Proving your identity
Whether you're a new or existing member, we need to confirm your identity when you open a new account with us. The detail of what you may need to show us is listed on this page.
Why do I need to prove my identity?
This is to meet UK money laundering regulations and help stop criminals from using financial products or services for their own benefit.
What do I need to provide?
We’ll only ask for enough information to allow us to open your account.
Existing members
We'll tell you if we need you to provide evidence of your name and address once we've received your application.
New members
To confirm your identity, we need to verify your name and address. There are 2 ways to do this:
- we may be able to check your identity electronically by using credit reference agencies to search sources of information relating to you (an Identity search), or
- we may also ask you to provide paper ID. Please provide original documents, as we’re not able to accept statements or bills printed from the internet.
Information:
An identity search will not affect your credit rating.
New FlexOne customers
If you're new to Nationwide, you'll need to provide your local branch with ID so they can verify you, this applies even when you open your account online.
If you're already a Nationwide customer you may still need to pop in with ID, but we'll let you know at the end of the application.
How to prove your identity
You can usually show us your ID in 1 of our branches, or you can post it to us, depending on the type of document it is.
The following sections and tables explain whether certain forms of ID can be posted or have to be brought into branch.
If you choose to post your ID to us, we'll return any documents you send within 7 days of receiving them.
If we cannot confirm your identity, we will not be able to continue with your application.
Adults or other children’s accounts
Please use the guidance in the following sections.
Paper ID documents for UK and European Economic Area (EEA) nationals resident in the UK
We will need to verify your name and address. We will try to do this electronically, but if we ask to see paper ID evidence, you can provide either:
- 1 document from the list of UK photo ID list. This must be taken into a branch and not posted, or
- 2 separate documents: 1 from the Proof of name section on this page and another from the Proof of current address list, also on this page. You can’t use the same ID to prove your name and address – they need to be 2 separate documents
UK photo ID
If applying in branch, the evidence we will need to see:
- valid full UK passport, or
- valid full UK photocard driving licence.
Or we can accept 1 document from the Proof of Name list and one document from the Proof of Current Address list if you're applying in a branch or returning your documents to us by post.
Proof of name
We can accept any of the following from this table:
| Type of document | Applying in branch | Applying by post |
|---|---|---|
| Valid full UK driving licence, including old style paper | Yes | No |
| Valid provisional UK photocard driving licence | Yes | No |
| Valid full EEA passport or EU member state ID card | Yes | No |
| UK-based bank or building society statement with debit or credit card (must be less than 3 months old) - not to be sent by post | Yes | No |
| UK-based bank or building society statement (must be less than 3 months old) | No | Yes |
| Letter from Benefits Agency, including Universal Credit welcome letters (must be less than 12 months old) | Yes | Yes |
| Letter from a professional person who knows you (for example, a solicitor, accountant, doctor, social worker or probation officer) | Yes | Yes |
| Valid student ID card from a recognised UK university or valid NUS card with your photo and date of birth | Yes | No |
Proof of current address
We can accept any of the following from this table:
| Type of document | Applying in branch | Applying by post |
|---|---|---|
| Valid full UK driving licence, including old style paper | Yes | No |
| Valid provisional UK photocard driving licence | Yes | No |
| UK-based bank or building society statement (must be less than 3 months old) | Yes | Yes |
| UK-based bank or building society credit card statement (must be less than 3 months old) | Yes | Yes |
| UK mortgage statement (must be less than 12 months old) | Yes | Yes |
| UK gas or electricity bill (must be less than 3 months old) | Yes | Yes |
| UK phone bill (not mobile phone: must be less than 3 months old) | Yes | Yes |
| UK water bill (must be less than 12 months old) | Yes | Yes |
| UK council tax bill (must be less than 12 months old) | Yes | Yes |
| UK Credit Union statement (must be less than 3 months old) | Yes | Yes |
| Benefit letter from your local housing authority (must be less than 12 months old) | Yes | Yes |
| Tenancy agreement from a housing association or a council | Yes | Yes |
| Letter from a university or college (Must be less than 12 months old) | Yes | Yes |
Important:
We'll return any documents you send to us within 7 days.
If we cannot check your identity, we will not be able to continue with your application.
Paper ID documents for non-European Economic Area (EEA) nationals resident in the UK
If you don't come from the European Economic Area (EEA), we will ask you to provide 2 documents for ID purposes:
- Proof of name - your national passport this must be taken into a branch, please do not post it to us – and
- Proof of address – you will need to provide 1 document from the proof of current address list shown above.
Additional items you may be able to use
We’ll ask to see ID from the above lists first, but we realise not everyone will be able to provide documents from them.
In these cases, we may be able to take some alternative documents in our branches.
Proof of name
- a valid national driving licence from an EU/EEA country
- HMRC tax documentation that’s less than 6 months old (either a tax notice, coding assessment, statement, credit document, or notice of tax code)
- a Northern Ireland voters card (in date cards only)
- a UK disability blue badge with photo
- a UK Armed Forces or Military ID card
- a Young Scot National Entitlement Card – NEC (under 18s only)
- a UK Biometric Residence Permit
- a Home Office Application Registration Card (ARC)
- a Home Office Immigration Status Document (must be accompanied by proof of right to reside in the UK).
Proof of current address
These documents can be used to prove your current address if they haven’t already been used as proof of your name:
- HMRC tax documentation that’s less than 6 months old (either a tax notice, coding assessment, statement, credit document, or notice of tax code)
- a valid national driving licence from an EU/EEA country
- a current account, credit card, or mortgage statement from an EEA-based bank (must be less than 3 months old).
ID documents for residents of other European Economic Area (EEA) countries applying for a Nationwide current account
If you live outside the UK but in the EEA and you’re applying for a current account, you’ll be asked to visit us in branch with proof of your name and current address.
Please bring 1 item from each list below. Your proof of address documents must show the same address as the one on your application.
Proof of name
We’ll ask to see your:
- valid full EEA passport, or
- valid EEA member state ID card.
Proof of current address
We’ll ask to see a:
- valid national driving licence from an EEA country, or
- statement from an EEA-based bank (must be less than 3 months old), or
- utility bill in your name from an EEA-based utility provider (must be less than 3 months old).
Further help
If you cannot produce any of the documents from any of the tables on this page, please contact your local branch as there may be other forms of identification they can take.
Thank you for helping to stop financial crime.