Photo id for ISA mandatory?

caper7

Having an argument with Nat West and they've made the following statement:

 "For certain regulated

products, including ISAs, a valid photo ID is mandatory under UK financial regulations and anti-

money laundering laws. While alternative documents such as a birth certificate, utility bill, or

paper driving licence can support the verification process, they cannot replace the need for photo

ID when the product requires it. This requirement is in place to ensure compliance and protect

both our customers and the bank from fraud and financial crime."

Is this correct?
I have opened ISAs recently with no photo ID, including new institutions I have no prior relationship with.
I don't believe this is true, am I wrong?

Slinky

I had to provide photo ID opening an ISA with Charter Savings Bank recently.

caper7

I've opened ISAs with Virgin Money, Harpenden Building society, Skipton, Vida Savings, West Bromwich building society, and three with Kent Reliance, Coventry Building society in the last few years and none asked for Photo id. 

friolento

caper7 said:

Having an argument with Nat West and they've made the following statement:

 "For certain regulated

products, including ISAs, a valid photo ID is mandatory under UK financial regulations and anti-

money laundering laws. While alternative documents such as a birth certificate, utility bill, or

paper driving licence can support the verification process, they cannot replace the need for photo

ID when the product requires it. This requirement is in place to ensure compliance and protect

both our customers and the bank from fraud and financial crime."

Is this correct?
I have opened ISAs recently with no photo ID, including new institutions I have no prior relationship with.
I don't believe this is true, am I wrong?

I am not sure that photo ID is mandatory now but ID verification certainly is, and the easiest / most reliable method is using a government issued photo ID, i.e driving licence or passport, in the main. It may have been different / easier in years gone by but things do change over time, not always in a less onerous way. 

There's no point in arguing with a financial institution about ID verification as it it a fundamental part of their licence that they confirm the ID of all their customers.

EthicsGradient

Over a decade ago, NatWest demanded photo ID from me for joining a joint current account - and at first refused my passport, since it had less than 6 (but more than 3) months to run. Eventually, after much argument (eg "I can travel on this"), the branch grudgingly accepted it, but made it clear they were doing me a huge favour by bending their "rules" (which they hadn't published).

mills112

Banks need to verify ID.  Often they will rely on your current account doing all the checks but that means money must be credited from the current account and can only be sent back to the current account, namely the "nominated" account. However, this isn't always the case, and some will want to do their own ID check, which would need photo ID.

NatWest, being a high street bank, will want to do their own ID checks, like other high street banks, so this sounds correct. 

Do you not have a photo ID?

caper7

I don't mind at all Nat West implementing whatever level of id verification they want, I just want to check if it's true that it's a mandatory UK regulation, given other banks have not requested photo id for an ISA.

badger09

caper7 said:

I don't mind at all Nat West implementing whatever level of id verification they want, I just want to check if it's true that it's a mandatory UK regulation, given other banks have not requested photo id for an ISA.

Photo ID is not ‘a mandatory UK regulation’ for opening an ISA.  

caper7

badger09 said:

caper7 said:

I don't mind at all Nat West implementing whatever level of id verification they want, I just want to check if it's true that it's a mandatory UK regulation, given other banks have not requested photo id for an ISA.

Photo ID is not ‘a mandatory UK regulation’ for opening an ISA.  

Thank you so much. That's what I thought.

artyboy

badger09 said:

caper7 said:

I don't mind at all Nat West implementing whatever level of id verification they want, I just want to check if it's true that it's a mandatory UK regulation, given other banks have not requested photo id for an ISA.

Photo ID is not ‘a mandatory UK regulation’ for opening an ISA.  

Indeed, it's an anachronistic, if not downright disingenuous statement from Natwest. The law does not require it. Their own internal risk processes might require it. 

When it comes to KYC, banks have a tendency to blame the law for their own inflexible, outdated, or just excessively risk averse processes. It's like some sort of trump card they think no one will call BS on. Most of the time they are right.

friolento

artyboy said:

badger09 said:

caper7 said:

I don't mind at all Nat West implementing whatever level of id verification they want, I just want to check if it's true that it's a mandatory UK regulation, given other banks have not requested photo id for an ISA.

Photo ID is not ‘a mandatory UK regulation’ for opening an ISA.  

Indeed, it's an anachronistic, if not downright disingenuous statement from Natwest. The law does not require it. Their own internal risk processes might require it. 

When it comes to KYC, banks have a tendency to blame the law for their own inflexible, outdated, or just excessively risk averse processes. It's like some sort of trump card they think no one will call BS on. Most of the time they are right.

What is inflexible, outdated or excessively risk averse about Government issued photo ID? Most countries in the world, including the UK, issue some form of it, as a convenient means for citizens to provide proof of their ID where required.

As of January 2026, there are approximately 42.9 million full driving licences held by drivers in the UK, the vast majority of which now are of the photo-ID variety. About 86% of the UK population holds at least one passport. That's around 58 million passports. Only about approximately 2.1 to 3.5 million UK adults (roughly 4% to 8% of the electorate) do not hold a valid passport or a driving licence. Whilst there is no law that requires you to produce a photo ID to your bank when applying for an ISA or other financial product, it seems the easiest document with which to prove you are who you say you are.