Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons the EU Exit: ID Document Check app does not work on a desktop or laptop computer.

EU citizens make a huge contribution to our economy and society, and we want them to stay. The EU Settlement Scheme is a streamlined and user-friendly service which is accessible on any smartphone, tablet or computer using an internet browser.

The ‘EU Exit: Identity Document Check’ app – which allows applicants to prove their identity remotely, without sending in their passport or national identity card – requires access to the chip in the applicant’s identity document in order to verify their identity remotely. The app uses Near Field Communication (NFC) to facilitate a secure connection between the app and the chip in the applicants Identity Document. NFC functionality is now available in the vast majority of modern smartphone devices due to the popularity of contactless payments which utilises the same core technology. NFC is a rare feature for tablets and not available on the majority of laptops and desktops.

During this test phase, applicants need to prove their identity by using the ‘EU Exit: Identity Document Check’ app, currently only available only on Android phones. The rest of their application can be completed on any computer or mobile device. This is an entirely voluntary test phase and once the system is fully open by 30 March, the app will be optional. There will be over 50 locations across the UK where applicants can have their identity document scanned. Applicants will also be able to post identity documents to the Home Office to be checked and returned quickly.