This guidance is provided to help ensure the right documents are produced to confirm Identity, Address and Date of
Birth. Your identity needs to be confirmed. You need to provide original documentation (no photocopies) in person to the Vetting Contact Point who gave you the form.
Please note all documents must be in your current name (marriage certificate excepted).

Two documents must show your current address (one must be within the last three months)

One document must show your date of birth

One document must have your photograph
Confirming Identity
Which documents do you need to provide?
Can you produce any documents from Group 1?
Yes
No
3 documents must be seen.
One document from Group 1 plus any two from Groups 1 or 2
5 documents must be seen.
Five documents from Group 2
List of Valid Identity Documents
Group 1
Current Passport - any nationality
Group 2
Marriage/Civil Partnership Certificate
UK Birth Certificate issued within 12 months of date of birth – full or short form acceptable including those issued by UK authorities overseas, such as Embassies, High Commissions and HM Forces
Vehicle Registration Document (Document V5 old style and V5C new style only)
Exam Certificate e.g. GCSE, NVQ, O levels,
Degree
UK issued Driving Licence (including provisional with photograph)
England/Wales/Scotland/Northern Ireland/Isle of
Man; either photocard or paper. A photocard is only valid if the individual presents it with the counterpart licence
EU National Identity Card – EU countries only Birth Certificate
National Insurance Card (UK) HM Forces ID Card (UK)
UK Firearms Licence NHS Card (UK)
Applicant Guidance
–Enhanced Check
27 September 2009
Version: 1.0; Status: Issued

Adoption Certificate (UK)
End of Group 1
Certificate of British Nationality (UK)
Connexions Card (UK)
One of the following documents from the
United Kingdom Borders Agency (UKBA)
(formerly the Immigration and Nationality
Directorate (IND)) (UK) – Do not use more than one of the following documents.

Convention Travel Document (CTD)
 Stateless Person’s Document (SPD)

Certificate of Identity (CID)

Application Registration Card (ARC)
* These documents must be less than 3 months old
These documents must not be printed off the internet
Mail Order Catalogue Statement*
Bank/Building Society Statement*
Addressed Payslip*
Credit Card Statement*
Benefit Statement* e.g. Child Allowance,
Pension
Store Card Statement*
Letter from a Head Teacher*
Utility Bill* electricity, gas, water, telephone – including mobile phone contract/bill
A document from Central/Local
Government/Government Agency/Local
Authority giving entitlement (UK)* (e.g.
Department for Work and Pensions, the
Employment Service, Customs & Revenue, Job
Centre, Job Centre Plus and Social Security
Continued overleaf
Applicant Guidance
–Enhanced Check
27 September 2009
Version: 1.0; Status: Issued

** These documents must be less than 12 months old
These documents must not be printed off the internet
Financial Statement ** e.g. pension, endowment, ISA
P45/P60 Statement**
Court Claim Form (UK)** documentation issued by Court Services
TV Licence**
Mortgage Statement**
Insurance Certificate**
Council Tax Statement (UK)**
Work Permit/Visa (UK)**
CRB Disclosure Certificate**
Applicant Guidance
–Enhanced Check
27 September 2009
Version 1.0; Status: Issued

This information is for applicants where documents are required to verify right to work in the UK.
Only original documents will be accepted.
When completing an enhanced questionnaire, please select the RTW Document Number(s) from the drop down list in the form which match the document(s) you are providing.
UK Work Entitlement
Document No Check
RTW
Document 1
A full British passport (describing the holder as a British citizen or as a citizen of the UK and
Colonies having right of abode in the UK)
If you do not have a full British passport; the following documents can be accepted:
For British Citizens
RTW
Document 2
A certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen
RTW
Document 3
RTW
Document 4
RTW
Document 5
A letter from the Home Office confirming British citizenship
With very few exceptions, for people born in the UK before 1 January 1983 – a full original birth certificate issued within 6 weeks of birth
Individuals born after 1 January 1983 are automatically a British citizen only if at the time of birth, either parent was a British citizen or ‘settled’ in the UK
Proof needed if the individual’s parents were British citizens would be:
RTW
Document 6
RTW
Document 7
RTW
Document 8
RTW
Document 9
Full original birth certificates for both the applicant and his/her parents; and a basic birth certificate issued within six weeks of birth, together with a copy of a long birth certificate
Full original birth certificates for both the applicant and his/her parents; and a basic birth certificate issued within six weeks of birth, together with a copy of a long birth certificate
If the parents were not born in the UK before 1983, other evidence (e.g. passports) to show that at least one of them was a British citizen at the time of the applicant’s birth; and the parents’ marriage certificate (if the applicant’s citizenship claim is through the father).
If only the father is a British citizen, then the parents’ marriage certificate should also be produced, or evidence to show the mother has indefinite leave to remain/settled status at the time of the birth.
Proof needed for individuals whose parents were ‘settled’ in the UK at the time of birth would be:
RTW
Document 10
A full original birth certificate and a letter showing parents had indefinite leave to remain/settle in the UK at the time of the birth
Applicant Guidance
–Enhanced Check
27 September 2009
Version 1.0; Status: Issued

