Providing proofs

We must approve identification for ALL mortgage applicants. You may be asked to provide evidence to confirm your clients full legal name, including any middle names and address. Where this is requested, you must see the original document before providing us with a copy.

You cannot use the same document for both. All documents must be current, valid and all information must match the application.

Type of ID

To confirm the applicants full legal name and address you will need to provide:

• A valid full or provisional UK photocard driving licence

OR

Two separate documents from the lists below;

• One from proof of name
• One from proof current address 

Proof of name 

Proof of current address

*Important: We cannot accept proof of address from Nationwide, Virgin Money or The Mortgage Works.

All ID proofs submitted should be in date and show the customers details as required including full legal name. Where shown the proofs should show the applicants current residential address.

If submitting a digital proof, only UK State benefit entitlement, University/College letter, HMRC Tax Correspondence, UK Mortgage Statement, UK Credit Card Statement and UK Bank Statement are permitted. These documents need to show the full customer details including sort code and account numbers.

Non-European Economic Area Nationwide resident in the UK

Clients who aren't from the European Economic Area will need to provide:

• Proof of name: National passport
• Proof of current address: One document from the 'Proof of current address' list above.

Acceptable proofs of UK Residency for non-EEA Foreign Nationals

With indefinite leave to remain in the UK

• Copy of a Biometric Residence Permit or
• Copy of a valid/expired Passport
  • must contain an endorsement/stamp for indefinite leave to remain in the UK

Read more on guidance for 'indefinite leave to remain in the UK'

Without indefinite leave to remain in the UK

• Copy of a Biometric Residence Permit/card or
• Copy of a Family of a Settled Person Visa or
• UK Ancestry Visa

Read more on guidance for 'without indefinite leave to remain in the UK'

See below for the type of income and proofs we'll accept.

• Employment income
• Self-employed income
• Other income
• Benefit income

Guides to support you

• A guide to our HMRC Tax Calculation & Tax Year Overview requirements (PDF, 317KB)
• Guide to our current account statement requirement (PDF, 88KB).
• Payslip requirement guide (PDF, 47KB)

We'll seek to validate your client's income using credit bureau information, if we can successfully do this, we won't request to see any proofs.

Bank statements can be requested for the following reasons:

• 1-3 month's bank statements from main account are required to show salary paid directly into their account and outgoings from their account history.
• 3 months' bank statements are required to show rental income from a Buy to Let and the mortgage payment going out. They are also required to evidence maintenance.

Statements can also be requested to provide evidence of deposit:

• UK savings account and savings held in an EEA bank account: 1 months bank statement to be provided
• Savings held in a non-EEA bank account: 3 months' bank statements to be provided

Paper bank statements

These must visibly show:

• Customer(s) initial(s) or full name(s)
• Customer(s) full address
• Account Number and Sort Code
• All pages which must be clearly numbered, including any cover pages for postal statements.
• The required number of month's transactions
• Bank/Building Society logo
• Regulatory footer statement

Online bank statements

These must visibly show:

• Customer(s) initial(s) or full name(s)
• Account Number and Sort Code
• All pages which must be clearly numbered
• The required number of month's transactions

We'll accept statements provided in PDF format. You don't need to provide online statements with full address displayed.

Download our current account statement requirements guide (PDF, 87.9KB)

Note: we'll review applications on a case by case basis, where applicants' bank statements show excessive or persistent use of overdraft facilities.

Top tips for higher LTV applications

As a responsible lender, we're applying enhanced criteria for all cases exceeding 90% LTV. Here's what to look out for before submitting an application which may prevent it from being accepted.

We are looking to see that there are signs of affordability and good conduct.

• Has your client got a full 3 months and do they show the salary entry for each week/month?
• Have all the commitments showing on the bank statement been declared in the application? (e.g. personal loans and credit cards)
• Are there any additional expenses which haven't been declared in the application - such as travel or childcare costs?
• Is the general conduct of the bank account good? Examples to look out for are - returned items (bounced payments) / reliance on overdraft / signs of financial distress.
• High credit utilisation - this may indicate that the applicants will not have the ability to maintain payments in the future.

Documents in languages other than English will only be accepted if they've been translated into English by an independent translator and:

• the translator's firm or name, address and contact number have been provided
• the translator is not a family member of your client.

We won't accept documents translated using Google Translate or other translation apps. 

We'll require a copy of the original and the translated documents.

Read our source of deposit criteria, where you’ll find a list of acceptable source of deposits and the proofs required.