Voter Authority Certificate: the free photo ID you need to vote in the UK

Photo ID is now required at polling stations in England, Scotland and Wales when you vote in person. If you do not have an accepted form of photo ID, the government issues a free Voter Authority Certificate so you can still vote. Here is who needs one, what counts as ID, and how to apply.

Why do you now need photo ID at the polling station?

Because showing photo ID is required to vote in person at many elections and referendums in Great Britain. As the government puts it, you need to show photo ID when voting in person in some elections and referendums in England, Scotland and Wales. Without an accepted document, staff cannot hand you a ballot paper, so it pays to check your ID in advance.

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Which forms of photo ID are accepted?

The list is wide, and many people already hold something that counts. Accepted ID includes:

• a UK passport, or a passport from an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or a Commonwealth country;
• a UK or Northern Ireland photocard driving licence (full or provisional);
• a Blue Badge;
• older or disabled person's bus passes, an Oyster 60+ card and a Freedom Pass;
• a PASS card (National Proof of Age Standards Scheme);
• a biometric residence permit (BRP) and a Defence Identity Card (MOD form 90);
• a Voter Authority Certificate and an Anonymous Elector's Document.

One useful detail: you can still use your ID even if it has expired, as long as polling staff can recognise you from the photo. The full list is on GOV.UK.

What is the Voter Authority Certificate and is it free?

It is a free photo ID made specifically for voting, for people who have no other accepted document. The official page states you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate for free. It also helps anyone who no longer looks like their old ID photo, or whose name on the register differs from the name on their ID.

How do you apply and what do you need?

The quickest way is online through the government service; you can also apply by post, printing a paper form and sending it to your local electoral registration office. You must be registered to vote first. When you apply you will be asked for a digital photo of yourself and your National Insurance number. You can still apply if you do not have a National Insurance number, but you will then need other documents, such as a birth certificate, bank statement and utility bill.

What is the deadline before an election?

You must apply by 5pm, 6 working days before polling day. The Electoral Commission is explicit that the deadline for applying for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm, 6 working days before an election. Miss it and you cannot use the certificate at that election, so apply early rather than leaving it to the last days.

What about the Anonymous Elector's Document?

This is a separate free document for people registered to vote anonymously — for example, when revealing their name and address would put their safety at risk. Instead of a standard certificate, they are required to apply for a free Anonymous Elector's Document instead. It does not display your name; an electoral number identifies you. The deadline is the same: 5pm, 6 working days before the election.