Not all forms of photo ID can be used to prove your identity when voting at a polling station. In all upcoming elections only photo ID from a pre-approved list can be used by voters to receive their ballots. Photo Voter ID you can use includes:

  • A United Kingdom passport
  • A passport issued by an EEA state or a Commonwealth country  
  • A national identity card issued by an EEA state  
  • A UK driving licence  
  • A driving licence issued by any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or an EEA state
  • A biometric immigration document  
  • An identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)  
  • A Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)  
  • Any of the following concessionary travel passes funded by the UK Government: - Older Person’s Bus Pass, Disabled Person’s Bus Pass, Oyster 60+ Card, Freedom Pass  
  • A Blue Badge
You can find the full list on the Electoral Commission website.

Any other form of photo ID won’t be accepted by polling stations as proof of your identity. This means you can’t use your club membership card, student card, or certain kinds of travel cards, even though they have your photo, name, and age on them. 

If you have one of the accepted forms of photo ID above, then all you need to do is register to vote and you will be set to cast your ballot at your  polling station in the next election. 

‘I don’t own an accepted form of photo ID to vote, what now?’ 

Many LGBTQ+ people in the UK don’t own any of the above accepted forms of photo ID to vote in person or might not have access to them. Applying for any of the forms of an accepted photo Voter ID listed above can take weeks, or even months, so apply for them well in advance of any election. Find out about how you can apply for the different types of photo ID . 

The Elections Act (2022) has also introduced a new form of free photo Voter ID designed to be used in elections: the Free Voter Authority Certificate . To apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate, you must provide your: 

  • name
  • address 
  • date of birth 
  • National Insurance number (you can still apply without your NI number if you do not have it with you) 
  • a recent digital passport style photo of yourself 

If you don’t know your National Insurance number, then you can find it on payslips, a P60, official letters about tax, pensions or benefits. You can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate without your National Insurance number (although it's handy).  


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