Verify your identity
When you open a business, charity or trust account with us we will ask for proof of identity. This is so we can protect against identity fraud and comply with anti-money laundering regulations.
Our preferred way to identify you is through a credit reference agency. If we cannot do this, or if you are under 18, we will contact you to ask for more identification.
You will need to give us one type of proof of identity and one type of proof of address. If you open an account with us less than one year after the last account you opened, we will not need to run a Smartsearch check again. If it has been longer than a year since you last opened an account with us, we will run a Smartsearch check to confirm your identity. This is an identity check in all cases and does not affect your credit score. If we ask you to give us a copy of your ID, we will ask for the original document or a certified copy. Documents can be certified by:
- UK solicitors;
- Chartered or certified accountants;
- Doctors;
- Police Officers; or
- Teachers
The certified copy of your ID must be certified ‘originals seen’ and must be dated. It must also be signed by the person certifying the copy, and must include their contact details. If the ID has a photograph of you, it must be certified as being a good likeness of you. We may contact the person that has certified your documents. We will not usually return original documents by special delivery post.You should always be careful when sending any original documents in the post. If we ask you to give us proof of identity, you can give us:
- Full UK/EU passport
- Photocard driving licence – the photograph is valid for 10 years from the date
of issue - Disabled persons card with photo and reference – this can be no more than 3 years old
- Shotgun Licence/Firearms certificate
- Latest Tax Notice of Coding – this can be no more than 1 year old
- Original Birth Certificate – only if you are under 18
- National Insurance Card – only if you are under 18
- A grant letter from an LEA – students only
- Pension letter
- Pension card
- Bus pass – issued by the council
If we ask you to give us proof of address, it must show your current living
address. You can give us:
- Latest Bank Statement
- Mortgage Statement
- Latest Council tax bill
- Driving Licence – only if not used as proof of identity
- Latest Tax Notice of Coding – this can be no more than 1 year old, and only if
not used as proof of identity - Solicitors letter confirming house move – no more than 2 months old
- Utility bill – no more than 3 months old
- Parent/Guardian address document (if they live at the same address) – only if
you are under 18 - A grant letter form an LEA – only if you are a student, and only if not used as
proof of identity - P60
- Letter from a care home
- Medical card
In addition, please note:
For incorporated businesses, a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation will be required.
For partnerships where there are more partners than named signatories on the account, a letter will be required, signed on behalf of the firm, advising the names of the signatories, and the number required to operate the account. This letter must be signed by a Partner who is NOT one of the named signatories.
Accepted Charities must include a letter from their governing body stating their intention to open an account, the names of the signatories and the number required to operate the account.
Trusts: for tax purposes all trustees and beneficiaries must be residents only in the UK and be UK citizens. All Trust applications will also need to share a copy of the trust deed.
Pensions: Personal details of all named members or signatories are required, which includes name, address, NI Number and date of birth. All pension account applications will also need to share a copy of the pension deed, scheme details and HMRC pension scheme tax reference confirmation.
If you need to produce identification to open your account, we will require either the original document or a certified copy of the document. Documents can be certified by a UK Solicitor or Chartered or Certified Accountant, Doctor, Police Officer or Teacher. The copy must be certified ‘originals seen’, dated and signed, giving the contact details of the person certifying the copies. If the document contains a photograph, it must be certified as providing a good likeness of you. The Society undertakes checks to verify the person certifying the document for you.
We do not encourage you to send original documents in the post. Please note it is not our company policy to return original documents via special delivery services.
