Running electoral registration - Scotland

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Acceptable document types for establishing an applicant’s identity

Evidence required to successfully establish an applicant’s identity should refer to the applicant by name.

The types of documents that can be provided to establish an applicant’s identity for an application as an overseas elector are as follows:

  • any one document from table 1
  • one document from table 2 and two additional documents from either table 2 or table 3
  • four documents from table 3 – all documents in table 3 must have been issued in the UK or a Crown Dependency, and must bear the applicant’s full name1

Table 1: Primary identification documents

DocumentNotes
PassportAny current passport
Biometric residence document2 UK issued only
EEA Identity cardMust still be valid
Photo card part of a current driving licenceUK/Isle of Man/Channel Islands (full or provisional)
Northern Ireland Electoral ID card 

         
Table 2: Trusted Government Documents 

DocumentNotes
Old style paper version of a current driving licenceUK only
Photo driving licenceGranted other than UK and Crown Dependencies
Birth certificateUK and Crown Dependencies only
Marriage/Civil Partnership certificateUK and Crown Dependencies only
Adoption certificateUK and Crown Dependencies only
Firearms licenceUK and Crown Dependencies only
Police bail sheetUK and Crown Dependencies only

         
Table 3: Financial and social history documents

Document  Notes
Mortgage statement  Issued in UK or Crown Dependencies
Bank or Building Society statementIssued in UK or Crown Dependencies
Bank or Building Society account opening confirmation letter Issued in UK or Crown Dependencies
Credit card statementIssued in UK or Crown Dependencies
Financial statement, e.g. pension or endowmentIssued in UK or Crown Dependencies
Council tax statementIssued in UK or Crown Dependencies
Utility Bill – not mobile phone billIssued in UK or Crown Dependencies
P45 or P60 statement Issued in UK or Crown Dependencies
Benefit statement, e.g. Child Benefit, Pension Issued in UK or Crown Dependencies
Central or local government, government agency or local council document giving entitlement, e.g. from DWP, Job Centre Plus, HMRCIssued in UK or Crown Dependencies

        
For information on the retention period for documents received as part of an application, including under the exceptions process, and for what should be reflected in your document retention policy, see our guidance on document retention.
 

Last updated: 23 January 2025