How to set up GOV.UK One Login

Start from the service you actually need — most will offer 'Create a GOV.UK One Login' when you first use them. Or go directly to the One Login sign-in page on GOV.UK. Never follow a link from an email or text message; government services do not send sign-in links, and One Login is a common phishing target.

You need an email address you will keep long-term and access to a phone for two-factor authentication. You can use a text message code or an authenticator app; the app is more robust because it does not depend on receiving a message on a particular SIM, which matters if you travel or change numbers.

One email address equals one account. You cannot share an account, because the services behind it hold personal records.

Creating an account is not the same as proving who you are. Services that give access to personal records or make payments require identity verification, which you complete once and then reuse.

The fastest route is the GOV.UK ID Check app. You photograph a valid photo ID — a UK passport, a UK photocard driving licence, or in some cases a non-UK passport — and record a short video or photo of your face so the app can match it to the document. It then asks security questions based on records held about you, such as a mobile contract or credit account.

If the app cannot verify you, alternatives exist. You can complete the check on the web without the app for some document types, or take your documents to a participating Post Office branch for an in-person check.

Some people cannot complete any of these routes — typically because they have no photo ID or a very limited credit footprint. In those cases the individual service will usually have a fallback, often a phone or postal process. Contact the service rather than assuming you are excluded.

Once verified, that identity is reused across every service using One Login. That is the entire point of the system and the main practical benefit.

Adoption is progressive. A growing set of services use One Login, including Disclosure and Barring Service checks, several licensing and registration services, apprenticeship and grant services, and an expanding list across departments.

HMRC's Government Gateway remains distinct for many tax services, with migration under way. That means you may still need a Government Gateway user ID for Self Assessment and PAYE services alongside your One Login — a transitional annoyance rather than a permanent design.

The NHS App, UKVI accounts for immigration status, and Universal Credit accounts are separate systems with their own credentials.

Check which account a service needs before assuming. The service's own start page always says.

The most common serious problem is losing the phone that receives your two-factor codes. Set up more than one method where the service allows it, and record your recovery options somewhere you will still have in five years.

If you are locked out, One Login has a recovery process that may require repeating identity verification. It is deliberately not trivial, because an easy account recovery route is an easy account takeover route.

Never enter your One Login details on a page you reached from a link in an email, text or social media message. Government services do not send sign-in links. If a message claims your account will be closed, a payment is pending, or you must verify urgently, it is fraudulent — close it and reach GOV.UK by typing the address.

There is no fee to create a One Login, to verify your identity or to use any service through it. Any site charging for these is not a government service.

Report suspicious emails to [email protected] and suspicious texts to 7726, both free.