Website of the UK government

Who can apply for an identity card

To be eligible to apply for an identity card you must be at least 16 years old and hold a UK passport that was valid on or after 1 January 2009.

You must also fit into one of the following groups:

• people who live or work in North West England
• 16 to 24-year-olds living in London
• airside workers at Manchester or London City Airport
• people who have registered their interest in ID cards with the National Identity Service

From 2012, every British citizen who is at least 16 years old living in the UK will be able to apply for an identity card.

How to apply for your card

There are identity card centres in London, Manchester, Liverpool and Blackburn. You will need to make an appointment at one of these centres to apply for a card.

Use the links below to find the card centre nearest to you.

• Find out where the National Identity Service customer centres are located Opens new window

• Register your interest in identity cards and the National Identity Service

• ID Smart Opens new window

The price of an identity card

This year the identity card costs £30.

Using your identity card

By using biometric information (such as a photo) to prove your identity, an ID card makes it harder for people to create false identities.

Your identity card can be used to prove who you are in all kinds of situations, such as:

• if you want to open a bank account or apply for a loan or mortgage
• when you are signing a contract, like a mobile phone contract or a car hire agreement
• when you want to buy age-restricted items, like alcohol or cigarettes
• when you want to go to clubs or films with age restrictions
• when you start a new job - to prove that you have the right to work in the United Kingdom
• when you apply for other government services, such as housing benefits, National Insurance and healthcare
• when you go abroad - the card can be used just like a passport when you travel within the European Economic Area and Switzerland
• at the airports with automated gates - getting through passport control could be quicker with an identity card

The three types of identity card

There are three different types of identity card: 

• the identity card for British citizens 
• the identification card for European Economic Area citizens living in the UK
• the identity card for foreign nationals

The identity card for British citizens

This card is light purple and light pink in colour. The card holder's British nationality is listed clearly; this card can be used for travel within the European Economic Area and Switzerland.

The card is now available to British citizens who live or work in the north west of England.

The identification card for EEA nationals

This card is turquoise and green and does not list the card holder's nationality.

This card can only be used to prove who you are; it is not a travel document.

The identity card for foreign nationals

This card is printed on a pink and blue background.

It shows your immigration status and is also a residence permit, but it can't be used as a travel document.

• Find out more about the different kinds of identity cards Opens new window

• List of European Economic Area countries (on the Identity and Passport Service website) Opens new window

• UK Border Agency website Opens new window

What your identity card says about you

Your card will carry the following information about you:

• your photograph
• your full name
• your gender
• the place and date of your birth
• an image of your signature
• if you are a British citizen, your nationality

Follow the link below to see some pictures of what ID cards look like.

The identity card's security features

Your card will have a number of security features to make it safer from fraudsters.

These features include:

• colour-changing ink
• a hologram
• a lens image
• elevated text
• a unique background design

More useful links

• Download 'Introducing the National Identity Service' (PDF, 381K)

• Download 'Introducing the National Identity Service - Welsh language version' (PDF, 279K)

• Help with PDF files