What ID Do I Need for the Life in the UK Test? eVisa, Passport and BRP Explained

What ID is accepted for the Life in the UK Test?

The table combines the list on the GOV.UK booking page with the conditions in the official identification requirements. Whichever row applies, the document must carry a photograph that is a true likeness of you.

How do I book with an eVisa?

Sign in to your UKVI account and get a share code. Choose “to prove your immigration status for anything else”. Your identity can then be checked digitally.

GOV.UK says people with an eVisa should use a share code to book, so treat it as the default route, not one option among several. The identification requirements add that you do not need to show a physical document if your identity can be checked using your eVisa.

If you cannot use an eVisa

Current GOV.UK guidance lists a valid passport; a valid EU, Swiss, Icelandic, Liechtenstein or Norwegian identity card; a valid photo travel document that is not an emergency travel document; and a BRP/BRC only under the current transitional conditions.

Can I use an expired BRP or BRC?

You may be able to use an expired card if your test is no later than 24 months after the date printed on it, or by 31 December 2026, whichever is sooner. Bring the original card and recheck the rule before booking.

Two limits apply at once, and the earlier one wins. A card that expired in mid-2025 is still inside the 24-month window at the start of 2027, but the 31 December 2026 cut-off has already passed by then. If you depend on an expired card, book a test date before the end of 2026 or switch to an eVisa share code.

Which identity documents are not accepted?

• UK driving licence: not on the GOV.UK list for this test.
• Expired passport: a passport must be original and still valid.
• Emergency travel document: excluded by name.
• Photocopies and screenshots: the document must be the original version.
• A different document from the one you booked with: the ID you bring must be the same one used to register and book.

Your booking details must match

Use the name and details exactly as they appear on your identity evidence. The physical document brought to the centre must be the same one used to register and book.

GOV.UK states that the name on the booking must be an exact match with the name on the ID. Check middle names, the order of names and spelling before you pay; this is easier to fix before booking than at the centre.

What happens at the centre

Staff check your ID and take your photo to confirm your identity. GOV.UK says you will not be able to take the test, and will not get a refund, if you do not bring the correct ID or refuse to have your photo taken. The test-day checklist covers the rest of the visit.

If your name or gender has changed

Book in the name shown on the identity evidence you will use. If you have changed gender and do not want test centre staff to see your previous gender, or for it to show on your test result, GOV.UK asks you to email the Home Office sensitive bookings team before booking.

If you have none of the listed documents

Do not substitute a driving licence or other unlisted document. GOV.UK tells candidates who have none of the accepted documents to contact UKVI for help.