GOV.UK ID Check

Government Digital Service

About this app

Use GOV.UK ID Check to prove your identity when you:
• access some HMRC services with Government Gateway
• need to change how you get security codes to sign in to your GOV.UK One Login

It works by matching your face to your photo ID.

Before you start
You can use any of the following types of photo ID:
• UK photocard driving licence
• UK passport
• non-UK passport with a biometric chip
• UK biometric residence permit (BRP)
• UK biometric residence card (BRC)
• UK Frontier Worker permit (FWP)

You can use an expired BRP, BRC or FWP up to 18 months after its expiry date.

You will also need:
• a well-lit area where you can take a good quality photograph
• an Android phone running Android version 10 or higher

How it works
If your photo ID is a driving licence you will:
• take a photo of your driving licence
• scan your face using your phone

If your photo ID is a passport, BRP, BRC or FWP you will:
• take a photo of your photo ID
• scan the biometric chip in your photo ID using your phone
• scan your face using your phone

What happens next
The app only helps confirm your identity. You will return to the website of the government service you were accessing to view the results of your identity check.

Privacy and security
Your personal information will not be stored in the app, or on the phone when you finish using it. We collect your data securely and delete it when it is no longer needed.

Ratings and reviews

The app just redirects me to the website and then does nothing. Trying to link it to the UK Government app is a nightmare; the connection fails every time. I can't even register for the UK ID app because the system is so buggy. It feels like this was rolled out way too quickly. Honestly, I don't trust my personal details with an app that doesn't even function properly. I can't even sign up because the linking system is completely broken."

Doesn't work. Impossible to take a picture of my passport because it keeps telling me to 'ensure bottom lines are visible' no matter what I do, making the whole app unusable.

The most ridiculous app ever. Trying to link it to your ID takes round in circles, the online help is all over the place and sends you to various places all asking for a passcode that you can only get from the app you are trying to link. I eventually got a 2 hour suspension for signing in with the wrong credentials. This is a convoluted mess.

What’s new

We’ve made updates to the performance analytics we collect. These analytics help us see what is and is not working so we can make improvements.