GOV.UK One Login: one sign-in for UK government services

GOV.UK One Login is a single government account you can use to sign in to the UK government's online services: one email address, one password and one identity check that works across several services. The government is gradually moving all of its sign-ins over to it.

Which services use GOV.UK One Login so far?

Only some government services at the moment. The official page states plainly that it does not work with all government accounts and services yet — Universal Credit, for example, is not connected to it. Over time, though, GOV.UK One Login will replace all other ways to sign in to services on GOV.UK, including the older Government Gateway. The current list of services is kept up to date on GOV.UK.

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How do you create a GOV.UK One Login?

You do not have to register in advance. If a service needs a GOV.UK One Login and you do not already have one, you will be able to create it the first time you use that service. Once you sign in, you can change your sign-in details — your email, password or how you get security codes — see the services you have already used, and delete your GOV.UK One Login if you want to. The service is also available in Welsh.

How do you prove your identity — the three ways

There are 3 ways to prove your identity: with the GOV.UK One Login app, by answering security questions online, or in person at a Post Office. Which one you use depends on your device and on what type of photo ID you have.

The app needs a phone with a working camera: an iPhone 8 or newer running iOS 16.7 or higher, or an Android phone running Android 10 or higher. You can use a UK photocard driving licence, a UK passport, a non-UK passport with a biometric chip, and biometric residence documents (BRP and BRC) or a Frontier Worker permit (FWP). You cannot use an expired passport; an expired driving licence is accepted if it ran out in the last 90 days and was issued by the DVLA, while an expired BRP, BRC or FWP is accepted if it ran out in the last 24 months.

The second way is to answer security questions online about your finances (such as a mobile phone contract, bank accounts, credit cards, loans or a mortgage), about your Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if you get them, and to enter details from a passport, driving licence or UK bank account. The third way is at a Post Office: you enter your ID details on GOV.UK, then go to a branch that offers in-branch verification, where staff scan your photo ID and take a photo of you. You usually get an email about the result within a day of your visit. The full requirements are set out on the proving your identity page.

How secure is it?

Sign-in is protected by two-factor authentication: on top of your email and password, the service asks for a security code. The service itself is built by the Government Digital Service (GDS) and is still labelled a beta service. Once you have proved your identity, that information is saved to your GOV.UK One Login, so you will not need to prove it again the next time a service has to check who you are.