Standard and Enhanced DBS Identity Verification: What's Changed and What ID You Need

### What ID do I need for a Standard or Enhanced DBS check? For a Standard or Enhanced DBS check through Zinc, you must provide two identity documents: - A valid, in-date passport from an accepted country - A secondary photo ID — such as a driving licence, national identity card, or residence permit Both documents must be in your current legal name. This is a change from previous requirements. Read on for full details. --- ### Summary To complete digital identity verification for a Standard or Enhanced DBS check, you must now provide both: - A valid, in-date passport from one of the listed countries - A valid driving licence or another secondary photo ID such as a foreign national identity card or residence permit Previously, a passport or driving licence on its own may have been enough. This is no longer accepted under the updated standards. Do not apply the digital document rule to manual Enhanced or Standard DBS identity verification. For the digital route, Zinc may require a valid passport plus a second photo ID such as a current driving licence. For the manual route, passport plus driving licence is only two documents and is not enough by itself for Standard or Enhanced DBS Route 1; the candidate also needs one additional listed Group 1, Group 2a, or Group 2b document. --- ### Why am I being asked for my driving licence after uploading my passport? If the platform asks you for a driving licence (or second photo ID) after you upload your passport, it's because you're being asked to complete DBS digital identity verification as part of your flow. For DBS digital identity verification, a passport on its own is not enough — you must provide both a passport and a secondary photo ID. --- ### Secondary ID for UK-issued documents (digital route) For the secondary ID as part of the DBS identity check, the only document issued by the UK that Zinc can accept is a **UK driving licence**. **PASS cards and BRP cards are not accepted** as part of the **digital identity verification** route for a DBS identity check. If you cannot provide a secondary document that can be accepted digitally, you will need to complete a **manual identity verification with your employer**. --- ### Passport country restrictions Please note that we can only accept valid, in-date passports from the following countries. If you do not have a passport from one of these countries, you will be unable to complete digital identity verification and will need to complete a manual identity verification with your employer. > **Important:** Being from one of the listed countries does not automatically mean your passport will be accepted. The most common reason a passport is rejected is that it does not contain a working NFC chip (the contactless symbol on the cover) — older passports in particular may not have one. In some cases a passport may not be accepted for other reasons. If your passport is rejected, you will need to complete a manual identity verification with your employer instead. - Albania - Andorra - Anguilla - Antigua and Barbuda - Argentina - Australia - Austria - Azerbaijan - Bahamas - Bahrain - Bangladesh - Belarus - Belgium - Benin - Bermuda - Burkina Faso - Burundi - Cabo Verde - Cameroon - Canada - Cayman Islands - Chile - China - Colombia - Congo, Democratic Republic of the - Costa Rica - Czechia - Denmark - Djibouti - Dominica - Dominican Republic - Ecuador - Equatorial Guinea - Estonia - Ethiopia - Faroe Islands - Fiji - Finland - France - Germany - Ghana - Gibraltar - Greece - Grenada - Guatemala - Guernsey - Guinea-Bissau - Guyana - Honduras - Hungary - Iceland - Indonesia - Iraq - Ireland - Isle of Man - Japan - Jersey - Jordan - Kazakhstan - Kenya - Korea, Republic of - Kyrgyzstan - Latvia - Lebanon - Liberia - Lithuania - Maldives - Mali - Malta - Mauritania - Mexico - Moldova, Republic of - Montenegro - Montserrat - Mozambique - Netherlands, Kingdom of the - New Zealand - North Macedonia - Norway - Pakistan - Panama - Philippines - Poland - Portugal - Romania - Russian Federation - Rwanda - Saint Kitts and Nevis - San Marino - Saudi Arabia - Serbia - Singapore - Slovakia - Slovenia - Spain - Sudan - Sweden - Switzerland - Syrian Arab Republic - Taiwan, Province of China - Thailand - Timor-Leste - Togo - Turkmenistan - Turks and Caicos Islands - Türkiye - Uganda - Ukraine - United Arab Emirates - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - United States of America - Vanuatu - Virgin Islands (British) --- ### What's changed? In April 2026, the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework updated to Gamma, now in full effect. As part of this change, Zinc transitioned its identity verification to Entrust's Gamma-certified workflows, formerly known as Onfido. Under Entrust's Gamma-compliant process, you must meet the H2B identity standard. This means the requirements for which identity documents can be used digitally are now stricter than before. --- ### What if I don't have both documents? If you do not have both a valid passport and a valid secondary photo ID, you will not be able to complete digital identity verification. - **No passport** — select *I don't have a passport* on your identity check submission page. This triggers the manual review process and notifies your employer. - **No secondary photo ID** — select *I don't have a second photo ID* on your identity check submission page. This triggers the manual review process and notifies your employer. In either case, your employer will need to carry out a manual identity check and inspect other documents in person before Zinc can proceed with the DBS submission. Name-change evidence such as a deed poll or change of name deed does not replace the required passport or second photo ID for Standard or Enhanced DBS digital identity verification. It can only help explain a name mismatch. A marriage or civil partnership certificate is different for the manual DBS route because it is listed as a Group 2a document when issued in the UK or Channel Islands; it can count only where the manual route allows a Group 2a document. If the candidate cannot provide the required digital ID documents, the employer must complete the manual identity check route and count only documents listed in the manual DBS Group 1, 2a, and 2b route tables. You can read more about the manual identity verification process here. --- ### Is the process still secure and compliant? Yes. The process remains secure and compliant with the latest Trust Framework standards. ### If digital verification fails and the employer does a manual DBS check Manual Standard and Enhanced DBS identity verification uses the DBS Group 1, Group 2a, and Group 2b route tables. Do not apply the digital rule of passport + second photo ID to the manual route. For Standard or Enhanced DBS Route 1, passport + current driving licence is only two listed route documents and is not enough by itself. Passport + current driving licence + deed poll is also not enough, because deed poll/change-of-name evidence does not count as a Group 1, 2a, or 2b route document. The employer needs one additional valid listed route document. Marriage/civil partnership certificate is different from deed poll for this purpose: if issued in the UK or Channel Islands, it is listed as a Group 2a document and can count where Group 2a is allowed.