BritCard: UK Digital Identity Card

The UK digital identity card, often referred to as the BritCard, is a proposed mobile application that will help adults living in the UK to prove their identity in day-to-day situations using their smartphone.

A UK citizen or lawful resident will be able to prove specific elements of their identity – such as name, age, and immigration status – by displaying them securely in the app. The system will also offer automated tools, such as QR codes and contactless transmission, to make verification faster.

Functionality

BritCard will operate using the identity data managed by the Government and currently accessible through GOV.UK One Login. An active One Login account would be required to use the app.  While UK citizens and lawful residents are already able to create a GOV.UK One Login using their biometric passport or a UK driving licence, the Government is working to develop alternative methods for those without these documents.

BritCard is intended to provide a standardised form of identification in dealings with government agencies, courts, law enforcement, and local authorities. It could also be used to confirm age for regulated transactions, such as the purchase of alcohol or lottery tickets. 

The initial rollout is expected to focus on non-UK passport holders, for whom the app would be required when entering into employment contracts. This measure has been proposed as a way of addressing unlawful employment and discouraging irregular migration.

Over time, the app will complement and possibly replace a wide range of identification practices and documents currently in use, including passports, driving licences, birth certificates, council tax and utility bills, bank statements, credit files, reference letters, and proof-of-age cards. Regulated businesses, such as lenders or mobile operators, will be required to use the app when verifying customers’ identity before issuing products such as loans, credit cards, or mobile contracts. This is expected to reduce the incidence of identity fraud.

More advanced capabilities of the BritCard app under consideration include:

• driving licence data

• verification of professional qualifications and licences

• use as a voter eligibility document

• international travel document

• electronic signature device

These developments would align the BritCard with the eIDAS 2.0 digital identity initiative being rolled out across the European Union, providing British citizens and residents with access to modern identity-centred services.

Security and governance

While some people are rightly concerned about privacy and the potential for misuse, the BritCard will not create new datasets or gather personal data. Rather, it will serve as a convenient access point to information already held by government departments.

The holder will always be able to control which personal details are shared by the app, how and with whom.

The Government has stated that transparency will be a guiding principle, and the app’s source code will be published to allow independent scrutiny.