Smartcard - Acceptable ID
Acceptable Personal Identification Documents
Prospective employees will need to provide either of these two combinations:
All documents must be originals, or copies of originals certified by a solicitor.
Acceptable photographic personal identification includes:
- Full Signed UK (Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Irish) passport or EU/other nationalities passport
- UK Biometric Residency Permit (BRP) card
- UK / EU full or provisional photocard driving licence (if issued by the DVLA in the UK then you are not required to see the paper counterpart. Licenses issued in Northern Ireland by the DVA must be presented with the paper counterpart)
- Other nationalities photocard driving license (valid up to 12 months from the date when the individual entered the UK)
- HM Armed Forces Identity Card (UK)
- Identity Cards carrying the PASS (Proof of Age Standards Scheme) accreditation logo (issued in the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man Only)
What if no acceptable photographic documentation is available?
If individuals are genuinely unable to provide any form of photographic personal identification, employers will need to ask them to provide a passport-sized photograph of themselves, in addition to two forms of non-photographic personal identification, and two documents confirming their address.
The photograph must be countersigned by a person of standing in the community who has known the applicant personally for at least two years.
The person countersigning the photograph must provide a statement outlining how they know the applicant (see attached list) and the period of time they have known them. They must also provide their full name, signature and contact details. Employers should cross-reference the signature provided at the back of the photograph with the one provided in the statement to ensure it matches.
List of acceptable confirmation of address documents:
- Utility bill (gas, water, electricity or land-line telephone), or a letter from a service provider confirming the arrangement to pay for the services on pre-payment terms at a fixed address. More than one utility bill may be accepted if these are from two different suppliers and utility bills in joint names are also permissible*
- Local authority tax statement (i.e. council tax)**
- UK full or provisional photo-card driving licence (if not already presented as a photo ID document). Old style provisional driving licences are not acceptable
- HM Revenue & Customs tax notification (i.e. tax assessment, statement of account, notice of coding)** a P45 or P60 is not acceptable
- A financial statement such as bank, building society, credit card statement, Pension or endowment statement* (UK and EEA) Statements issued outside EEA must not be accepted.
- Mortgage statement from a recognised lender** (UK and EEA) Statements issued outside EEA must not be accepted.
- Credit Union Statement (UK) *
- Local council rent card or accompanying tenancy agreement*
- Evidence of entitlement to Department for Work and Pensions benefits, such as child allowance, pension etc. (UK)**
Acceptable non-photographic proof of personal identification documents include:
- Full birth certificate (UK and Channel Islands) issued after the date of birth by the General Register Office or other relevant authority, i.e. registrars
- Full birth certificate issued by UK authorities overseas, such as embassies, high commissions and HM Forces.
- UK full old-style paper driving license. Old style provisional licenses are not acceptable
- Most recent HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) tax notification, such as an assessment, statement of account, P45, P60 or notice of coding (UK and Channel Islands) **
- Work permit / residency permit (UK) valid up to the expiry date
- Adoption certificate (UK and Channel Islands)
- Marriage/civil partnership certificate (UK and Channel Islands)
- Divorce, dissolution or annulment papers (UK and Channel Islands)
- Police registration document
- Gender recognition certificate
- Deed poll certificate
- Firearms certificate/license (UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man)
- Police registration document
- Certificate of employment in HM Forces (UK)
- Evidence of entitlement to Department for Work and Pensions benefits, such as child allowance, pension etc. (UK) **
- A document from a local/central government authority or local authority giving entitlement, such as Employment Service, Job Centre, Social Security Services (UK and Channel Islands)
Young people who have recently left full-time education (16-19 year olds)
When appointing someone who has recently left school or further education, in addition to photographic personal identification, the following three documents can be requested as sufficient proof of their identity:
A grant or student loan agreement from a local education authority (UK)
Full birth certificate issued by UK authorities overseas, such as embassies, high commissions and HM Forces.
National Insurance card or letter from the HM Revenues and Customs, Job Centre or Employment Services evidencing the issue of a National Insurance number.
- A letter from their head teacher, tutor or college principal (UK), verifying their name and other relevant information, for example address and date of birth
- A document from a local/central government authority or local authority giving entitlement such as Employment Services, Job Centre, Social Security Services (UK and Channel Islands)
- Certificate of educational qualifications (certificates should be originals from the school/university/awarding body).
Please note; some documents can only be accepted in certain combinations.
*All documents should ideally be from different sources and must be dated within the last 6 months. (Unless there is a good reason for it not to be).
**All documents should ideally be from different sources and must be dated within the last 12 months.