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."

I got to the scan face section and it kept coming up with an error that says "too much light". I closed the lights in my room and tried again and it failed. I went to a different room and it failed again and said I scanned my face too many times. I decided to try on a second phone and again got the same error on the first try. The second try I ironically sat by the window and it worked. I feel like the error message should be more helpful as I didn't quite know what "too much light" meant.

absolutely awful , this must be the worst app for trying to do ID . It says remove glasses for a selfie, would nit scan, kept saying put your face closer to the oval shape and despite moving closer it would not scan. I put my glasses on and the scan worked. I am 72 years of age, obviously the app was not tried on older people

What’s new

We’ve made technical and design improvements and fixed bugs to make it easier to use the app.