Guidance

Identity Document Validation Technology

This guidance tells you about identity document validation technologies and how they can be used to support the checking of identity documents.

Documents

Memorandum of Understanding template

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Details

The guidance consists of 4 parts:

  • Part 1 - General guidance on identity document validation technologies (IDVTs) - an overall explanation on what IDVTs do, and how they can help prevent the use of fraudulent identity documents;
  • Part 2 - Choosing the right identity document validation technology – help for businesses, employers and public authorities to understand the technology and the different types of services and systems available across the market;
  • Part 3 - Guidance on using identity document validation technology - good practice for users of IDVTs to ensure they are used effectively; and
  • Part 4 - Protecting identity document validation technology from misuse - advice to IDVT providers on how they can protect their systems from being misused.

In addition to this guidance, there is a supplementary section for public authorities that want to use identity document validation systems.

Scope of the guidance

This guidance covers identity document validation technology. Identity verification is not included within the scope of this guidance.

References in this guidance

References to ‘we’ or ‘us’ in this guidance mean the Home Office, whereas references to ‘you’ and ‘your’ may mean one or all of the following: employer, organisation, business, public authority, user or the IDVT provider.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the guidance and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you, or you think that the guidance has factual errors, email identitysecurityteam@homeoffice.gov.uk.

If you notice any formatting errors in this guidance (for example broken links, spelling mistakes), or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the guidance, email the Guidance Rules and Forms team

Updates to this page

Published 28 March 2018

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