{"id":122987,"date":"2018-08-31T09:27:37","date_gmt":"2018-08-31T08:27:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/?p=122987"},"modified":"2025-06-18T07:00:41","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T06:00:41","slug":"personal-loan-documents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/personal-loans\/personal-loan-documents","title":{"rendered":"What documents do you need to apply for a personal loan?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you’re ready to submit your personal loan application or you’re still in the researching stage, it helps to know what you’ll need when you apply for a loan. While much of the process can be handled online, there are still some documents you may need to provide as part of your application.<\/p>

Applying online<\/h3>

When you apply for a personal loan<\/a> online most lenders now electronically verify your identity and address through a credit reference agency (CRA) like Experian or Equifax. In this case, you will need to answer some questions that only you would know the answer to, but you won’t have the hassle of having to dig out any ID. This type of identity verification is known as “knowledge-based authentication” and will not affect your credit rating.<\/p>

Sometimes the CRA will not have enough information about you on file (or in the databases that it has access to) to be able to verify your identity with a satisfactory level of certainty.<\/p>

When this happens you may be asked to provide a photo of yourself, plus a photo of the identification page of your passport. Again, the lender will use technology provided by a CRA to verify your identity using the photos you’ve provided. If the lender doesn’t offer this facility then you may be asked to take ID to a branch or to post a certified copy (a copy that is certified as authentic by a member of the bank’s staff or by a solicitor, accountant, GP etc.).<\/p>

You should be wary of sending off originals of particularly important forms of ID, such as your passport or driver’s licence.<\/p>

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Applying in-branch<\/h3>

When you apply for a personal loan in a branch, the old fashioned rules apply \u2013 you’ll normally need to bring two forms of identification \u2013 one to prove your identity and one to prove your address (you can’t use the same document to prove both). Normally it’ll be your passport or driver’s licence, plus a utility bill or bank statement.<\/p>

To prove your address<\/h4>

Each lender will list the specific documents it will accept, but you’ll normally be able to use one of the following:<\/p>