Help, need to verify who I am!

It would seem that those of us without a valid passport or a driving licence that is the old paper one sans photo, are going to run into a spot of bother now and again booking Airbnb places.

I’ve done my southern road trip and stayed in 4 Airbnb places without an issue, but now planning my northern one I’ve run into a bit of a problem as Airbnb want me to upload “Government ID” to book a place in Northumberland.

Anyone else had this problem or has a solution?

https://www.citizencard.com/what-is-a-citizencard

Or get a plastic driving licence. You’ll have to do this by 2033 anyway, even if you’ve managed not to move house since your paper one was issued.

Not of immediate use but my suggestion is bite the bullet and get a passport or photo card license.

With the extent of anti-money laundering / know your client checks for so many different things life is a total pita without one or other. It’s the main reason I renewed my passport in the middle of Covid time.

I’m sure a simple conversation will sort everything out.

Ronnie Pickering!

Even my grandad had a photo licence at 90.

See now I’m thinking of that Death Star canteen sketch, which is no help to the OP at all…

Not of immediate use but my suggestion is bite the bullet and get a passport or photo card license.

Second this – photo driving licence just makes a lot of things so much easier. I held out for years but made the switch during lock-down. Still kept my paper Granddad licence for posterity though! 😀

Other option of course is to book something with some other booking agent or direct with a B&B.

My dad hasn’t driven for a few years but has renewed his license for photo ID.

Been putting off getting a new passport till the summer rush is over, but seem to need two bits of photo ID to prove who I am in the civil service

Are you sure the ID has to be in date Nige? An expired passport is probably valid enough. Plus, would anyone check?

It’s worth getting a photo ID for other reasons too – e.g many youth hostels now require photo ID, and you’ll need photo ID to vote at the next general election (that legislation has now been passed).

It’ll be that dodgy accent Nige, they can’t wrap their heads around why you haven’t got a scally accent like the rest of us 🙂

Yes I know I need to get photo ID as its getting a royal PITA for a lot of things and I will need a new passport for next years Alps/Pyrenees trip.

Just in the last 10 years its not been a priority for me.

Rich I can’t for the life of me find my last passport so that’s a non starter found one of Carolyn’s that expired in 2005!

Russ I’ve only communicated by message so far so my non descriptive accent and living in the NW hasn’t come up yet 😉

garage dweller at least that’s making me laugh

Drac but he would have had to reapply for his licence at 70 so would have automatically been issued with a photo one? Plus I’ve not been caught for anything since 1996 so haven’t had to send it off 😉

muffin man I think that’s going to be my best option unless I can find my old passport & that picture is 17 years old 😀

Oh and according to the DVLA unless I have a valid passport its a right PITA getting a photo Driving Licence!

I’ve still got a paper driving license but my bus pass has a photo.

Oh and according to the DVLA unless I have a valid passport its a right PITA getting a photo Driving Licence!

Odd. I’ll bet there’s a bloody sight more people applying for driving licences than those with a passport, valid or not. My passport expired some years back, and I’m pretty certain I never needed it when replacing my photo driver’s license after it expired.

I’ll be needing a new licence in two years time anyway, but it’s possible I might need to replace my passport sometime soon; that means I’ll have a proper blue one to show my superiority over all the furriners!

Somewhere I think I’ve still got my first driver’s license, like a little passport with a red cover. I was very disappointed when I had to replace it with the shitty paper one, that starts to disintegrate at the very earliest opportunity!
When I went to the States with it, Americans just couldn’t wrap their heads around the idea of a form of ID that could be used by anyone!

Always found it a bit odd that Airbnb hosts require photo ID. I know YHA need to see photo ID as part of their safeguarding, which I understand. Is it so that if I trash the place they really know who I am?

One of the reasons I don’t use Airbnb, is them having a copy of my ID, just doesn’t sit well with me.

I’d be looking at a let via another letting agent or vendor personally.

Edit: We’ve booked loads of places in Northumberland over the years without using Airbnb.

slowoldman

I’ve still got a paper driving license but my bus pass has a photo.

The host did ask with an apology if I had a bus pass 😀

Anyway I’ve cancelled that one and found somewhere without the ID checks in Northumberland with 181 5 star reviews, all booked and sorted. That’s 1 week anyway have 3 nights in Scotland sorted with friends and family plus 2 days in Yorkshire with friends.

So need to fill in 2 more days in Yorkshire and 4 more on the West coast of Scotland have 4 nights sorted in the Lakes before back home at the beginning of October.

Weird thing is I had no issue getting accommodation in the South West or South East in August but nearly everywhere is booked solid in the North for September?

but nearly everywhere is booked solid in the North for September?

That’s because “the North” becomes a frozen wasteland on 1st October