UK government ID: the digital ID scheme and the wallet

UK government digital ID refers to the government’s own tools for proving who you are online. In the UK, a government ID in digital form now covers three things worth separating: GOV.UK One Login, the system for proving your identity when you use government services; the GOV.UK Wallet, an app that holds government-issued credentials on your phone; and a separate national digital ID scheme, announced in September 2025 and built on One Login. This guide explains what each one is, what is live and what is planned, and what it all means for individuals and for the businesses that verify them.

For the person, this is meant to feel ordinary. Someone proving they can work in the UK might one day confirm it from an app in a few seconds, rather than digging out a passport and handing over copies. A veteran can already hold a digital version of their Veteran Card in the GOV.UK Wallet and show it from the phone when it is needed.

What does UK government ID mean?

In the UK, government digital ID means the government’s own identity tools. Three separate systems sit under the term: GOV.UK One Login, the sign-in for government services; the GOV.UK Wallet, an app that holds government-issued credentials on your phone; and a national digital ID scheme, announced in 2025 and built on One Login.

Alongside these government tools, a second route exists: private providers certified under the UK’s Digital Verification Services (DVS) Trust Framework. That route matters for any business verifying customers, and the later sections cover it in full. The point to hold onto is that “government digital ID” is a set of distinct things at different stages. Each has its own status and its own timeline.

What is GOV.UK One Login?

GOV.UK One Login is the government’s system for proving who you are and signing in to government services online with a single account. It checks a person’s identity to a medium level of confidence under the government’s identity standard, GPG45, so a growing number of services can rely on the same verified sign-in rather than each building its own.

One Login replaces the pattern of a different username and password for every government service. You prove who you are once, then reuse that verified account across services that have adopted it. It is the foundation the wider scheme is being built on, which is why the two are often mentioned together.

What is the GOV.UK Wallet, and what does it hold?

The GOV.UK Wallet is a government app that holds official credentials on your phone, released with your consent when you need to prove something. The first credential available in it is the digital Veteran Card. The digital driving licence is planned to follow, with a private trial under way and wider public availability expected later in 2026.

The wallet is a container for government-issued credentials, held on the device and shown or verified with the person’s consent. It is a separate initiative from the national digital ID scheme, even though both build on GOV.UK One Login. Treating the wallet and the scheme as one thing is a common mix-up, and the distinction matters when you read the news coverage.

What is the UK digital ID scheme, and is it mandatory?

The UK digital ID scheme is a proposed national digital identity, announced in September 2025 and built on GOV.UK One Login. As of mid-2026 it is not in force. In January 2026 the government confirmed that holding it will not be compulsory, and that access to public services will not depend on having one.

The government has said it still intends to require right-to-work checks to be carried out digitally by the end of this Parliament. Within that check, the digital ID would be one accepted option, alongside biometric British and Irish passports, Irish passport cards, and eVisas. What is proposed to become mandatory is the digital check itself. Holding any single form of ID is not required. The scheme was put out to public consultation in the first half of 2026.

The government’s own term is “digital ID scheme”, and there is no confirmed consumer brand name. Because the proposals were still being consulted on through 2026, the detail may change. Treat anything beyond the announced direction as subject to the consultation outcome, and check the current position at the point you act on it.

What is live, and what is planned?

These tools sit at different stages, from live to proposed, and certified private providers are available now independently of the scheme. The table sets out each one and where it stands.

Government digital ID and certified private providers: two routes

There are two ways to prove identity in the UK, and they run in parallel. One is the government’s own digital ID, through GOV.UK One Login and the GOV.UK Wallet. The other is a certified private provider under the UK’s Digital Verification Services Trust Framework. A business that needs to verify customers can use a certified provider today, without waiting for the government scheme.

The certified route is overseen by the Office for Digital Identities and Attributes, part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Providers are assessed against the framework and listed on a public register, so a business can confirm a provider is certified before relying on it. The two routes are designed to coexist. The government scheme does not replace certified private providers, and a business does not have to choose the scheme over the market to verify people to a recognised standard.