A British Protected Person
RTW
Document 11
A British passport which demonstrates their status as a British protected person or a letter from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirming their status
For non-British citizens
RTW
Document 12
A passport containing a certificate of entitlement issued by the UK which certifies the holder has a right of abode in the UK.
RTW
Document 13
A passport or national identity card issued by a European Economic Area (EEA) State, or other
State with an agreement forming part of the Communities Treaties (such as Turkey or
Switzerland), which describes the holder as a national of that State.
RTW
Document 14
A passport or other travel document endorsed to show that the holder is exempt from immigration control, has indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK, or has no time limit on his/her stay
RTW
Document 15
A passport or other travel document endorsed to show that the holder has current leave to enter or remain in the UK and is permitted to take the employment in question.
RTW
Document 16
An application registration card (ARC) which indicates that the holder is entitled to take employment in the UK.
RTW
Document 17
A work permit or other approval issued by Work Permits UK; and a passport or other travel document endorsed to show that the holder has current leave to enter or remain in the UK and is permitted to take employment in question, or a letter issued by the Home Office to the holder confirming the same.
RTW
Document 18
Work permit/visa issued within past 12 months
RTW
Document 19
A national identity card confirming citizenship (EEA nationals only)
Family members of EEA, Swiss and qualifying Turkish nationals :
RTW
Document 20
A passport or other document issued by the Home Office which has an endorsement stating that the holder has a right of residence in the United Kingdom as a family member of a national from an EEA country, Switzerland or Turkey.
Or one document from Category 1 and one document from Category 2 .
Category 1 - A document that contains the National Insurance number of the candidate and has been issued by
RTW
Document 21
A previous employer
RTW
Document 22
The Inland Revenue
The Department for Works and Pensions’ Jobcentre Plus
RTW
Document 23
The Training and Employment Agency (Northern Ireland)
RTW
Document 24
Category 2
A full UK birth certifi cate which specifies the names of the holder’s parents
RTW
Document 25
Applicant Guidance
–Enhanced Check
27 September 2009
Version 1.0; Status: Issued

RTW
Document 26
A basic birth certificate issued within six weeks of birth, together with a copy of a long birth certificate
RTW
Document 27
A birth certificate issued by the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Ireland
RTW
Document 28
A certificate or registration or naturalisation as a British Citizen
RTW
Document 29
A document issued by the Home Office, to the holder, which indicates that the person named in it has been granted indefinite or subsisting leave to enter, or remain in, the UK
RTW
Document 30
An Immigration Status Document issued by the Home Office, to the holder, endorsed with a UK
Residence Permit, which indicates that the holder has been granted leave to enter, or remain in the UK and is entitled to take the employment in question.
Applicant Guidance
–Enhanced Check
27 September 2009
Version 1.0; Status: Issued

This guidance is provided to applicants where a countersignatory is required.
Acceptable Countersignatories
An acceptable countersignatory is a professional person or person of standing in the community. Such a countersignatory is likely to have credentials that can be checked and would have something to lose in terms of career or reputation by wrongly countersigning a Prison Service vetting application.
A countersignatory cannot be related to you by birth, marriage or common law; it is also unacceptable for the countersignatory to be a current or previous partner . It is not sufficient to nominate someone you know officially or professionally, such as a doctor or solicitor, unless you know them socially as well. Similarly, staff members of a school, college or university should not be chosen unless they are close personal friends. Employers and Agencies can be your countersignatory if you have been employed/worked with them for more than a year and you know them personally.
Please note that retired professionals are not acceptable countersignatories.
List of Acceptable Countersignatories:
Accountant
Ambulance service official, including paramedic
Architect
Articled clerk of a limited company
Bank/building society official
Barrister
Broker
Care worker (registered)
Chairman/director of a limited company
Chiropodist
Civil Servant
Commissioner of Oaths
Councillor: local or county
Dentist
Director/manager of a VAT registered company
Doctor
Engineer (with professional qualifications)
Estate Agent
Fire service official
Funeral director
Healthcare Worker (with a professional registration)
HR Manager/Director (CIPD qualified)
Judge
Justice of the Peace
Licensee
Local Government Officer
Magistrate
Medical consultant/specialist
Member of Parliament
Merchant naval officer
Minister of a recognised religion
Nurses (Registered)
Officer of the armed services
Optician
Person with honours (OBE, MBE)
Pharmacist
Police officer
Probation officer
Salvation Army officer
Social worker
Solicitor
Sub Postmaster
Surveyor
Teacher/lecturer
Trades Union official
Valuers and auctioneers (Fellow and
Associate Member Of The Incorporates Society)
Warrant officer and chief petty officer
Youth worker (registered)
Legal secretary (members and fellow of the institute of legal secretaries)
Applicant Guidance
–Enhanced Check
27 September 2009
Version 1.0; Status: Issued