Advice please! Proving my identity to complete on a purchase

sugarlily

Hi all, would you mind if I ask some advice?

I'm going through the legals of buying a house and my solicitor has asked me to prove my identity by getting some phoro ID verified by a bank manager, solicitor, or someone similar.

Well, has anyone else had to do this? My solicitor is 200 miles away so I can't get to her office! I know doctors charge nowadays... are bank managers happy to do this? How much does it cost? Or, has anyone popped into a local solicitors, and how much was that?

Sorry if this subject has come up before, but it's quite a hard one to search for - I just spent half an hour trawling google to no avail!

Doozergirl

You can send originals to your own solicitor, surely

I've done it a few times to solicitors that have been nowhere near, I'm sure.

sugarlily

Do you think so? I thought they might want someone to look at the passport and at my face and confirm they are one and the same!! (Even though I don't look anywhere near as glamourous as on my passport!! ;-) )

Thanks for your help :-D

cherry76

You should be able to pop in your local solicitor's office and get it done. Mine charges £2.

westv

You would think that one verification would be sufficent (the Estate Agent's verification in this case?) rather then a buyer's potential 4 separate! Ridiculous.

Cissi

I think you can also get copies of ID documents certified by a professional such as a doctor or a teacher. Your GP will probably do it although they may charge.

benjo

I think GP's charge about 15 quid for this service, you are also often allowed to use a 'minister of the church' perhaps your local vicar/priest can do the honours if he knows you? they are often happy to help for a small donation to the church roof fund.

TTMCMschine

You can do it at the post office too. It costs seven pounds and they confirm that a photocopy of your id (passport or whatever) is a true likeness. I did this when i was selling my Grandmother's house and the solictor was local to her house and not mine! Make sure it is a good photocopy though. By the end of my trips back and forth to the library i was not in a good mood!
ftp://ftp.royalmail.com/Downloads/public/ctf/po/IdentityCheck_form.pdf

See link for what they say.