What happens when your child turns 18

In accordance with UK anti-money laundering regulations, financial firms are required to verify the identity of anyone connected with an account. We need to see certified copies of two documents which confirm your identity, one from each of the lists found further down. These also state who can certify your documents.

Certified means that the person who copies your original document needs to confirm that they have seen the original document(s).

To certify a document, the certifier takes a copy of the document.

On each page they need to include

• The statement (it can be stamped or handwritten) “I hereby certify this is a true copy of the original”
• The date (the certification must be within the last 6 months)
• Their signature
• If the copy of your photographic identification (e.g. passport) is not clear, they should also state that it is a good likeness of you.

They also need to provide their full name and designation (e.g. job title), badge/reference/registration number if applicable and clearly note their full address details and telephone number. This is because we need to be able to separately confirm their identity e.g. through a professional register.

To verify your identity, we can accept

• Valid passport
• Valid photocard driving licence (full or provisional)
• Recent evidence of entitlement to a state or local authority-funded educational or other grant
• Most recent HM Revenue and Customs Tax Coding Notification, Assessment or Statement (dated within the last year). If you are working and paying tax, the HMRC will send you a copy of your tax coding notification on request.
• A government-issued document that incorporates your full name and photograph and either your residential address or your date of birth.

We then need something that has been sent in the post to your residential address.

• A bank or debit card statement which has been issued within the last three months (but not ones printed off the internet). If you don’t normally get these sent in the post, if you contact your bank, they can usually send you a one-off statement.
• Utility bill issued within the past three months (but not ones printed off the internet)
• Valid photocard driving licence (full or provisional)*
• Recent evidence of entitlement to a state or local authority-funded educational or other grant*
• Most recent HM Revenue and Customs Tax Coding Notification, Assessment or Statement (dated within the last year)*
• A government-issued document that incorporates your full name and photograph and either your residential address or your date of birth*

* We need two documents so you can’t use the same document to confirm both your identity and your address.

To verify your bank details, we need something from your bank which has your sort code, account number and account name printed on it e.g.

• A bank statement which has been issued within the last three months (but not ones printed off the internet). If you don’t normally get these sent in the post, if you contact your bank, they can usually send you a one-off statement.  We can accept the same statement as both proof of your bank details and proof of your address.
• A voided cheque (in other words, one that you have scored through and written VOID across it so that nobody could use it)
• A pre-printed pay-in slip

We don’t recommend that you send us originals of personal documents in the post.  However, you can send us certified copies instead.

We can only accept documents certified by people with certain professions.   They cannot be someone related to you.  They could be a family friend and they need to be currently practicing (e.g. not retired)

The certifiers we can accept are:

• A judge or a magistrate
• A senior civil servant
• A serving police or customs officer
• A commissioner for oaths
• An officer of an embassy, consulate or high commission of the country or territory of issue of documentary evidence of identity
• A lawyer, notary public or legal executive who is a member of a recognised professional body
• An actuary who is a member of a recognised professional body
• An accountant who is a member of a recognised professional body
• A member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators
• A director or officer (working within the Legal or Compliance office) of a regulated financial firm
• The UK Post Office certification service, with details of the individual certifier

The certifier should sign and date each document, and state on each document

• Their name, address and telephone number
• The capacity in which they are certifying the documents
• Their firm if applicable
• Their badge/reference/registration number if possible