Digital ID in the UK: GOV.UK One Login and Wallet

In the UK you prove who you are online to government with GOV.UK One Login, a single account with an optional identity check. There is no national eID card, the national digital ID scheme was cancelled in July 2026, and the GOV.UK Wallet is still at an early stage in October 2026.

At a glance

Item	Status
National eID	None; national digital ID scheme cancelled in July 2026
Mobile or app solution	GOV.UK One Login app; GOV.UK Wallet inside the app
Bank-based ID	No state bank ID; banks and private providers offer their own identity services
Relationship to the EU	Outside the EU and eIDAS; own UK digital identity and attributes trust framework
Wallet, October 2026	GOV.UK Wallet holds the Veteran Card; digital driving licence listed as coming in future
Responsible body	Government Digital Service (GOV.UK One Login and Wallet); DVLA (driving licence); the department for science, innovation and technology for the trust framework

The national system

The UK does not issue a national identity card. Instead, the Government Digital Service builds GOV.UK One Login, a single account to reach government services, with identity checks using documents such as a passport or driving licence and a face match in the app. According to a trade report in September 2026, One Login is meant to replace more than 190 separate logins, and the government said earlier in the year that it already gave access to more than 122 services, with all central government services targeted by the end of 2027. The report adds that passkeys have been rolled out to users. For the idea of different identity-proofing strengths, see our guide to levels of assurance.

Around the state system there is a market of private identity providers. The UK digital verification services trust framework sets the rules that certified providers follow, and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 gives it a statutory footing, including a register of trusted providers. A 1.0 version of the framework was announced in March 2026.

The cancelled national digital ID

In September 2025 the government announced a national digital ID that would be mandatory for proving the right to work. The mandatory element was later dropped, and on 20 to 21 July 2026 the government announced that it was cancelling the national digital ID programme. Reports at the time stressed that the cancellation did not affect One Login or the wallet. Digital right-to-work checks will continue without a requirement to use a national digital ID.

The GOV.UK Wallet

The GOV.UK Wallet is a feature inside the GOV.UK app that is meant to hold digital versions of government-issued documents. The first and so far only credential in public use was the HM Armed Forces Veteran Card, which launched in October 2025. A digital driving licence has been in a private pilot, and in September 2026 the wallet page still listed it as coming in future, so a wider rollout planned for summer 2026 had not happened. For the general concept see our guide to the mobile driving licence.

Relationship to the EU and use abroad

The UK left the EU and is outside the eIDAS framework, so neither One Login nor the GOV.UK Wallet is an EU wallet. They are designed for UK public services. Our guide to using your national eID in another EU country explains how EU eIDs work between member states, and our overview of the EU Digital Identity Wallet describes what the UK sits outside. Neighbours with different models are Ireland and France.

Practical tips

• Create your One Login account with a passkey or authenticator app where offered.
• Have a passport or driving licence ready for the identity check, as services accept different documents.
• Do not plan around a digital driving licence in the wallet until the official page lists it as available.

Privacy in brief

One Login stores the identity data you submit to prove who you are, so use a passkey or an authenticator rather than SMS where offered, protect your phone and check that you are on a genuine gov.uk address before you scan documents.