Can't confirm age in UK

After a phone call Yesterday found out both Birth Certificate and British Passport are a no goer. The National ID other than a Credit Card and Driving License. Will require one of the following:-

• Citizen Card
• Young Scot
• MyID
• Totum ID

Note that modern Citzen Card expires after 3 years, however an older instance won’t expire after 3 years. The other IDs likely also expire 3 years after production and purchase. Also the card must be a physical one and digital versions aren’t accepted.

I’m having the same trouble as a UK based adult, can’t and don’t drive. Not interested in Credit Cards, only use debit. Only have BC and Passport as forms of ID. BC isn’t acceptable, but passport is only acceptable if US card passport, or an EU (card form) or the IE (Irish) card form passport.

Have sent feedback stating that the UK passport is only available as a booklet. My proposed improved flow, for scanning is to scan the cover of UK passport to identify as passport, then the internal page with the actual ID.

For those of you who are also having the same trouble, may I suggest getting Apple Support on the phone and sending feedback similar to mine. If enough of us with this issue, get support on the phone and sending similar feedback, then their developers will get the message.

When it asks to enter your card manually you can go to the bottom of the page and it says other verification you can scran your driving license there

EpidemeUK wrote:

Having just updated my iPhone to 26.4 it's now asking me to confirm I'm 18+, I don't have a credit card and it doesn't give me the option to scan my drivers licence so now what? This is ridiculous if Apple are going to force us to do this at least give us options I'm 57 and now my phone is going to treat me like a child.

If you can't use your drivers license nor do you have a valid credit card, you're going to need to contact Apple UK directly for help. There are others in the UK, facing the same issue.

You can use the Support button at the bottom of this page or you can find Apple UK phone number here --> Contact Apple Support – Apple Support (UK)

Ok I’ve got a workaround in the UK get a Clearpay account get the app go into Store and download the card into your apple wallet and you can verify your account!!

Deanl34 wrote:

But what about people who don’t drive, don’t have photo id and don’t have a credit card ?

That's going to be an issue. But not one anyone on this user to user only forum can solve for you.

This is from Apple --> Age requirements for managing an Apple Account in the UK - Apple Support

Spent an hour on the phone to Apple support Tec team They were useless. They just kept saying that I must have a credit card and drivers license or an ID card which we don’t have in the UK !! apparently I have to wait to see if they do another Update for it , it shouldn’t have been released in the UK until they put in British passport which is a main source of proof providing identity. I’ve got a government disability card which is chipped has a photo and my date of birth on the front but even that wasn’t good enough!

Go to Settings > [your name]. · Tap Personal Information. You may need to sign in to your Apple Account. · Tap your date of birth to edit it. Read more

Update the date of birth associated with an Apple Account

MartinRiverJuno wrote:

I have a paper driving license, debit cards and bus pass, none are excepted by Apple. As a 69 year old I find it farcical that they won’t except my sole methods of verification but they are quite happy to accept my debit card for the Wallet app.

The reason they won't accept a debit card is because, in the UK, debit cards can be issued to people under 18. Credit cards, on the other hand, cannot.

Anybody would think that they’ll accept that as it’s possibly revenue for them. What a total mess, no doubt that they won’t bother sorting this out as it would mean admitting a mistake.

Apple will lose a lot more revenue if the UK regulators stop letting them sell anything in the UK because they don't meet the requirements.

While I don't know the details of the law and how it needs to be implemented or why Apple is doing it the way they are, I do know that this wasn't Apple's idea. It was the UK government (or whatever goverment you're currently subject to).

GlasgowDave wrote:

You’re not alone. I don’t have a credit card at the moment and my driver’s licence is the old UK paper type without a photo. I’ve had an Apple ID for about 20 years.

With this restriction, I’m going to lose functionality on my phone that I’ve already paid for. Worst still is if they add this to iPadOS and this restricts me from using that device for my job.

All in all, Apple have failed on this one.

Dave

Apple didn't actually fail here. Your government put Apple in this position by requiring age verification for UK users. Apple is just following the requirement. You can solve this, however, by getting a form of identification which meets the minimum requirements.

Hey @EpidemeUK -

There’s a Reddit post pinned on the r/privacy subreddit (and linked below) that’s currently logging user experiences with the 26.4 age verification process (eg, issues encountered, solutions to aforementioned issues). I’m in the US and haven’t engaged with this feature personally, but from my perch on this side of the pond, this collective project seems to be helping alot of ppl navigate the rough patches.

@seeshell66 - There was at least one account of passports working when I skimmed through last night. I do remember it required substantial optimization of optical parameters (lighting, contrast, etc) and multiple attempts. Maybe persistence will pay off for you.

@GlasgowDave - My understanding is that an Apple ID that is 18+ years old serves as automatic confirmation.

Hope this helps.

[Edited by Moderator]

GlasgowDave wrote:

The UK government requirements are a separate issue. It’s Apple’s implementation that I find fault with. I have numerous forms of ID that satisfy the Government requirements but Apple don’t currently accept those.

I get the frustration, but this is a user to user only forum. We can't help you with this. And Apple isn't here, so they won't see your post.

Leave feedback for Apple here --> Feedback - iPhone - Apple

IdrisSeabright wrote:

Apple will lose a lot more revenue if the UK regulators stop letting them sell anything in the UK because they don't meet the requirements.

While I don't know the details of the law and how it needs to be implemented or why Apple is doing it the way they are, I do know that this wasn't Apple's idea. It was the UK government (or whatever goverment you're currently subject to).

The following excerpt from a BBC news article on Apple’s move helps clarify the UK legal position:

Ofcom added new rules to the Online Safety Act in 2025 which forced tech firms to strengthen child safety protections, however that does not currently cover bringing in age checks at a device level

I think what is surprising people is that Apple have exceeded the level of restriction required by legislation. On the one hand this might be a welcome addition for parents. On the other, it does disadvantage a minority of grown ups without the required identification. I expect it’s a calculated risk on Apple’s part.

GlasgowDave wrote:

I think what is surprising people is that Apple have exceeded the level of restriction required by legislation. On the one hand this might be a welcome addition for parents. On the other, it does disadvantage a minority of grown ups without the required identification. I expect it’s a calculated risk on Apple’s part.

I think what a lot of people aren't thinking about is that Apple initiated one system of age verification. It covers people in multiple jurisdictions. In addition to the UK, I believe people in Spain, South Korea, and the U.S. states of Texas, Utah, and Louisiana may be now or will soon be subjected to the same verification. With probably more states and countries to be added as this process plays out. My guess would be that Apple went with a process it can apply broadly rather than a patchwork of rules.

I would be frustrated and insulted if I, at 64 were treated like a child. And I know that, despite people saying, "Just get the right kind of ID and stop whining," that's not always feasible. I live in a country where I may soon be required to follow very stringent ID requirements in order to exercise my right to vote. I am not happy about it, even though I personally have the right ID (at least I think I do).

I also suspect that things will change, that the license scanning system will stop being so glitchy for one.