Proving your identity with the GOV.UK One Login app
Source: gov.uk (2025-10-28)

How to use the GOV.UK One Login app to prove your identity, including how to download the app and how to scan your face and photo ID.

You can use the GOV.UK One Login app to prove your identity when you sign in to a government service with GOV.UK One Login.

To use the app, you must start on the government service you are trying to access. You’ll be guided to the app when it’s time to use it.

The app will check that:
- your photo ID is real
- you are a real person
- you are the same person as in your photo ID
If you prefer not to use the app, you can prove your identity in another way (https://www.gov.uk/using-your-gov-uk-one-login/proving-your-identity).

What you’ll need

You’ll need one of the following types of photo ID:
- UK passport
- non-UK passport with a biometric chip
- UK photocard driving licence
- UK biometric residence permit (BRP)
- UK biometric residence card (also called a BRC)
- UK Frontier Worker permit (FWP)
You can use an expired BRP, BRC or FWP up to 18 months after its expiry date.

You’ll also need a smartphone with a working camera.

If you’re using an iPhone, it must be:
- an iPhone 8 or newer
- running iOS 16.7 or higher
For an Android phone (for example, Samsung or Google Pixel), it must be running Android 10 or higher.

Downloading the app

You’ll be told when to download the app.

If you need help to download the app to your phone, there is advice on:
- downloading an app to an iPhone (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204266)
- downloading an app to an Android phone (https://support.google.com/googleplay/topic/2999682?hl=en-GB&ref_topic=2952998)
Signing in to the app

After downloading the app, you’ll need to sign in with your GOV.UK One Login details. This will link the GOV.UK website to your app so you can continue proving your identity.

If you’re having trouble signing in to the app, read guidance on how to change your GOV.UK One Login sign in details (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/changing-the-sign-in-details-for-your-govuk-one-login).

Choosing your photo ID

You’ll need to choose which photo ID you’ll use to prove your identity. Make sure you have your original photo ID with you. You cannot use a photocopy or digital copy.

Once you’ve confirmed the photo ID you’ll use, you cannot go back and use a different one.

If you need to change to a different type of photo ID, you’ll need to go back to the service you were trying to use and start proving your identity again.

Scanning your photo ID

If you’re using a passport or a BRP, BRC or FWP

If you’re using a passport, make sure it has a biometric chip. To check if your passport has a biometric chip, look for the rectangular biometric chip symbol on the front cover.

You’ll be asked to:
- Take a photo of your photo ID
- Scan the biometric chip in your photo ID using your phone.
- Scan your face using your phone.
If the biometric scan did not work, it can be because:
- your phone was not touching your photo ID
- your phone had a case or accessory on it - try removing these and scanning your photo ID again
- internet connection has been lost briefly
- the phone was moved while the scan was happening
- you scanned another document, other than your passport or residence permit
You could try again and you should see a help animation. Follow the on-screen instructions and, when you’re ready, select ‘Start scan’ or place your phone on top of your passport to start the scan automatically.

If you’re using a UK driving licence

You’ll be asked to take a photo of your driving licence. The photo will be taken automatically, so do not touch your screen while this is happening.

Make sure you:
- hold your driving licence in the palm of one hand and your phone with the other hand - if you’re having trouble taking a photo of the licence while it’s in your hand, place it on a dark matte background
- move the licence away from bright sources of light to reduce glare
- get your entire licence inside the white frame
Scanning your face

You’ll use your front-facing (selfie) camera to do this.

When you scan your face with the GOV.UK One Login app, make sure:
- your face is completely aligned with the oval on your screen
- you are looking straight ahead
- you keep as still as you can while the scan happens
How to finish proving your identity

Once you’ve scanned your face with the app and your information has been submitted, you’ll need to return to the GOV.UK page you left open on your web browser. You’ll then be able to finish proving your identity and continue to the service you were trying to access.

What to do if the identity check on the app does not work

If you were not able to prove your identity with the first photo ID you’ve chosen, you can try again using another photo ID.

Go back to the service you were trying to access to start proving your identity again.

You can also try to prove your identity another way (https://www.gov.uk/using-your-gov-uk-one-login/proving-your-identity).