Most businesses only need the practical point. Digital identity checks are already available through certified providers, and government credentials such as the digital driving licence are expected to be verifiable through that same certified route as third-party verification is enabled during 2026. Adopting the certified route now is a way to be ready for both.

What UK government digital ID means for individuals

For individuals, government digital ID is about proving things with less effort and less paper. You can sign in to government services with one verified account, hold credentials such as the Veteran Card on your phone, and, over time, choose a digital route for checks like proving your right to work. Holding a government digital ID is not compulsory.

The experience is meant to put the person in control. Credentials sit on your own device and are shared with your consent, for the specific thing being checked. Choice is preserved: where a digital ID is one accepted option, a passport or an eVisa remains valid too. For anyone who prefers not to hold a government digital ID, the government has said access to public services will not depend on having one.

What UK government digital ID means for businesses that verify customers

For businesses, the direction is settled even while the scheme is consulted on: identity checks are moving to reusable digital credentials that customers complete in seconds. You do not have to wait for the government scheme to offer that. A provider certified under the DVS Trust Framework can verify customers now, and be positioned to accept government-issued credentials as they arrive.

The decision for a business is which certified provider to build on. Sensible criteria: current certification on the public register, the range of methods it supports so you can match the check to your audience, the quality of the evidence record it produces, and how many customers actually finish the check. A provider that frustrates people costs you customers at the exact moment they were ready to sign up.

OneID is one certified route. As a provider certified under the UK’s Digital Verification Services Trust Framework, and the first certified Holder and Wallet provider, it verifies customers through methods matched to the audience and is positioned to verify government credentials such as the digital driving licence as third-party verification is enabled during 2026. For the detail, see the government digital ID page and the guide to digital identity wallets for business.

Frequently asked questions

What is UK government digital ID? UK government digital ID means the government’s own tools for proving who you are online. It covers GOV.UK One Login, the system for signing in to government services; the GOV.UK Wallet, an app that holds government-issued credentials such as the digital Veteran Card; and a national digital ID scheme announced in 2025 and built on One Login.

Is the UK digital ID scheme mandatory? No. In January 2026 the government confirmed that holding a government digital ID will not be compulsory, and that access to public services will not depend on it. The government still intends to require right-to-work checks to be done digitally by the end of this Parliament, with the digital ID as one accepted option among others.

Is government digital ID the same as the GOV.UK Wallet? No. The GOV.UK Wallet is an app that holds government-issued credentials on your phone, such as the digital Veteran Card. The national digital ID scheme is a separate proposal, announced in 2025. Both build on GOV.UK One Login, which is why they are often mentioned together, but they are distinct initiatives at different stages.

What is GOV.UK One Login? GOV.UK One Login is the government’s system for proving who you are and signing in to government services with a single account. It verifies identity to a medium level of confidence under the government’s GPG45 standard, so services can rely on the same verified sign-in instead of each running its own separate check.

When will the digital driving licence be available? The digital driving licence will live in the GOV.UK Wallet. A private trial is under way, and wider public availability across England, Wales and Scotland is planned for later in 2026. It is not yet available to the public. The physical licence is not being withdrawn; the digital version is an optional addition.

What is the digital ID scheme called? The government uses the term “digital ID scheme”. There is no confirmed consumer brand name for it. Media coverage has used unofficial names, but the government’s own materials refer to it simply as digital ID. Because the scheme was still being consulted on, the naming and detail may change.

Do businesses have to wait for the government scheme to verify customers digitally? No. A business can verify customers today through a provider certified under the UK’s Digital Verification Services Trust Framework. That route runs independently of the government scheme and is overseen by the Office for Digital Identities and Attributes. Government-issued credentials are expected to be verifiable through the same certified route over time.

What is the difference between government digital ID and a certified private provider? Government digital ID is the state’s own identity, through GOV.UK One Login and the GOV.UK Wallet. A certified private provider is a company checked against the UK’s Digital Verification Services Trust Framework and listed on a public register. Both prove identity to a recognised standard, and the two routes are designed to run in parallel.