Veterans need a physical card before adding the digital Veteran Card to their phone
More than 23,000 digital cards have been downloaded since the service opened in October 2025. Veterans need a physical card first, then add the digital version through the GOV.UK One Login app.
Veterans can carry proof of their service on their phone by adding a digital HM Armed Forces Veteran Card to the GOV.UK One Login app, but only after their physical card has been fully processed and posted out. More than 23,000 digital cards have been downloaded since the service launched in October 2025, the government said on Saturday, as it encouraged more veterans to sign up before Remembrance Sunday.
The digital card is optional and the plastic card stays valid. Either can be shown to get discounts at shops, restaurants and attractions that offer them, or to prove veteran status when registering with a GP or asking for health support. Offers and acceptance differ from one organisation to the next, so veterans are advised to check before they go.
Getting the physical card first
Anyone leaving the armed forces now receives a card in their service leavers' pack within six weeks. Those who left before December 2018 have to apply for one, which is free.
Regulars and reservists from the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Marines can get a card. Some people who served in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, or sailed with the Merchant Navy in support of the UK armed forces, may also qualify. People who served in another country's forces, including those who served alongside UK units, cannot.
The application asks for:
- the service number from the last period of service
- a National Insurance number
- the approximate years service began and ended
- a recent digital passport-style photo showing head and shoulders
Applying online means proving identity through GOV.UK One Login, which needs an email address and photo ID such as a UK passport or driving licence. Only people applying for themselves can use the online route. Anyone applying for someone else, or unable to apply online, can ask the Veterans UK Helpline on 0808 1914 218 for a postal form, available in English or Welsh. The line is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm. Veterans living outside the UK must apply online.
A card usually arrives within 10 weeks. In Northern Ireland, veterans can have it posted or collect it from a Veterans Welfare Service office.
Adding it to a phone
The One Login app runs on iPhones with iOS 16.7 or later and Android phones with Android 10 or later. The card cannot be stored in other government apps, including the GOV.UK app and GOV.UK ID Check. If the photo on an existing card is not clear enough, the veteran may be asked to submit a new one that meets the rules for passport photos.
When a card will not add, GOV.UK's advice is to start the process again from the "Get a digital version of your Veteran Card" page, then call the Veterans UK Helpline if that fails.
Checking a digital card
Businesses and services checking a digital card are told to confirm it shows a service number, full name, date of birth and an expiry date, and that the photo matches the person holding the phone. The bottom border should carry the Ministry of Defence logo, the GOV.UK crown and a live clock showing the current time. If the card has expired, the photo disappears. For now the check is visual, and GOV.UK says it is working on a way to verify cards online.
GOV.UK also lists other uses for a Veteran Card, among them proving identity when voting, claiming National Insurance relief and showing ID on domestic flights with British Airways and easyJet.
