Identification

Requirements for new savings and current accounts.

We need to confirm the identity of every applicant who applies for a savings or current account with the Society. We do this to protect you against the risk of identity fraud and to comply with money laundering regulations.

We will carry out an electronic check to confirm the identity of all applicants, but may also ask you to provide us with additional identification, for example if the electronic check is unable to confirm your identity.

If we ask you to provide additional proof of your identity please send this in with your application.

You will need to provide two forms of identification for each account holder:

One item from group A, to confirm who you are
One item from group B, to confirm your name and address

Identification can be used either to confirm who you are, or your name and address, not both. For example you cannot use a driving licence to confirm who you are, as well as your name and address.

Please refer to the tables below for suitable identification.

Group A - one item to confirm who you are
Passport (UK or foreign) - current, valid and full - certified copy	Blue disabled driver's pass - certified copy
Valid UK photocard driving licence (full or provisional, both parts required) - certified copy	DWP pension entitlement letter - current year - original document
Full old style driving licence (UK) - current, signed - certified copy	DWP retirement pension card - certified copy
EEA photocard driving licence - current - certified copy	EEA member state identity card - certified copy
Birth certificate - under 18 only - certified copy

Group B - one item to confirm your name and address
Utilities bill (i.e. gas, electricity) less than 3 months old - original document	Cable/satellite/phone bill less than 3 months old (excluding mobile phones) - original document
Water or council tax bill - current year - original document	Section 975 Tax Statement (not from Coventry Building Society) - original document
Valid UK photocard driving licence (full or provisional, both parts required) - certified copy	Local council tenancy agreement/rent book - original document
Full old style driving licence (UK) - current, signed - certified copy	Solicitor's letter confirming recent house purchase - original document
Bank/building society/credit card statement less than 3 months old (not from Coventry Building Society) - original document	Medical card - under 18's only - original document

Certified copies of identification for new savings and current accounts

If you are opening a new account at a branch, all of the documents provided must be originals. If your appliction is being sent by post, where applicable, please send us certified copies, as the Society cannot be held responsible if originals are lost in the post.

Copies of original documents can only be certified by one of the following: solicitor, teacher, engineer, accountant, surveyor, police officer (serving or retired), bank or building society manager, minister of religion, Justice of the Peace, independent financial advisor, post office official (postmaster/sub-postmaster), doctor, fire service official, officer of the armed services (serving or retired), nurse, dentist, chemist, optician.

Copies of your original documents should be certified using the following words - 'I confirm that I have seen the original document'. The certifier must sign their name and include the following details - full name, profession, company address, phone number and date.

If you have a non-UK passport, this must be certified by a UK bank or building society manager, solicitor or embassy official only.

The person certifying should be in current employment, but we will also accept certification from a person who has retired, provided they still hold the qualification (and are a member of the relevant institute).

The person certifying must not be related to you in any way i.e. they must not be your husband, wife, brother, sister-in-law, and they must not be named as a joint account holder for the new account you are opening. You cannot certify your own identification.

If you are an adult opening an account on behalf of a child, you will also need to produce identification for yourself. Please ask for a copy of our Children's Account Opening Guide.

If you are opening an account under a Power of Attorney, you will need to provide identification for all attorneys named on the savings account, as well as the donor.

Certified copies of identification must have been certified within the last 12 months.