensure an external ID validation service is used to check the applicant against their records to establish the applicants name and living history footprint.

If the applicant fails the external validation check, they will need to go for fingerprinting. This may add delay into the overall application process.

Route Three

ALL Registered Bodies must have exhausted Route One and should have endeavoured to have accessed an external validation (Route Two) before you consider processing them via Route Three.

If the applicant cannot meet the requirements of Route One or Two, a meeting should be arranged to establish why they could not meet these requirements and whether there has been a recent or previous change of name that has not been declared.

For Route Three, the applicant must produce:

• A certified copy of a UK birth certificate; and
• 4 further documents from Group 2 comprising of:
  • 1 document from Group 2a; and
  • 3 further documents from Group 2a or 2b; one of which must verify their current address

If the applicant fails to produce the required document set at Route Three, they will need to go for fingerprinting. This may add delay into the overall application process.

All copies of UK birth certificates state ‘certified copy’ when issued by the General Records Office.