What Documents Do I Need for a DBS Identity Check?

To complete your DBS identity check through Zinc, you need to provide live photos of valid, original photo ID. The documents you need depend on your DBS check level — Basic, Standard, or Enhanced. > **Important:** Soft copies, scans, photocopies, screenshots, or photos of a document copy are not accepted for Zinc digital identity verification or for the manual DBS identity process. You will need to take a live photo of the valid, original photo ID for Zinc's identity check. For the manual process, all identity documents must be physical original documents, unless the manual process instructions specifically state otherwise. ### Quick answers | DBS check type | What you need | |----------------|---------------| | Standard or Enhanced DBS | A valid passport (UK or accepted nationality) + one second photo ID (e.g. national ID card or UK driving licence) | | Basic DBS with a UK passport | Your valid UK passport only | | Basic DBS without a UK passport | An accepted foreign passport from the accepted passport nationality list below + one secondary photo ID, or select "I don't have a passport" for a manual check | | No valid photo ID | Select the relevant option in the platform — your employer will arrange an in-person check | | Expired passport | Not accepted for any DBS level digitally — must be valid and in-date | | Passport country not in accepted list | Digital DBS identity verification cannot be completed with that passport. A UK driving licence or second photo ID does not override this — your employer will need to complete a manual identity check | | Nigerian passport | Not accepted for DBS digital identity verification. Nigeria is not on the accepted passport nationality list, so the candidate will need manual identity verification with their employer. A UK driving licence does not make a Nigerian passport eligible. | *Note: An expired UK passport may be accepted for a Right to Work check (via a manual review process with your employer), but not for a DBS identity check digitally through Zinc.* > **Important:** Zinc uses digital identity verification under the Gamma Trust Framework (introduced April 2026). The documents accepted digitally are different from the manual Group 1/2a/2b process — that framework does not apply to identity checks for a DBS check completed digitally through Zinc. 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; you also need one additional listed Group 1, Group 2a, or Group 2b document. This article covers the following situations — scroll to find yours: - **Basic DBS ID documents** - **Standard or Enhanced DBS ID documents** - **No valid photo ID** - **Name has changed** --- ## Basic DBS- accepted ID documents ### If you have a valid UK passport Submit your **valid, in-date UK passport**. This is all you need for a Basic DBS identity check through Zinc. --- ### If you don't have a valid UK passport Select **"I don't have a passport"** in the Zinc platform. Your employer will then need to complete a manual identity check with you before your Basic DBS application can proceed. This typically involves documents such as your: - UK or Irish birth certificate or adoption certificate - Proof of National Insurance --- ### If you have a valid foreign passport You can submit your **valid foreign passport** (see accepted nationalities list below) **plus one secondary photo ID**, such as: - A foreign national ID card - A driving licence If you can't provide both a passport and a secondary photo ID, select "I don't have a passport". Your employer will be notified and will arrange a manual identity check with you directly. --- ## Standard or Enhanced DBS ID Documents — What You Need to Provide For a Standard or Enhanced DBS check, Zinc accepts the following ID documents: 1. A valid passport — UK or from the accepted nationalities list below 2. A second photo ID — such as a national ID card or UK driving licence Both documents must be in your current legal name to pass digital ID verification. **If you don't have a passport:** Select "I don't have a passport" in the Zinc platform. **If you don't have a second photo ID:** Select "I don't have a second photo ID" in the Zinc platform. If you've already submitted your passport and the platform is now asking for a second document, this is expected — a second photo ID is required for Standard and Enhanced DBS checks. In either case, your employer will be notified automatically and will reach out to complete a manual identity check with you directly before your application can proceed. ### Can I use a certified copy of my UK/Irish birth certificate for a Standard or Enhanced DBS check? For Standard and Enhanced DBS checks with Zinc, you need to complete the digital identity route using both a valid passport and another form of valid photo ID. A UK/Irish birth certificate can be used in manual identity verification cases, usually alongside proof of National Insurance and additional documentation according to government guidelines, but it won't be accepted for the standard digital DBS identity route. If you cannot provide the required photo ID documents, your recruiter will need to complete manual identity verification instead. In that case, you should follow the manual DBS identity document requirements provided in the Zinc flow. --- ## I don't have valid photo ID If you don't have any valid photo ID, you won't be able to complete digital identity verification through Zinc. Your employer will need to verify your identity in person before your DBS check can proceed. Let us know through the platform and your application status will be updated to reflect this. Your employer will then contact you to arrange this directly. For guidance on what documents are accepted for a manual check, refer to further guidance [here](https://help.zincwork.com/hc/hm54ky7yrc/article/b3c54a7b-when-recruiters-must-manually-verify-identity-for-uk-dbs-checks). --- ## My name has changed All documents you submit must match the **current name on your DBS application**. If your name has changed — for example, due to marriage, divorce, or deed poll — you must: - Declare **each** name change on your application - Provide **documentary proof** for changes (for example, a marriage certificate or deed poll certificate) A deed poll, change of name deed, or similar name-change document can support a name-change or name-mismatch review, but it is not a photo ID and does not replace the required DBS identity documents. For Standard or Enhanced DBS digital identity verification, it does not replace either the accepted passport or the required second photo ID. For a manual DBS identity check, only documents that appear in the DBS Group 1, Group 2a, or Group 2b manual-route lists can be counted toward the required route documents. A marriage or civil partnership certificate is treated differently from a deed poll for manual DBS checks: if it was issued in the UK or Channel Islands, it is listed as a Group 2a document and can count where the selected manual route allows a Group 2a document. If you're unsure what proof to provide, contact us and we can advise. --- ### Manual DBS checks: deed poll is not the same as marriage certificate For manual Standard or Enhanced DBS identity verification, some proof of name change can be accepted as a Group 1, Group 2a, or Group 2b route document while others are only sufficient as evidence of a name change. - A deed poll or change-of-name deed can be used as evidence of a name change, but it is not a listed Group 1, Group 2a, or Group 2b route document. It cannot be the missing third document for Standard or Enhanced DBS Route 1. - A UK or Channel Islands marriage/civil partnership certificate is listed as a Group 2a document, so it can count where Group 2a documents are allowed. - Passport + current driving licence is only two listed route documents for Standard or Enhanced Route 1. Passport + current driving licence + deed poll is still only two listed route documents. - You would still need one more valid listed route document. A utility bill may work if it meets the DBS Group 2b rules, but another valid listed Group 1, 2a, or 2b document may also work. ## Accepted passport nationalities Critical country rule: Nigeria is not on the accepted passport nationality list for any DBS digital identity verification with Zinc. A UK driving licence can only be used as secondary ID alongside an accepted passport; it does not make a Nigerian passport eligible. Zinc can only digitally verify passports from the countries listed below. If your passport is not from one of these countries, you will need to complete a manual identity check with your employer instead. ### If your passport country is not listed If your passport country is not listed below, Zinc cannot digitally verify it for a DBS identity check. For example, Nigerian passports are not currently accepted for DBS digital identity verification through Zinc. A UK driving licence, national ID card, or other secondary photo ID cannot make an unsupported passport eligible for the digital DBS route. For Standard and Enhanced DBS checks, the second photo ID is required in addition to an accepted passport; it cannot override the passport-country requirement. If your passport country is unsupported, select the relevant no-passport or no-document option in the platform where available. Your DBS application can proceed only after your employer has completed the manual identity check. > **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) --- *Last updated June 2026 to reflect revised DBS identity document requirements under the Gamma Trust Framework.*